About Haridwar
Haridwar is one of the ancient cities, located in Uttarakhand, India on the banks of the Ganga river. In earlier times it was known as Kapila in the name of a saint who lived there. It is a major pilgrimage site for people all over India, an enormous crowd of devotees is also seen here during some famous festivals like Kanwar Mela, maha Kumbha Mela every year. Every evening Ganga aarti is performed with all the rituals. Priests pray to the holy river Ganga(maa Ganga) with huge lamps and people float small diyas in the river and pray for their well-being and prosperity from maa Ganga(Ganga river).
Main Highlights of Haridwar & Haridwar Overview
- District- Haridwar district
- State-Uttarakhand
- Population-228,832
- Area-12.3 km2
- Longitude-78⁰ 09′ 36.90′′E Latitude-29⁰56′ 52.48′′ N
- Pincode-249401
- Famous street food- aloo puri, chole bhature, samosa, kachori
- Popular desserts-kulhar milk, dry fruit milk cake, malai laddus and traditional milk sweets.
- Shopping places-jawalapur market, moti bazaar, Bara bazar, kankhal market, the government handicraft shop
- Best time to visit-from October to February
- Nearest railway station-(HW) HARIDWAR JN, (MOTC)MOTICHUR, (JWP)JWALAPUR
- Nearest airport-Jolly Grant airport in Dehradun. Visitors can catch local vehicles to go Haridwar by road.
Haridwar History
Haridwar is also known as Kapilasthana, Gangadwara, and Mayapuri in ancient times.it is the gateway to the sacred char Dham. Haridwar is one of the oldest cities and has a very rich cultural and spiritual heritage history. Its history extends from the time period of Buddha to the British.
Tourist attractions in Haridwar
Haridwar is a land of culture, religion, and traditions.it is the perfect place to visit for knowing and understanding the cultural and religious heritage of India. A lot of people visit here for Haridwar darshan. There is a long list of tourist attractions in Haridwar.
Kumbha Mela
Celebrated every 12 years Maha Kumbha Mela is the most popular festival in India. This is held during the months of March to April. Pilgrims and saints from all parts of India come to Haridwar to take a dip in the holy Ganga River. It is a major tourist attraction in Haridwar.
Kanwar Mela:
the well-known Kanwar Mela is held in the month of July.it marks the beginning of a laborious journey of pilgrims to Haridwar on foot to collect the holy water of the river Ganga and in the belief of getting good karma.
Kartik Purnima:
this festival is celebrated 15 days after Diwali. The festival is devoted to the god Vishnu. The magnificent view of Ganga aarti and floating diyas in the river to seek blessing from god is a must-have experience.
Holi-every year Holi takes place between February to march. Holi in Haridwar is celebrated in a grand way and is an altogether different experience with Holika aarti, dried colors painting the whole city in different shades and holy dip in the Ganga afterward.
Ganga aarti:
the fascinating view of Ganga aarti in the evening is a must-see thing at Har Ki Pauri, Haridwar ghat. Priest worship Holy River Ganga with huge fire stands and people float Diya and offer flowers to the river. The whole atmosphere there is very energetic.
Shanti Kunj:
situated in Motichur, Haridwar. Shanti Kunj is a well-known ashram. People come here for spiritual guidance and peace.
TEMPLES IN HARIDWAR
Chandi Devi temple:
at an altitude of 2900 meters, Chandi Devi is a Hindu temple, it is situated on the top Neel parvat on the eastern summit of the Shivalik range in Haridwar. Chandi Devi, Haridwar temple is a highly valued Hindu temple as it is a Shakti peeth. Thousands of devotees visit here during Navratri, Chandi chaudas, and maha Kumbha Mela in Haridwar to seek blessings and to fulfill their wishes. Haridwar ropeway services are also available for devotees to reach the temple. Haridwar darshan is incomplete without visiting here.It is one of the most famous temples in Haridwar.
Mansa Devi Temple:
Mansa devi Haridwar is a famous temple and tourist place in Haridwar. While doing ‘Haridwar Darshan’ it is the most visited Hindu temple Mansa Devi is located on top of bilwa parvat in Shivalik range, in the holy city Haridwar. This temple is also known as bilwa teerth and is dedicated to goddess Mansa Devi. Devotees can either take the trekking route or can take the Haridwar ropeway service.
Har ki Paudi:
Ganga temple-the historical har ki paudi- Ganga temple in haridwar, conventionally known as Raja Man Singh Ki Chhatri is located in the midst of the holy Brahmakund in Har Ki Paudi, Haridwar. Tourist visiting Har Ki paudi ghat make sure to visit the Ganga temple and feel the spiritual aura here. Visiting here is one of the must do thing in Haridwar Darshan.
Daksh mahadev temple:
adding to our list of tourist places in Haridwar there is yet another historical temple that is Daksheswar temple alternatively known as Daksh Mahadev temple is located in kankhal, Haridwar. It is named Daksh Mahadev temple after the name of King Daksh Prajapati, sati’s father. The temple is dedicated to lord Shiva.
