If you find yourself in a mood to steep yourself in an experience that spells typical Hindu spirituality, and enjoy the ethnic culture and flavor of religion, then it is a good idea to make an excursion to ‘Haridwar’ or ‘The Gateway of the Gods’. Being 214 km from Delhi, it could make an ideal weekend trip, and offer a complete change from the cultivated gloss of the city atmosphere of the capital.
Located in the State of Uttaranchal, on the scenic foothills of the Himalayas, and on the banks of the holy river, Ganga, Haridwar is one of the seven holiest places according to Hindu mythology, as the Gods are believed to have left their footprints here. It is also the place of India’s holy river Ganga, and legend states that one of the Gods, Bhagiratha brought the the river into the earth, and it was here that his ancestors were burnt to ashes by the curse of the sage Kapila. At one time, Haridwar was known as Gangadwara and there is still a spot named Kapilastaan, which is supposed to be Kapila's hermitage.
This quaint town is a place where faith blossoms, where mythology lends fervor to devotion, where temple bells chime, and yellow robed mendicants and ‘sadhus’ live in religious ‘ashrams’ in a life of prayer and austerity, where the humming Moti bazaar. Upper Road and Jwalapur bazaars have bustling sales of all things holy, including sealed copper vessels of the holy water, Gangajal, Ayurvedic medicines lucky precious stones, and special offerings for the Gods. A place where every Hindu considers it his shining dream for a journey of the soul.
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Being a pilgrimage town, you would naturally spend the day visiting the several temples that dot the town, each with their own lore and history. But whatever may be, you must culminate your day at the picturesque Har-Ki-Pauri at sunset. This is the famous ghat where a dip in the waters of the sacred Ganges river is a part of the ritual of gaining salvation, and the ancient Sanskrit texts or the Puranas contain lengthy sections on the merit gained by traveling to such sites. It is also known for a footprint of Lord Vishnu, the Creator, on a stone in a wall) Witness the overwhelming wave of devotion when people take a dip in the snowy chill of the rushing waters. But most awesome is the evening scene when devotees float floral ‘diyas’ or oil lamps with their golden reflection casting a myriad lights on the river, with temple bells and the Ganga ‘aarti’ or Prayers reverberating in the air.
About half a kilometer upstream from here is the Bhimgoda Kund. According to legend, Bhim,one of the Pandavas of the great epic Mahabharta, was here, and with one blow of his horse’s hoof, he drew water from the rocks at this spot.
There are five more sacred bathing spots in Haridwar , and these are Gangadwara, Kankhal, Nila Parvata, Bilwa Theertha and Kusavarta.
Amongst the temples, Gangadwara is the main landmark, while, to the south of nearby Kankhal town, is an ancient shrine, the Daksh Mahadev Temple, which is said to have been constructed by Queen Dhankaur in AD 1810.
The temple of Chandi Devi atop the Neel Parvat on the other bank of river Ganges was constructed in AD 1929 by Suchat Singh, the then King of Kashmir. Trek further on for another 3 km to Chandi Ghat where the sage, Adi Shankaracharya is said to have established the main statue in the eighth century AD. This temple is also accessible by a ropeway, which starts near the Gauri Shankar Temple.
The temple atop the Bilwa Parvat, one of the peaks in the surrounding hilly terrain, is dedicated to Goddess Mansa Devi. It offers a panoramic view of Haridwar, the Ganges, and the countryside from this place. There is also the newly constructed Vaishno Devi temple, built as a replica of the original shrine in Jammu and Kashmir. Other temples worth a visit are the Mansa Devi temple, with a vantage view from its location .on a hill, and the Maya Devi temples.
CLIMATE :
Haridwar is situated at a height of almost 300 meters above sea level and the temperature usually hovers around 40°C during summers. Winters see the mercury dipping to as low as 6°C. The best season to visit Haridwar is between October and March during winter.
Haridwar and Rishikesh are best accessed by train or road, the nearest airport being on the outskirts of in the nearby city of Dehradun, from where you would again have to hire a private car to reach Haridwar. In terms of rail transport Dehradun, Haridwar, and Kathgodam are the major railway stations from where super fast trains can cover the journey to Haridwar within 6-7 hours.
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