Haridwar
In 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, as the gateway to the Four Shrines /Dhams
of Uttaranchal. Mentioned as Mayapuri, Gangadwar, Mokhsadawar in
the ancient scriptures & epic.Haridwar always remained as a major Shaktipeeth for the devotees. Legend has placed Gods footprints on the bank of holy river giving the town its sanctity and has left an indelible mark on the spiritual ethos of every Hindu. Haridwar 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 powerRll Trintity of Hindu mythology &: the centre of the Pantheon- Brahma, Vishnu &C Mahesh. According to devotees Haridwar is one of the four places (other three being Ujjain, Nasik & Allahabad) upon which the Arnrit-Nector of immortality emerging out of the churning ocean fell. This is manifested in two great events that take place at Haridwar - the memorable & the huge religious Mela Kumbh which happens once every 12 years & the Ardh Kumb Mela, which comes once every six years.
The foot prints of Lord Vishnu are present on a slab of stone and it is said that Lord Vishnu blessed the gods with darshan at this place. This place continues to be the mystic venue for the purification of mind, body & soul.
The scenic beauty and the lush greenery, a unique Gurukul School of traditional education, the temples & the ghats, a number of Dharamshalas (pilgrims' shelters) all give the city a unique flavour and charm.
An ideal destination for wildlife & adventure lovers; RajaJi National Park is Just 10 km from Haridwar.
In the evening the ghats look breathtakingly beautiful, as thousands of diyas &C marigold flowers float & illuminate the holy waters of the Mother Ganga.
At
the south west and on the railway road is the main bus stand &
on the opposite is the railway station. About 2.5km to the north
east is Har ki Pauri on this road running parallel to the Ganges
canal.
How to Reach
By AirThe nearest airport is Jolly Grant at Dehradun.
By Train
The Shatabdi Express & tra from Mumbai, Delhi & Kolkata
se Haridwar. See Dehradun Section Rail on pg.l46 for more details.
Computerised reservation facility is available at railway station
131,427369 Mon-Sat 0800-1350 hrs & 1400 - 2000 hrs. Sunday
0800-1350 hrs.
By Road
Haridwar on the national highway no. 45 is well connected to Delhi
(214 km) and other parts of the state and towns in North India.
Dehradun about 52 km is about a two hours drive &: Delhi is
about 5 hours drive away. Rishikesh is only 22 km. There are ordinary
&c express bus services at very regular intervals (30 mins)
for Delhi, Rishikesh & Dehradun. Deluxe coaches operate to
& from Delhi, Jaipur in Rajasthan & Chandigarh. There
is bus service to Shimla, Nainital, Almora, Ranikhet, Saharanpur
(81 km) Ambala (168 km).
Places to Visit:
Har-Ki-Pauri
Har-Ki-Pauri, the sacred ghat was constructed by King Vikramaditya in the memory of his brother Bhartrihari. The golden reflection of floral diyas in the river Ganges is the most enchanting sight in the twilight during the Ganga aarti ceremony at the ghat.MAA Chandidevi Hardwar
Locatedd atop Neel Parvat, Chandidevi temple is one of the most ancient temples of north India. This is a sldhpeeth. The main deity is said to have been installed in the 8th century by Adishankaracharya. According to the legends, in ancient times, demon kings Shumb and Nishumb had captured the kingdom of Lord Indra and thrown out gods from heaven. After intense prayers by the gods, incarnation of power and strength, Chandidevi appeared from the body cells of Goddess Parvati and killed Shumb and Nishumb. There after Chandidevi is said to have rested for a while at the temple location. 200 mtrs away from the Maa Chandidevi temple, the Temple of Anjanidevi, mother of God Ha-numan is located.Maa Chandidevi has been fulfilling wishes of its devotees for thousand of years. For the comfortable 'darshan' of Maa Chandidevi Sidhpeeth Maa Chandidevi Udan Khotala operational since 1997 at Najibabad Road in Hardwar and is at a distance of only 4 km from the bus stand and Railway Station. By Udan Khotala it takes apporximately 5 minutes to reach the temple at the Hill top whereas the steep climb takes more than an hour. For the comfort of pilgrims amenities like Pure cold drinking water, Toilets, Refreshment Counters, Landscaped gardens, First aid facilities, Resting areas, Car parking, CCTV etc. are available.
MAA Mansadevi Hardwar
MAA Mansadevi Hardwar Temple is one of the most important temples of the North India and is the most important destination along with Har Ki Pauri in Hardwar. Goddess Mansadevi is the daughter of Saint Kashyap. She was born from his mind and therefore become famous by the name 'Mansadevi'. 'Mansa' also means wishes. Mansadevi therefore is known as the wish fulfilling goddess. Devotees visiting the temple tie threads on a sacred tree near the temple seeking blessings of the goddess for fullfillment of their wishes. They return to untie a thread from the same free once their wishes are fulfilled.Located on top of the Shivalik hills, Mansadevi temple is one of the most ancient and Famous Sidhpeeths (holy places were one's wishes gets fulfilled). In the temple one idol of the goddess has three faces and five arms while the other has eight arms.
For the comfortable 'darshan' of Maa Mansadevi, Maa Mansadevi Udan Khatota operational since 1981 and is situated on the upper road in Hardwar at a distance of 2 Kms from the Bustand and Railway Station. By Udan Khatola it takes apporximately 4 minutes to reach the temple at the Hill top while the stee~ttim~by steps takes about 45 minutes.
Vaishno Devi temple
The Vaishno Devi temple here is newly constructed and a true replica of the original Vaishno Devi temple in Jammu & Kashmir.Daksha Mahadev Temple
Four kms from Haridwar is a town called Kankhal. Mythology says that the king of this place King Daksha Prajapati performed a yagya. His daughter, Sati was married to Lord Shiva. But Daksha was not happy with this marriage and did not invite Shiva-Sati in the Yagya.But Sati came and was insulted by her father. She could not take the insult and burnt herself in the yagya kund. On hearing this the followers of Shiva killed Daksha. But later Mahadeo (Shiva) brought Daksha to life. The Daksha temple is an attribute to this legend. This place is one of the five sacred places in Haridwar.