Haridwar is one of the most important Hindu pilgrim places of India. It has very rich religious and cultural heritage. It is located at the foothills of the Himalayas and is the point where River Ganga reaches the plains. The landscape of Haridwar is filled with thousands of temples and ashrams. About 1 crore pilgrims from all over the world participate in the Kumbh Mela held at Haridwar.
There are numerous bathing Ghats at Haridwar. The most sacred bathing spots at Haridwar are Gangadwara, Kankhal, Nila Parvata, Bilwa Teertha and Kusavarta. The most fascinating sight at Haridwar is the Ganga Aarti which is held every evening at 7 pm. The Aarti is performed in all temples at the same time and thousands of devotees participate in it. The Aarti ceremony is followed by offerings of lamps and flowers to River Ganga.
Various temples situated in Haridwar are as follows:-
Mansa Devi Temple: Situated at the top of Bilwa Parwat, it is the temple of Goddess Mansa Devi meaning the Goddess who fulfills desires. 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: This ancient temple of Maya Devi is of 11th century. It is considered one of the Siddhapithas and is said to be the place where the heart and navel of Goddess Sati had fallen.
Pawan Dham Temple: This temple, a popular tourist spot is made entirely of glass pieces. It was constructed by Swami Vedantanand Maharaj. People from Punjab have put considerable efforts and money for this place.
Bharat Mata Mandir: It is a multi-storey temple dedicated to Bharat Mata and was inaugurated on 15 May 1983 by Indira Gandhi on the banks of the river Ganges. It is situated adjacent to the Samanvaya Ashram and stands eight stories tall to a height of 180 feet. Each floor depicts an era in the Indian history from the days of Ramayana til India's independence.
Shopping: Famous places for shopping is Bara Bazar, Moti Bazar, Ranipur Mor and Jwalapur. Tourists usually buy items of devotion and inexpensive ornaments. There are large number of shops throughout Haridwar where one can buy devotional items ranging from rudraksha ornaments, deity statues to music cassettes of devotional bhajans.
Haridwar can be reached in these ways:-
By Road: National Highway 58 between Delhi and Mana Pass passes through Haridwar connecting it with Ghaziabad, Meerut, Muzzafarnagar, Roorkee and Badrinath. Then the National Highway 74 originating from Haridwar connects it with Kashipur, Kichha, Nagina, Pilibhit and Bareilly.
By Rail: The Haridwar Railway Station links the major cities of India such as Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Patna, Gaya, Varanasi, Bhubaneswar and Puri.
By Air: The nearest domestic airport is Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun which is a located 35 km from Haridwar. Indira Gandhi Airport in New Delhi is the nearest international airport.
 |
| Haridwar |
There are numerous bathing Ghats at Haridwar. The most sacred bathing spots at Haridwar are Gangadwara, Kankhal, Nila Parvata, Bilwa Teertha and Kusavarta. The most fascinating sight at Haridwar is the Ganga Aarti which is held every evening at 7 pm. The Aarti is performed in all temples at the same time and thousands of devotees participate in it. The Aarti ceremony is followed by offerings of lamps and flowers to River Ganga.
 |
| Ganga Aarti |
Various temples situated in Haridwar are as follows:-
Mansa Devi Temple: Situated at the top of Bilwa Parwat, it is the temple of Goddess Mansa Devi meaning the Goddess who fulfills desires. 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 |
Maya Devi Temple: This ancient temple of Maya Devi is of 11th century. It is considered one of the Siddhapithas and is said to be the place where the heart and navel of Goddess Sati had fallen.
Pawan Dham Temple: This temple, a popular tourist spot is made entirely of glass pieces. It was constructed by Swami Vedantanand Maharaj. People from Punjab have put considerable efforts and money for this place.
 |
| Bharat Mata Mandir |
Bharat Mata Mandir: It is a multi-storey temple dedicated to Bharat Mata and was inaugurated on 15 May 1983 by Indira Gandhi on the banks of the river Ganges. It is situated adjacent to the Samanvaya Ashram and stands eight stories tall to a height of 180 feet. Each floor depicts an era in the Indian history from the days of Ramayana til India's independence.
Shopping: Famous places for shopping is Bara Bazar, Moti Bazar, Ranipur Mor and Jwalapur. Tourists usually buy items of devotion and inexpensive ornaments. There are large number of shops throughout Haridwar where one can buy devotional items ranging from rudraksha ornaments, deity statues to music cassettes of devotional bhajans.
Haridwar can be reached in these ways:-
By Road: National Highway 58 between Delhi and Mana Pass passes through Haridwar connecting it with Ghaziabad, Meerut, Muzzafarnagar, Roorkee and Badrinath. Then the National Highway 74 originating from Haridwar connects it with Kashipur, Kichha, Nagina, Pilibhit and Bareilly.
By Rail: The Haridwar Railway Station links the major cities of India such as Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Patna, Gaya, Varanasi, Bhubaneswar and Puri.
By Air: The nearest domestic airport is Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun which is a located 35 km from Haridwar. Indira Gandhi Airport in New Delhi is the nearest international airport.
No comments:
Post a Comment