Haridwar

Haridwar is a holy city in the Haridwar District of Uttarakhand, India. In Hindi, Haridwar stands for Dwar of Hari or Gateway to God, with 'Hari' meaning god and 'dwar' meaning gate .Haridwar is regarded as one of the seven holiest places to Hindus.
After travelling, 253 km from its source, at Gaumukh, 3,139 m (10,300 ft) above sea level, situated at the edge of the Gangotri Glacier, Ganga enters the Indo-Gangetic Plain of North India for the first time at Haridwar, and this is what gave the city its ancient name, Gangadwára, as the place where the Ganges descends to the plains .
According to Hindu mythology, Haridwar is one among the four sites where drops of the elixir of immortality, Amrita, accidentally spilled over from the pitcher, in which it was being carried away by the celestial bird Garuda, after the Samudra manthan. These four spots -- Ujjain, Haridwar, Nasik, and Allahabad -- have today become places, where the Kumbha Mela is celebrated once every 3 years in any of these 4 places and after a period of 12 years, the Maha Kumbha Mela is celebrated on the 12th year at Prayag in Allahabad. Millions of pilgrims, devotees, and tourists congregate here from all over the world to celebrate the event. They perform ritualistic bathing on the banks of the river Ganga.


The spot where the nectar fell is considered to be the Brahma Kund at Har-ki-Pauri (literally, "footsteps of the Lord," and symbolically the footprints of the Amrita), the most sacred ghat of Haridwar; thousands of devotees and pilgrims flock here during festivals or snan from all over India to take a holy dip. This act is considered to be the equivalent of washing away one's sins to attain Moksha.
The Haridwar district came into existence on 28 December 1988 as part of Saharanpur Divisional Commissionary [1], and on 9 November 2000 [6], it became part of Uttarakhand, the 27th state in the Republic of India.
. It is also a entry point to the Char Dham (the four main centers of pilgrimage in Uttarakhand viz, Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri), hence, Shaivaites (followers of Lord Shiva) and Vaishnavites (followers of Lord Vishnu) call this place Hardwar and Haridwar respectively, corresponding to Har being Shiv and Hari being Vishnu.

In the Vanaparva of the Mahabharat, where sage Dhaumya tells Yudhisthira about the tirthas of India, Gangadwar, i.e., Haridwar and Kankhal, have been referred to Sage Kapila is said to have an ashram here giving it, its ancient name, Kapila or Kapilastan.
The legendary King, Bhagirath, the great-grandson of the Suryavanshi King Sagar (an ancestor of Rama), is said to have brought the river Ganga down from heaven, through years of penance in Satya Yuga, for the salvation of 60,000 of his ancestors from the curse of the saint Kapila, a tradition continued by thousands of devout Hindus, who brings the ashes of their departed family members, in hope of their salvation. Lord Vishnu is said to have left his footprint on the stone that is set in the upper wall of Har-Ki-Pauri, where the Holy Ganga touches it at all times.
It is said that when the Gods left their footprints on the land of Haridwar, metaphorically they also left an indelible mark on the spiritual ethos of every Hindu – more so, the devout, who would later follow their holy paths all across this blessed land. Haridwar stands as the gateway to the four pilgrimages of Uttrakhand. Mentioned as Mayapuri, Gangadwar, Mokshadwar in the ancient scriptures and epics, Haridwar has always remained as a major Shaktipeeth for the devotees. Of such significance is Haridwar in the thought of India’s traditional Hindus that it has earned its sobriquet of honour, `the gateway to the Gods’


In Hindu traditions, the 'Panch Tirth' (Five Pilgrimages) within Haridwar, are Gangadwara (Har-ki-pauri), Kushwart (Ghat), Kankhal, Bilwa Teerth (Mansa Devi) and Neel Parvat (Chandi Devi).


HAR-KI-PAURI -1.5 km.
This sacred Ghat was constructed by King Vikramaditya (1st century BC) in memory of his brother Bhrithari. It is believed that Bhrithari came to Haridwar and meditated on the banks of holy Ganga. When he died, his brother constructed a Ghat in his name, which later came to be known as Hari-Ki-Pauri.
This sacred bathing ghat is also known as Brahmakund. The evening prayer at dusk (Aarti) offered to Goddess Ganga at Hari-Ki-Pairi (steps towards God Hari) is an enchanting experience for any visitor. A spectacle of sound and colour is seen when, after the ceremony, pilgrims float diyas (floral floats with lamps) and incense on the river, commemorating their deceased ancestors. A majority of present ghats were largely developed in the 1800s.

