Haridwar – Gateway to Land of Gods
Haridwar, situated on the bank of Ganga River is a district of Garhwal Region in Uttarakhand State at foothills of river Ganga. Haridwar is regarded as a holy place for Hindus, hosting important religious events and serving as a gateway of several religious places. A holy place where devotees come from faraway places just to take a dip in holy river Ganga in a belief to wash away all sins. The diverse nature of the Hindu religion has attracts many foreign visitors from all around the world. Foreign Tourist always attracted to Haridwar because here they can closely experience India's complex culture, various Hindu rituals and the ancient Indian civilization.
Haridwar is also considered as primary place where Holy River Ganga enters from Himalayan Mountains to Plain Area. Crystal Clear water of Holy River Ganga gives this city a Charming beauty and attracts many tourists.
Located in Devbhoomi Uttarakhand, Haridwar literally means ‘Hari-Dwar” Gateway of Gods is also referred with different names such as Mayapuri, Gangadwar, Mokshadwar, these names are mentioned in ancient Hindu scripts. Haridwar is one of the best place if you are looking for a peace and spirituality and where you can sit back, relax and meditate for a while with spiritual and religious vibes all around. A part from religious importance Haridwar is also a centre for learning different arts and culture. Haridwar is well known for source of Ayurvedic an Herbal Medicines. Haridwar is now home to unique and ancient Indian tradition of teaching as "Gurukula."
Famous Tourist attractions in Haridwar includes the Chandi Devi Temple, Maya Devi Temple, Piran Kaliyar Temple, Neel Dhara Pakshi Vihar, Bhimgoda Tank, Bharat Mata Mandir, and Mansa Devi Temple etc. The famous “Ganga Arti “held art Har ki Pauri that attracts lot of devotees and tourists to take blessings
Places to explore in Haridwar | Famous tourist attractions near Haridwar
Haridwar is one of the most famous religious places to visit all over India. Being a Religious place, the majority of sightseeing locations at Haridwar have religious base. Some of the famous tourist attractions in Haridwar are
- Mansa Devi Temple
- Chandi Devi Temple
- Chilla Wildlife Sanctuary
- Daksha Mahadev Temple
- Swami Vivekananda park
- Bilkeshwar Mahadev Temple and many more places.
Things to do in Haridwar | Activities to do in Haridwar
Haridwar City is a Religious Place where thousands of devotees and tourists visit every year not only just religious purpose but also to explore Haridwar city, famous temples around, meditation centres, Ashrams etc.
Meditation in Haridwar : Surrounded by mountains and river view of Holy Ganga, Haridwar is one of best place for meditation not only in terms of location but one can also feel religious and spiritual vibes around while meditation.
Shopping in Haridwar : Being one of the popular religious place in India, Haridwar is a holy place where tourist explore markets and purchase stuff like spiritual books, Carved stone Idols, colourful glass bangles, Prashad etc . Some of the famous market places are Kankhal Market, Bara Bazar, Jwalapur, Moti Bazar etc.
Restaurants in Haridwar | Places to Eat in Haridwar: Haridwar is well known destination for Indian as well as foreign tourists so as for different varieties in food. One can have not only Indian food but also for Italian, Maxican, Chinese, American food. One can easily find restaurants in almost every year, some of the famous restaurants are Mohan Puri Wala, Chotiwala Restaurants, Aahaar Restaurant, Bestee Restaurant, Brij Mathura Wala, Mohan Puri Wala etc.
Holy Dip in River Ganga: According to Hindu culture if you take a bath in the Holy River Gange, your all sins will be removed. Average one billion people take holy dip in year during Kumbh Mela, the number is increased to 10 billion from last years
Ashram Visit in Haridwar: There are around hundreds of Ashrams to explore, where you will surely find peace and relax with beautiful nature around.
Ganga Aarti at Haridwar: Ganga Aarti ceremony at Har Ki Pauri is famous in whole India and held every day during Moring at 5:30 am to 6:30 am and evening 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Everyday hundreds of people come here for the Ganga Aarti Ceremony During some festival days it is visited by more than million people in a day.
Haridwar Travel Tips
- Holy Ganga Aarti that takes place every morning and evening at Har Ki Paudi. One should not miss this while in Haridwar.
- Photography may be prohibited inside the temple so please abide by the guidelines outlined by temple authorities.
- Haridwar gets overcrowded, especially during the Kumbh Mela. Special care should be taken in that time to avoid getting into large crowds and taking bridges on the river Ganges.
- Avoid non-vegetarian food and alcoholic beverages here as Haridwar holds a deep religious meaning to the devotees. There is no liquor shop and Non veg ( Meat and chicken ) shop in Haridwar