Haridwar has a number of interesting sites that you can include in your excursion. Rishikesh, around 28 km off Haridwar, is at the base of the Himalayas and it is where the Ganges comes down to the plains from the hills.
CHANDI DEVI- 6 km : The temple of Chandi Devi atop the Neel Parvat on the other bank of river Ganga was constructed in 1929 A.D. by the king of Kashmir, Suchat Singh. It is a 3 km trek from Chandighat. Legend has it that the army chief Chanda-Munda of a local demon King Shumbh-Nishumbha was killed by goddess Chandi here, after which the place got the name Chandi Devi. It is believed that the main statue was established by the Adi Shankracharya in 8th century A.D.
MANSA DEVI TEMPLE - 0.5 km. : Situated at the top of Bilwa Parwat, the temple of Goddess Mansa Devi is a popular tourist destination, especially because of the cable cars, which offer a picturesque view of the entire city. The main temple houses two idols of the Goddess, one with three mouths and five arms, while the other one has eight arms.
MAYA DEVI TEMPLE - 0.5 km. : Dating to the 11th century, this ancient temple of Maya Devi, the Adhisthatri deity of Hardwar, is considered one of the Siddhapethas and is said to be the place where the heart and navel of Goddess Sati had fallen.
HAR-KI-PAURI -1.5 km. : View of Hari-ki-pairi.This sacred Ghat was constructed by King Vikramaditya in memory of his brother Bhartrihari. It is believed that Bhartrihari came to Haridwar and meditated on the banks of holy Ganga. When he died, his brother constructed a Ghat in his name, which later came to be known as Hari-Ki-Pari. This sacred bathing ghat is also known as Brahmakund. The reflection of golden hues of floral diyas in the river Ganga during the Ganga Aarti ceremony is an enchanting experience.
DAKSHA MAHADEV TEMPLE -4 km. : The ancient temple of Daksha Mahadev is situated in the south Kankhal town. According to Hindu mythology, King Daksha Prajapati, father of Sati (Lord Shiva's first wife), performed a yagna here, to which he deliberately did not invite Lord Shiva. When he arrived uninvited, he was further insulted by the king, seeing this Sati felt was infuriated and self-immolated herself in the yagna kund.
King Daksha was later killed by the demon Virabhadra, born out of Shiva's anger. Later the king was brought to life and given a goat's head by Shiva. Daksha Mahadev temple is a tribute to this legend.
SATI KUND - 4 km. : Sati Kund, another well-known mythological heritage worth a visit is situated in the Kankhal. Legend has it that Sati immolated herself in this kund.
BHIMGODA TANK : This tank is situated at a distance of about 1 km from Harki Pairi. It is said that while Pandavas were going to Himalayas through Haridwar, prince Bhima drew water from the rocks here by thrusting his knee, or goda, to the very ground.
JAIRAM ASHRAM : Just off Bhimgoda, this ashram houses a diorama exhibition comprising life-like, animated statues depicting various stories from the Hindu mythology, though its piece de resistance is a massive white statue depicting the famous Samudra manthan episode, making it a must-see for any visitor to Haridwar.
SAPT RISHI ASHRAM & SAPT SAROVAR - 7 km : It is said that Ganga split herself into seven currents at this place so that the Sapt (seven) Rishis worshipping there would not be disturbed.
PARAD SHIVLING - 2 km : Situated in Harihar Ashram, Kankhal. Shivling weighing about 150 kg and Rudraksha tree are the main attractions here.
DOODHADHARI BARFANI TEMPLE : This temple complex made in white marble is one of most beautiful modern temples of Haridwar, noted for its simplcity, elegance and quietitude. The main temple houses idols of Ram-Sita. It is preceed by an array of smaller temples of the deities from the Hindu pantheon. Right across the Ram temple is an imposing temple of Lord Hanuman.
BHARAT MATA MANDIR : The only temple of its kind, inaugurated by Late PM Smt Indira Gandhi. A multi-storey temple, each floor covering an era of Indian History, from the days of Ramayan till India's independence.
ANANDAMAYI MA ASHRAM : Situated in Kankhal, one of five sub-cities of Haridwar, the ashram is where the smaadhi shrine of Sri Anandamoyi Ma (1896-1982), a noted saint of India is situated. Evening aarti and satsangs conducted here, by the ashramites and devotees are quite mesmerising.
GURUKUL KANGRI UNIVERSITY - 4 km. : One of the oldest Universities of India, this institution was founded in 1902 by Swami Shraddhananda (1856-1926), according to the tenets of Swami Dayananda Saraswati, the founder of Arya Samaj. It was one of the pioneering ones to reestablish ancient Indian education systems in modern India. Here Ancient Vedic and Sanskrit literature, Ayurveda, Philosophy were made part of the curriculum besides Modern Sciences and Journalism.
Its Archaeological museum, houses some rare statues, coins, paintings, manuscripts and artefacts, starting from Harappa culture (c.2500-1500 BC) onwards.Its sprawling and serene campus is situated on the banks of Ganga, on Haridwar-Jwalapur bypass road. Mahatma Gandhi visited this institution, and stayed here for extended periods of time.
SIDCUL - 5 km. : A massive industrial area, spread over 2034 Acres, developed by State Industrial Development Corporation Uttaranchal Limited (SIDCUL), a state government body. With big enterprises like HLL, Dabur, Mahindra & Mahindra, Havells, moving in SIDCUL is set to develop into another industrial township within the city. 3 km away from the Delhi-Hardwar National Highway, SIDCUL lies adjacent to the BHEL Township, an important Public Sector township.
BAHADRABAD - 7 km. : It is located on the Haridwar-Delhi National Highway at a distance of 7 km from Haridwar. Close by, in village Pathri, lies the Pathri Power Station built on the Upper Ganga Canal in 1955.
PIRAN KALIYAR - 20 km. : Built by Ibrahim Lodhi, this 'Dargah' of Hazrat Makhdum Allauddin Ali Ahamed 'Sabir' at the outskirts of Roorkee, is a living example of religious harmony in India, visited by devotees from all over the world, during the annual 'Urs' festival. |
