Haridwar is a sacred place for Hindu religion. It is located in the Haridwar district of Uttrakhand. Haridwar is also known as Gangadwar. The name is attributed to the place as after travelling about 253 Km from its origin at Gaurimukh, River Ganga reaches Indo-Gangetic plains of North India at Haridwar.
It is one of the seven places where a person from Hindu religion should once in his lifetime come and offer praying to reach Moksha. It is believed that Haridwar is one of the four sites where Amrit drops got spilled during Samudra Manthan while being carried by heavenly bird Garuda along with Ujjain, Nasik and Allahabad. This myth is described in Kumbh Mela which is celebrated every 3 years in one of the four sites and every 12 years in Haridwar. During the time of Kumbh Mela, devotees from every part of the country gather in Haridwar and take holy dip in sacred Ganga. The dip is done in order to wash away the sins. The ‘Har ki Pauri’ Ghat is the most sacred Ghat in Haridwar. The drop of Amrit is believed to fell over this place. Haridwar is the most prominent city of the district and is developing not only religiously but also industrially. The city is witnessing fast growth with State Industrial Development Corporation of Uttrakhand (SIDCUL) along with BHEL (Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited).
The name Haridwar is very significant in Sanskrit language. ‘Hari’ in Sanskrit means Lord Vishnu and ‘Dwar’ stand for gate or gateway. Hence Haridwar means Gateway to Lord Vishnu. Haridwar is the typical place to commence the Char Dham Yatra or Badrinath Yatra as Badrinath Temple is dedicated to lord Vishnu. In Sanskrit ‘Har’ means Lord Vishnu, hence the place is best to start the journey to Kedarnath which is the worshipped for lord Shiva. For every pilgrimage Haridwar is regarded a typical place.
If you are planning to visit Haridwar, the following destinations might be of your interest
