Haridwar

Haridwar or Hari-dwar in Hindi literally means Gateway to God; Hari is synonymous to God and Dwar means gate! Situated in the state of Uttarakhand, this holy place is a famous religious destination that invites people of ious faiths and background. Haridwar depicts Indian culture and civilization in its full effect. The ancient Indian mythology refers to Haridwar as Gangadwar, Kapilsthan and Mayapuri, as also known in olden times.

The descent of river Ganga from the mountains into the plains touches Haridwar before moving down other towns. Haridwar opens the doors to Char Dham or the four religious centers Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri and promises a very pious experience for travelers. One of the oldest beliefs states that anyone taking a dip in the holy river of Ganga here can achieve salvation.

Placed at a height of 249.7 meters above sea level and spread across an area of 2360 sq km, this district witnesses hot summers and cold winters. Connectivity is not a problem with road and railway networks active.

Fast Facts

Weather

Summer 20 to 40 C
Winter 2 to 30 C

Best Season

Oct - Mar

Getting to Haridwar

AIR

Nearest airport is Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun, which is a domestic airport located at about just 20 km away from city center. The airport operates daily flights to Delhi. Nearest International airport is Delhi, which is about 200 km away. Delhi airport is well connected to most of the domestic airports and foreign airports.

RAIL

Haridwar railway station is a major station well connected to all major cities in India. Tourists can take trains from Delhi Dehradun Shatabdi, Kolkata Doon Exp, Mumbai Dehradun Exp and Chennai Ddn Mas Exp, Bhopal Hw Ltt Ac Sf along with ious other cities in the country.

ROAD

Haridwar is well connected by tourist bus services and state owned bus services. All cities in and around Haridwar are connected by state buses. Many deluxe buses are available at a regular interval from Delhi, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Dehradun, Shimla and many other cities located close to it.

Attractions

Har- ki- Pauri

This is the place where every day thousands of devotees take a holy dip for absolving their sins. According to Hindu mythology, the salvation of the ancestors can be reached by standing on the holy water of Har- ki- Pauri. It is the site for famous Kumbh Mela celebrated once in 12 years. At the evening time, a grand Ganga Arti is performed at the river bank. A reflection of the floating golden deals makes the entire view enchanting.

Chandi Devi Temple

Located on the top of Neel Parvat, this temple was built by Suchat Singh, the king of Kashmir. There is a trek of 3km from Chandi Ghat to reach the temple. One who cannot trek, can use the cable car upto the temple.

Mansa Devi Temple

Dedicated to Goddess Mansa Devi, this temple is situated on the top of the Bilwa Parvat. One can reach to the temple by a ropeway or on foot. From the temple, a complete view of the entire Haridwar city can be seen.

Sapta Rishi Ashram and Sapt Saro

As the name suggests, this place has the seven streams flowing after getting split from the river Ganga. According to the mythology, it is believed that seven sages named Vashisht, Atri, Jamadagi, Gautam, Bhardwaj and Kashyapa, meditated at the place.

Shantikunj

Established by Pt. Shriram Sharma Acharya, this is the headquarter of the spiritual and social organization All World Gayatri Pariwar AWGP. At a distance of 6 kms from the railway station, the place attracts both tourists and seekers of spiritual guidance.

Rajaji National Park

Covering an area of around 820 sq kms, this national park is at the edge of the Doon Valley. The national park has over 23 species of mammals and 315 fauna species. Tourists, here, can see rare species of panther, chital, bear, elephants, deer, python, monitor lizard and wild boar. One can also enjoy elephant safari at Chilla and Dholkand.

Shopping spots

Haridwar has very popular markets where tourists can get some of the interesting and handicraft items, copper & brass puja utensils, stone idols and beads. Some of the popular market for shopping are Bara Bazar for Rudraksha seeds and Government handloom & handicraft emporium for wood handicrafts.