CHANDI DEVI TEMPLE - 6 km.
The temple is dedicated Goddess, Chandi, sits atop the 'Neel Parvat' on the eastern bank of river Ganga. It was constructed in 1929 A.D. by the king of Kashmir, Suchat Singh. Skanda Purana mentions a legend, in which Chanda-Munda, the Army Chief of a local Demon Kings Shumbh and Nishumbha were killed by goddess Chandi here, after which the place got the name Chandi Devi [42]. It is believed that the main statue was established by the Adi Shankracharya in 8th century A.D. The temple is a 3 km trek from Chandighat and can also be reached through a ropeway.

MANSA DEVI TEMPLE - 0.5 km.
Situated at the top of Bilwa Parwat, the temple of Goddess Mansa Devi, literally meaning the Goddess who fulfills desires (Mansa), is a popular tourist destination, especially because of the cable cars, which offer a picturesque view of the entire city. The main temple houses two idols of the Goddess, one with three mouths and five arms, while the other one has eight arms.

MAYA DEVI TEMPLE - 0.5 km.
Dating to the 11th century, this ancient temple of Maya Devi, the Adhisthatri deity of Hardwar [44], is considered one of the Siddhapethas and is said to be the place where the heart and navel of Goddess Sati had fallen. It is one of few ancient temples still standing in Haridwar, along with Narayani Shila temple and Bhairav Temple.

DAKSHA MAHADEV TEMPLE -4 km.
The ancient temple of Daksha Mahadev is situated in the south Kankhal town. According to Hindu mythology, King Daksha Prajapati, father of Dakshayani (Sati), Lord Shiva's first wife, performed a yagna here, to which he deliberately did not invite Lord Shiva. When he arrived uninvited, he was further insulted by the king, seeing this Sati felt was infuriated and self-immolated herself in the yagna kund.
King Daksha was later killed by the demon Virabhadra, born out of Shiva's anger. Later the king was brought to life and given a goat's head by Shiva. Daksha Mahadev temple is a tribute to this legend.

NEEL DHARA PAKSHI VIHAR - 3.5 KM
This Bird Sanctuary is situated on the main Ganga river, or Neel Dhara, at the Bhimgoda barrage, it is a paradise for bird watchers and home to many migratory birds during the winter season.

SATI KUND - 4 km.
Sati Kund, another well-known mythological heritage worth a visit is situated in the Kankhal. Legend has it that Sati immolated herself in this kund.

BHIMGODA TANK
This tank is situated at a distance of about 1 km from Har-ki Pauri. It is said that while Pandavas were going to Himalayas through Haridwar, prince Bhima drew water from the rocks here by thrusting his knee, or goda, to the very ground.

JAIRAM ASHRAM
Famous for its diorama exhibition, and a massive white statue depicting the famous Samudra manthan episode, a must-see for any visitor.

SAPT RISHI ASHRAM & SAPT SAROVAR - 7 km
A picturesque place near Haridwar, where seven great sages or Saptarishis, namely Kashyapa, Vashisht, Atri, Vishwamitra, Jamadagni, Bharadwaja and Gautam, said to have meditated. Ganga split herself into seven currents at this place so that the Rishis would not be disturbed by the flow.

PARAD SHIVLING - 2 km
Situated in Harihar Ashram, Kankhal. Shivling weighing about 150 kg and Rudraksha tree are the main attractions here.

DOODHADHARI BARFANI TEMPLE
Part of the ashram of Doodhadhari Barfani Baba, this temple complex in white marble is one of most beautiful in Haridwar, especially the temples of Ram-Sita and Hanuman.

SURESHVARI DEVI TEMPLE
Temple of Goddess Sureshwari, situated in midst of beautiful Rajaji National Park. Serene and religious makes this temple abode of worshipers, saints etc. Located at outskirts of Haridwar in Ranipur and permission from forest rangers is necessary.

PAAVAN DHAM
A modern temple, made entirely of glass pieces, and now a popular tourist destination.

BHARAT MATA MANDIR
A multi-storey temple, dedicated to Bharat Mata, Mother India, with each floor depicting an era in the Indian History, from the days of Ramayan till India's independence.

ANANDAMAYI MA ASHRAM
Situated in Kankhal, one of five sub-cities of Haridwar, the ashram houses the smaadhi shrine of Sri Anandamoyi Ma (1896-1982), a noted saint of India.