Haridwar  :Door of The Heaven

Tourist Points: Almora, Chamoli,Dhanaulti, Kausani, Mussoorie, Nainital & Ranikhet.
Wild Life :  Corbett National Park, Rajaji National Park, Nanda Devi National Park, Govind Wildlife
Sanctuary & National Park.
Pilgrimage:   Haridwar,Rishikesh,Yamunotri,Gangotri,Kedarnath,Badrinath and Hemkund Saheb.
Nature Lovers:   Valley of Flowers.
Adventures Seekers: Skiing & Auli , Water Sports and Trekking.

HARIDWAR: It is the gateway to the Four Dhams of Uttaranchal. According to the Hindu mythology Lord Vishnu is known as Hari & Shiva as Har. Dwar means gate, and it is for this reason that this place is known as Hardwar or Haridwar. Legend has placed Gods footprints on the bank of holy river giving the town its sanctity and has left an idelible mark on the spiritual ethos of every Hindu. It is the point where the Gangas emerges from the Himalayas to begin its progress across the plains. Legend has it that the holy Ganga, the holiest of all rivers, which flows through this sacred city has actually been sanctified by the powerful Trintity of Hindu mytholog. According to devotees Haridwar is one of the four places upon which the Amrit(Nector) of immortality emerging out of the churning ocean fell. The Huge religious Mela Kumbh which happens once every 12 years & the Ardh Kumbh Mela, which comes once every six years.

The scenic beauty and the lush greenery, a unique Gurukul School of traditional education, the temples and the ghats all give the city a unique flavour and charm.

In the evening the Ghats look breathtakingly beautiful, as thousands of diyas and marigold flowers float and illuminate the holy waters of the Mother Ganga. 

Sight Seeing: 

Har-ki-Pauri: It means "The footstep of God" was constructed by King Vikramaditya in the memory of his brother Bharathari. It is the Main Ghat. It is believed that Bharathari eventualy came to Haridwar to mediate by the banks of holy Ganga. This sacred bathing ghat is also known as Brahma Kund. This is the place where Lord Vishnu is believed to have left his foot print. At this point part of the Ganga has been diverted just to the north to become the Canal.Bathing at Har-Ki-Pauri washes away all the sins.

At the sun set- every evening priests perform the Ganga Arti ceremony where lights and floral diyas are set on the water to driftdown stream and priests engaged in elaborate rituals and chanting of mantras. The reflection of golden hues is the most enchanting sight in the twilight.

Mansa Devi Temple: Situated at the top of Bilwa Parvat on the southernmost hill of the Shivalik – The temple of Goddess Mansa Devi. Mansa is one of the forms of Shakti Durga.

Daksha Mahadev Temple: It is the ancient temple of Daksha Mahadev. The mythology story about this place is that king Daksha Prajapati, father of Lord Shiva’s first wife Sati performed yagna at this place, but he did not invite Shiva. Sati, in anger ,burnt herself in the yagna kund. This provoked Mahadev to destroy Daksha Yagna & behead the king, but when the gods praised Lord Shiva, the Lord Mahadev brought him back to life. Daksha Mahadev temple is thus a tribute to this legend.

Maya Devi Temple: The place where the heart and navel of goddess Sati had fallen. This is an ancient temple of Mangla Devi the Adhisthartri deity of Haridwar, known as one of the siddhapeethas.

Chandi Devi Temple: Erected on Neel parvat on the other bank of river Ganga by a Kashmiri King, Suchet Singh in 1929, is reached by an about 3km trek to the south east from Chandighat. Legend has it that the army chief Chanda Munda of a local demon king Shumbh –Nishumbha was killed by Goddess Chandi here after which the place got the name Chandi Devi.

Gurukul Kangri University: On the Haridwar Jwalapur byepass road is this Institution known for following a unique system of education in India. In this institution teaches Sanskrit & Pharmacy according to the ancient system and has an Ayurvedic College. The Ved Mandir Museum with archaeological exhibits in display can also be seen.

Jai Ram Ashram: Situated on the Rishikesh road is the Jai Ram Ashram about 3 km away with the pristine white and sculptures depicting the gods and the demons battling for the waters of humanity. There are electronically animated scenes from the Hindu epics.

Back