The Door To The Divinity

Har-Ki-Pauri in Haridwar is the place where the drops of Amrit (the nectar of immortality) fell and people from different states of India come and have a dip in the holy water of Ganga at Har-ki-Pauri so that their sin can be minimized and they can get Moksha. Haridwar is also the primary center for the Kanwar pilgrimage where millions of devotees gather to have the holy water of Ganga and carry it for hundreds of miles on foot to offer it to Lord Shiva.

History of Haridwar

Haridwar City has different names like Mayapuri, Gangadwar, Hardwar, and Kapilsthan and each name has its own story. There were Shaivaites who were the followers of Lord Shiva and also Vaishnavites who were the followers of Lord Vishnu, so the followers of Lord Shiva called it Hardwar where Hara means Lord Shiva and followers of Vishnu called it Haridwar where Hari means Lord Vishnu.

During the Mahabharata period, sage Dhaumya referred to Gangadwar which is Haridwar as the place of Tirath in India. It is also said the saint Agastya did his penance in this place with the help of his wife Lopamudra. Also the grandson of great King Sagar (ancestor of Lord Rama), King Bhagirathi did his penance during Satyug to bring the heavenly Ganga to Earth in Haridwar only.

He did this to give moksha to his 60,000 ancestors and to get rid of the curse given by Saint Kapila. Haridwar city was also under the rule of the Mauryan and Kushan empires from 322 BCE till the third century. The Archeological findings also have proof that terra cotta culture existed here during 1700-1200 BCE.

The Chinese traveler to India, Huna Tsang referred to Haridwar as “Mo-yu-lo” which was turned into Mayapuri later on. Emperor Akbar also referred to Haridwar as Mayapur and he used to drink the holy water of Ganga while traveling or even if he remained at home as “the water of immortality”.

Haridwar was connected with railways first vis Laksar in 1886 through a branch line when the Awadh and Rohilakhand line was extended to Saharanpur through Roorkee which was extended to Dehradun later on in the year 1900. Haridwar also has its name in Ayurveda and herbal remedies and also has the school of traditional remedies “The Gurukul”. It has a major dam Bhimgoda which was built in the year 1840.

Why is Haridwar Famous

Haridwar is a district of Uttarakhand which is also known as the door to the city of God. Haridwar is one of the oldest cities in India. During ancient times, different names were given to this city like Gangadwar, Mayapuri, Kapilsthan, etc. According to mythology at this place king, Bhagirath performed penance so that the souls of his ancestors could get moksha from the curse of Saint Kapila.

 

At this time only Heavenly Ganga for the first time came on Earth and the son of King Sagara was revived. Till this time this tradition is followed by the Hindus so that their ancestors can get moksha by going to Holy Ganga. So here is the first thing for which Haridwar city is famous and that is the sacred rivers Ganga and Yamuna, where millions of people come to get moksha. Other than being the sacred land for rivers Haridwar is also indicating fabulous Indian history, rich civilization, and cultural values.

 

Haridwar narrates many stories from Hindu Puranas. Various temples are important sites in the Hindu religion. There is Mansa Devi temple, Chandi Devi temple, Bharat Mata temple dedicated to Mother India, Daksh Mahadev Temple, Maya Devi temple. All these temples make Haridwar a good site for pilgrimage tours. Besides promoting pilgrimage tours one can also visit famous ashrams like the Sapt Rishi ashram where the seven rishis were in penance so the river Ganga is divided into seven streams so that their penance is not disturbed by Holy Ganga.

 

There is Shantikunj ashram which was established by Pandit Shree Ram Sharma Acharya in the year 1971. This ashram is also a major attraction in Haridwar city which promotes a spiritual lifestyle and also provides shelter to the tourists.

Shantikunj also has a college named Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya which is supposed to be a dream place of Pandit Shri Ram Sharma Acharya and here youth are trained and given Shiksha and Vidya together.

 

There is Patanjali Yog Peeth for those who want to learn the ancient art of yoga this Institute is run by yoga guru Baba Ramdev Ji. In Haridwar, you can also have a close view of Nature in wildlife sanctuaries like Chilla Wildlife Sanctuary and Rajaji National Park. One can enjoy different types of safaris like canter safari, elephant safari, jeep safari, etc. You can spend a day well here by having the view of lush green jungles and different types of wildlife in their natural habitat untouched by Humans.

A few festivals celebrated in Haridwar are the world-famous Kumbh Mela and Ardh Kumbh Mela which are celebrated in 12 years and 6 years respectively. Kumbh Mela is celebrated in four cities which are Haridwar, Nasik, Ujjain, and Prayagraj, as these are the places where the drops of Amrit or Nectar of Immortality fell.

Millions of people get attracted to this festival and they come to Haridwar to have a dip in Brahma Kund at Har-Ki-Pauri. It is believed that even by taking a single dip in this holy water one can be freed from all his sins and can get Moksha. Haridwar also has something for shopaholic persons, you can shop for some really good handmade items made of wood and shells and can also give it to your loved one as souvenirs.

Major Markets of Haridwar

Jwalapur market

You can get all types of clothing and accessories in this market. Also, you can buy vegetables, fruits, souvenirs and also some spices full of aroma.

Moti Bazar

Here you can get all items related to puja be it diya’s, Chandan paste, sandalwood, bangles, Idols, and stuff made of shells.

Kankhal Market

You can get all fashion accessories like pendants, rudraksha, hand bracelets,,s and also toys for kids.

Bara Bazar

Indian travelers may find this market costly as there are many foreign travelers so the price is fixed according to that only. Here you can get Ayurvedic products, seeds, and organic food.

The Government handicraft shop

This place has the best handicraft items that are sold by governments but here is a catch bargaining doesn't work here. You can get sarees and handicrafts directly from artists no middleman is involved.

Raghunath all

This is a premium store with high-quality and high-priced products.

Food of Haridwar

Food in Haridwar is dominated by all vegetarian food as this city is considered sacred and spiritual. You can get a huge variation among vegetarian food from around the world be it Indian, continental, or Chinese. Indian food you can get all south Indian food like dosa, idly or Uttapam. North Indian food like chole bhature, stuffed paratha, aloo puri, kachori, and lassi. In Chinese food, you can get everything from momos to noodles to rolls. In continental food, one can get pizza, pasta, fries, sandwiches, etc.

Where to stay in Haridwar?

There are various Hotels and Dharamshalas in Haridwar which are some good options to spend the night in Haridwar. Hotel La Casa, Ganga Retreat, Hotel Godwin, Hotel Golden Tulip, Hotel Park Grace, Riverside Paradise, Bed Hubs, Hotel Ananda, Hotel Madhuban, etc. If you want to have a night stay in Dharamshala then you can stay in Shantikunj, Govind Bhavan,  Umiya Dham, Tayal Dharamshala, Shri Narsingh Bhawan, etc.

Where to eat in Haridwar?

Some of the best vegetarian restaurants in Haridwar are Next 2, Mohan Ji Puri Wale, Chotiwala, Ganga Lahari Restaurant, Ksheer Sagar, Dosa Plaza, Big Ben Restaurant, Krishna Food Junction, etc. These are some really good restaurants in Haridwar offering the best of its Vegetarian food which you can enjoy.