INTRODUCTION:
Haridwar is a Hindu pilgrimage site &ancient city which is in Uttarakhand state, where the Hindu religious river Ganga exist which comes from the Himalayas. Haridwar is the 6th largest district of Uttarakhand according to population. Haridwar is famous for its temples and river Ganga. There are total of 107 ghats in Haridwar where peoples come for bathing. All ghats in Haridwar are to be opened for bathing (Snan)during Kumbh. It is also called the gateway of the char-Dham yatra.
In Hindu mythology, Lord Vishnu is known as Hari & Shiva as har. Dwar means gate &that is the reason that this place is called Haridwar.
Haridwar also reminds us of major shaktipeeth for the devotees. Well if anyone comes to Haridwar there are many places like Har-ki-Pauri, Mansa Devi, Chandi Devi Temple, Daksh Temple, Maya Devi Temple, Jai Ram Ashram, a lot of dharamshala(shelters to live)all these things make Haridwar unique & charam.
How to come Haridwar:
By buses, trains, by cars, etc there are many mediums to come to Haridwar. If we talk about Haridwar railway station which also looks like a temple in itself. So this railway station is well connected to all over India so if you are coming to Haridwar by train then you will find a lot of hotels around here & there is also a bus station close to the railway station from where you can take a bus to many tourist destinations of Uttarakhand like Nainital, Mussoorie, Dehradun, Uttarkashi & Badrinath and here buses also frequently run to Shimla, Delhi, Chandighar, etc from the bus stand.
About Har-Ki-Pauri:
A whole lot of devotees come here from all over the world Har-ki-Pauri the main attraction of Haridwar & it is just 2km away from the railway station. If any person comes to visit Haridwar, then, first of all, he takes a bath in Ganga river at har-ki-pauri& it’s a common belief here that if one takes a bath here in Har-ki-Pauri, then all his/her sins are washed & flow away with the Ganga river.
Har-Ki-Pauri is famous for its river Ganga aarti. Ganga aarti is held here twice a day, firstly in the morning from 5:30 am to 6:30 am & second time in the evening from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm.
Temple Chandi Devi:
The temple Chandi Devi is 4km away from Har-ki-Pauri,& there are two ways to reach Chandi Devi temple, either you climb 3km uphills or you can take ropeway ways are good in their own aspects. if anyone who likes adventures and like to climb then they prefer 3km climb way and if anyone who wants to reach fast and in less time then they prefer ropeway.
So Chandi Devi mandir is situated in Neel Parvat(mountain). Chandi Devi temple is the oldest temple in Haridwar. It is said that Adi Shankaracharya established the main idol of Chandi Devi Mata here in the eighth century. This place is famous for worship where desires get fulfilled of all the devotees.
Temple Mansa Devi:
The temple Mansa Devi is dedicated to the goddess Mansa Devi which is 3.5km away from Har-ki-Pauri &there are also two ways to reach Mansa Devi temple, either climb uphill or you can take the ropeway. There is one advantage of sitting in a ropeway, you’ll get to see such a lovely view of Haridwar.
It is said that if one asks for a wish here, that wish is certainly fulfilled. so there is no camera is allowed inside the temple for security purposes.
So this temple is situated in Bilwa Parwat(mountain). So if you come to Haridwar, then definitely visit this temple. The Mansa means wish & all the devotees believe that his/her wishes are fulfilled by the Goddess. It is one of the Peeths located in Haridwar, the other two being Chandi Devi & Maya Devi temple. The temple is open for all the days between 5 am to 9 pm except for the lunch closings of 12 pm to 2 pm.
Best Time to Visit Haridwar:
According to the Indian climate, the best time to visit or explore Haridwar is between October to March because the weather is cool 7 Pleasant when you are exploring Haridwar & especially for foreigners who want to come to explore Haridwar. In the month of July the festival is called Savan where thousands of people come to Haridwar from different places of India, during this time all roads are blocked & all hotels are full so try to avoid coming or travel to Haridwar during that time.
So if you only want to come to Haridwar only for exploring purpose so try to avoid to come in festivals seasons because there are many devotees come to Haridwar on that time & all the places are crowded.
Haridwar Food:
Haridwar is a Hindu pilgrimage site that is also famous for its food. The aloo puri is one of the famous food of Haridwar and is easily available everywhere in Haridwar. There is more food which is also famous in Haridwar like:
- Kachori
- Rasmali & Jalebi
- Chhole Bhature
- Lassi & Kulhar milk(basically gives in mud glass which gives unique taste)
- Samosas
- Gulab Jamum,etc.
If you go to Haridwar then must try these foods.
There are some places you must visit to try this food like:
- Big Ben Restro
- Haveli Hari Ganga Restro
- Pracheen Mathura Wala
- Mohan Ji Puri Wale
- Krishnaji Restro,etc
Famous Activities Do in Haridwar:
When you are going to Haridwar you must try these activities:
- Temples visit in Haridwar.
- Do adventure tour in Haridwar.
- Also join ganga aarti at har-ki -pauri.
- Visit ashrams in harridwar.
- Must try famous street food of Haridwar.
- Explore & make shopping from there.
- Try to do yoga & meditation in Haridwar.
- Try ayurvedic treatment because Haridwar is famous for its ancient ayurvedic treatment.
- Must try to take bath in river ganga ghats .
- If you like adventure you must try jungle safari in Haridwar.
Education in Haridwar:
Haridwar is also known for its education sector. There are many educational sectors like schools, colleges, universities, medical(Ayurveda, Allopathy)in Haridwar.
There are many universities are in Haridwar like IIT Roorkee, Gurukula Kangri Vishwavidyalaya, Dev Sanskriti University, Rishikul state Ayurvadek College, etc which make Haridwar an institutional hub also. Haridwar is also day by day famous for its education sectors also. There are many students who come to Haridwar to complete their higher education. It is also being a center of attraction in religion as well as in their education field.
Other nearby cities to visit:
Haridwar is a very beautiful tourist place for visiting & also nearby cities are also beautiful for visiting purposes like:
- Rishikesh(famous for its meditation & yoga).
- Dehradun(famous for its education,IMA{Indian military academy},elite boarding schools ,also knows as gateway of hill stations).
- Mussoorie(also known as queen of hills & very popular hill station in all over India,& also having cool weather all the time)
- Chilla Range(9.6km away from Haridwar,famous for its wildlife area & its comes under Raja Ji National Park)
- Tehri( famous for its tehri dam [largest dam in india],temples,trekking & mountaineering),etc.
Article Credit: Shubham Rawat