Uttarakhand · North
HaridwarHaridvāra
'Gateway to Hari' on the Ganga, where pilgrims bathe at Har Ki Pauri
- Principal temple
- Har Ki Pauri (Brahmakund)Ganga (sacred ghat; the name means 'feet of Hari/Vishnu')
- Best time to visit
- Year-round; Kumbh Mela years are busiest. For fewer crowds, spring (March–May) or autumn (October–November)
- Nearest airport
- Jolly Grant Airport (DED), Dehradun, ~37 km
- Nearest railway station
- Haridwar Junction (HW), in the city
- Tradition
- Vaiṣṇava · Śaiva · Śākta
Overview
Haridwar, formerly called Mayapuri, lies on the right bank of the Ganga at the foot of the Shivalik hills; its name is usually glossed as the 'gateway to the Lord (Hari)'. Pilgrims bathe at its ghats, above all Har Ki Pauri, for purification and moksha, and the city hosts the Kumbh Mela every twelve years. It is also the main starting point of the Kanwar pilgrimage and a gateway to the Char Dham shrines of Uttarakhand.
See sources [1–7]- Ganga (sacred ghat; the name means 'feet of Hari/Vishnu')
- Mansa Devi (a form of Shakti)
- Chandi Devi (Chandika)
