Haridwar or Hardwar as it is called is one of the holiest pilgrimage places of the Hindus. The holy city on the banks of the river Ganga falls under the Haridwar District in the north Indian state of Uttarakhand. One of the seven renowned holy places, Haridwar stands for the ‘Gateway to God’ since Hari stands for God and Dwar refers to the gate or door. The significance of the place is associated with Hindu Mythology. It is believed that after the Samudra Manthan (churning of the sea in which the elixir of immortality was retrieved) the heavenly nectar was carried away by the Garuda, a celestial bird belonging to the Preserver of the Universe, Lord Vishnu. Drops of it spilled over and fell at this place which came to be known as Haridwar. Three other sites where the nectar fell were Nashik, Allahabad, and Ujjain. All these four places are important pilgrimage places and also the site of the world-famous Kumbh Mela held at an interval every 12 years. Haridwar is also known by several other names like Gangadwar, Kapila, and Mayapuri and the district of Haridwar covers a total of 2360 kilometer square.

Har Ki Pauri

In Haridwar, the place where the heavenly elixir fell, came to be known as Brahma Kund or Har-Ki-Pauri. The Har-Ki-Pauri is the most important Ghat (bathing place) and means “footsteps of the Lord”. The footsteps are noticeable on the upper parts of the Ghat and the river Ganga herself pays homage to it by washing it with her waves.

Haridwar has also been the seat of ancient culture, arts, and science. Secrets of Ayurvedic treatments and herbal remedies all lie here. One of the primary methods of ancient education, the Gurukul system has its origins in Haridwar. Haridwar is also one of the first points from where the river Ganga descends to start her journey towards the plains.

If Haridwar is the gateway to the Almighty, then the path to attain salvation also lies here. It is the perfect place to get away from all the daily drudgery, mundane human life, and the heaviness of the soul. This is the place to get relief from it all to get a new life.

Hotels in Haridwar

The very sight of the Ganga River and some moments by the Har-Ki-Pauri keeps your mind to rest. The soul becomes pure, the heart full of bliss. The calm and pure surroundings make you feel comfortable and a true wanderer’s heart may yearn for a night under the starlit sky. However, a shelter is always needed and tourists visiting the Haridwar will come across quite a good number of them. Haridwar is a developed town and so star-category hotels here are no longer a dream. Luxury Hotels in Haridwar even if few can be found, three-star hotels are quite a handful and for the budget traveler, many government-approved hotels are present. Standard accommodations, good food, timely services, and urban comforts all lead to total guest satisfaction.

Among the best-known luxury or branded hotels in Haridwar, there is the Country Inn and Suites. A luxury hotel built by the Carlson Group, this hotel provides you with all five-star comforts. Located close to the airport, the main highlight of the hotel is its multi-cuisine restaurant named Mosaic other than superbly furnished rooms with all modern amenities. Other than this, tourists can look out for the Haveli Hari Ganga near the Ram Ghat and Ginger Hotel.

Among the three-star hotels in Haridwar, there is the Hotel Classic Residency, Sagar Ganga Resort, Alpana Hotel, Park View Hotel, Bhaj Govindam Hotel, and Hotel Teerth.

For budget accommodation, the Shri Ram Sharnam Ashram near the Sapt Sarovar Marg and the Hotel Ganga Azure near the Railway Road are the best picks.

How to Reach Haridwar

The holy city of Haridwar is believed to be the Gateway to the Lord. The name stands true to itself as this is the place that devotees visit almost all year round for a holy dip in the Ganga and to gain salvation for their worldly deeds. Haridwar is also the starting point to reach Devbhoomi and the Char Dham Yatra – the four other pilgrimage places in Uttarakhand namely Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri. To reach this place is easy as the road; rail and air networks are widely developed.

Haridwar is convenient to reach from the capital city of Delhi. Delhi is situated at a distance of 200 kilometers from Haridwar.

The nearest airport to Haridwar is Dehradun’s Jolly Grant Airport. Situated 20 kilometers away from Haridwar, the airport handles domestic flights. Air Deccan operates twice daily service to Delhi from this airport.

Availing of a train is much more convenient, cheap, and easy. Several good express trains are available from Delhi to Haridwar. The frequent ones are the Shatabdi Express and the Rajdhani Express. Trains are also available from Dehradun. The railhead is situated in the southern part of the town.

Tourists can also avail of a bus to reach Haridwar. A good number of bus run between Haridwar and Rishikesh and Delhi.

What To See In Haridwar

Haridwar is a place where the twain between the mind and soul comes to an end. It is a mirror in which the Indian culture gets reflected. The charm of Haridwar does not end with it being only a holy place but in recent times, Haridwar has emerged as a prominent tourist destination. With a good number of sightseeing places, a holiday in the abode of the Lord will simply be blissful.

Maya Devi Temple

The most notable attraction in Haridwar is the Har-Ki-Pauri. This well-known Ghat which has the footsteps of the lord was built by King Vikramaditya in the memory of his beloved brother Bharthari. The special attraction here is the evening prayer attended by thousands of devotees. The scene of the Aarti being performed with hymns filling up the air and little oil lamps floating on the rippling waters of the Ganga is simply enchanting.

Daksha Mahadev Temple

Haridwar can also be nicknamed a city of Temples. Several temples are found in Haridwar, notable for the architecture and the legend behind them. Some of them are the Maya Devi Temple, Daksha Mahadev Temple, and Chandi Devi Temple on Neel Parvat. This temple was built by the Raja of Kashmir, Suchat Singh in the year 1929 A.D. Two more temples attract the attention of the tourists. One is the Mansa Devi Temple on the Bilwa Parvat and the other Doodhadhari Barfani Temple dedicated to Lord Ram and his wife Goddess Sita. The entire temple complex is believed to be made out of marble.

Gurukul Kangri University

Situated 20 kilometers away from Haridwar is the pious Dargah of Alauddin Sabir Kaliyari Ali Ahmed ‘Sabir’. Built by Ibrahim Lodi, this place attracts crowds during the Urs festival. The place is named Piran Kaliyar.

Other notable attractions in Haridwar include the Bhimgoda Tank, Sati Kund, Jairam Ashram, Sapt Rishi Ashram and Sapt Sarovar, Parad Shivling, Anandamayi Ma Ashram, Gurukul Kangri University founded by Swami Shraddhanand and Pawan Dham.

For bird lovers and wildlife enthusiasts, a visit to the Neel Dhara Pakshi Vihar and the Rajaji National Park is a must. For shoppers, Jwalapur, the local shopping destination demands a ritualistic visit.