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. This section is locally
How to Reach
By Air
The 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.
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.
Maya Devi
It is one of the Shaktipeeths in India. This ancient temple of
Maya Devi is also the Adhisthatri deity of Haridwar. It is said
that when Lord Shiva was carrying his wife Sati, who had burnt
her self to keep the honour of her husband, then the heart and
navel of Sati had fallen at this place.
Sapt Rishi
At one place Ganga divides herself into seven small streams. This
place is known as the Sapt Rishi and provides a very pleasing
sight.
Gurukul Kangri University
This university is known for its unique system of education. it
is located on the Haridwar-Jwalapur bypass road. This old institution
follows the ancient tradition of Guru-Sishya pattern of education.
The institution also has the Ved Mandir Museum which is has a
very good collection of archaeological exhibits and displays artifacts
which are of historical value.
Neel Dhara Pakshi Vihar
This place is an enchanting bird watching point particularly during
the winters. There are various species of birds which can be spotted
here. Around Laljiwala on the banks of river Ganges one can expect
the Siberian Cranes, which are one of the prized visitor to this
Pakshi Vihar.
Beauty Point
On the Mansa Devi temple road, about two kilometer from Haridwar
is a point which provides an excellent view of Haridwar and the
near by greenery. This place is called the beauty point as the
sight from here of the surrounding is very exciting and enthralling.
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