Maya devi-Maya Devi Haridwar, is among the well-known Hindu temples, dedicated to goddess maya.in earlier times Haridwar was called Mayapuri to honor the divinity. There is a belief that the heart and navel of goddess sati fell there and hence it is mentioned as a Shakti peeth. Chandi Devi in haridwar and Mansa Devi in haridwar are also Shakti peeth.
Bharat Mata Temple:
This Hindu temple personifies our motherland India as a Goddess.It is located on the shoreline Ganga river.it was founded by Swami Satyamitranand Giri. The temple is 180 feet tall and has 8 storeys. This Hindu temple has floors dedicated to mythological legends, divinities, freedom fighters and leaders which makes it unique and worth visiting tourist attraction in Haridwar.
Pawan Dham Temple:
Pawan Dham Haridwar temple is also an ancient Hindu temple and famous tourist attraction in haridwar. Located in Motichur, Haridwar. This temple is famous for its architectural beauty and astonishing glasswork which is sight to see in daylight when the sun shines upon it. Idols of deities here are adorned with precious jewels. There are many ashram and hotels close to Pawan dham Haridwar.
Anjani Devi Temple:
One of the famous temple in Haridwar darshan list is Anjani Devi temple, it is close to Chandi Devi temple and devotees can reach here by taking the Haridwar ropeway of Chandi Devi. People pray to Anjani Devi (mother of Hanuman ji) and hanuman Ji here and seek their blessings for their fulfillment of wishes.
Jain Temple-Devoted to Jain religion, it is the first Jain temple in Haridwar. People pray to Shri Chintamani Parshwanath.bhagwan and Tirthankar Shri Adinath bhagwan here.
Bilkeshwar Mahadev Temple:
Another well-known tourist attraction in Haridwar is this Hindu temple which is devoted to Lord Shiva. It is about 2.9 km away from Har ki paudi.it is very close to Haridwar railway station.
Doodhadhari Barfani Temple-
It is one of the important part of Haridwar darshan.the temple is famous for its architectural beauty and carvings which makes it different from the other temples in Haridwar.people have a lot of faith in this temple and they also believe that miracles happen here. This tourist attraction in Haridwar is the reason for an enormous crowd arriving there from various parts of the country.
Tourist places near Haridwar
Rishikesh-Rishikesh is situated in Tehri Garhwal region of Uttarakhand on the banks of the holy river Ganges. The city is full of spiritual and religious legacy along with a lot of exciting and adventurous things to do.
Dehradun:
capital city of Uttarakhand situated near the foothills of Himalayas. This city is famous for its scenic views and picnic spots and adventurous places.
Dhanaulti-covered with deodar, oak, and beautiful rhododendron trees, Dhanaulti is the perfect winter destination for tourists.it is at 2286 meters above sea level and provides a mesmerizing view of the great Himalayas.
Mussoorie:
“Queen of hills”, Mussoorie is the most loved tourist destinations. A trip here is a full package of beautiful landscapes and adventures.
Kalsi-Kalsi is located in between Chakrata and Dehradun Dakpatthar on the banks of Yamuna river .it is famous for the Ashoka’s inscriptions on rock edicts. This place is well known for its heritage.
Lansdowne:
Lansdowne is located in Pauri Garhwal district. It’s a hill station famous for the freedom fighters from British Garhwal during the British period.
Pauri:
with the alluring and captivating view of lofty Himalayas. Pauri is a beauty with the most beautiful sunsets in Uttarakhand. This city also offers scenic spots and trekking adventure
How to reach Haridwar
By Train:
Haridwar has a very good network of train. Trains run on a regular basis from all major cities and a very good frequency of (4-5) hrs.
By Air:
jolly grant airport, Dehradun is the nearest airport to Haridwar. Tourist can reach this airport and then take local transport to reach Haridwar by road.
By Bus:
tourists can take government buses which connects directly to Haridwar.
Top Hotels in Haridwar
If you are visiting the famous tourist places in Haridwar. Here is a list of top hotels in Haridwar may come handy if you want to stay in a good hotel which will provide you with all the services you may need.
· GODWIN HOTEL
· GOLDEN TULIP HARIDWAR
· HOTEL GANGA LAHARI
· AMATRA BY THE GANGES
· FORTUNE PARK HARIDWAR
· HAVELI HARI GANGA
· RADISSON BLUE
· AMRIT BHAWAN
· HOTEL GANGA SADAN
· LA CASA HOTEL
Dharamshala in Haridwar
Dharamshala in Haridwar are quite famous for their clean and comfortable rooms and their proximity to the famous temples where tourists usually visit. Dharamshala in Haridwar are available either free or at a very minimal price. Names of some of the Dharamshalas are mentioned below.
Ø Shree Haridwar Gujarati Dharamshala
Ø Pawan Dham
Ø Tayal Dharamshala
Ø Nishkam Sewa Trust
Ø Swami Shanti Prakash Ashram
Ø Jammu Yatri Bhawan
Ø Khukhrain Bhawan
Ø Shri Vivekshwar Mahadev Ashram
Ø Shri Sewa Samiti Bhawan
Ø Sukhdham Yatri Bhawan
Ø Khukhrain Bhawan
Ø Shri Vivekshwar Mahadev Ashram
Ø Shri Sewa Samiti Bhawan
Ø Sukhdham Yatri Bhawan
