Haridwar
City in Uttarakhand
Description
Haridwar is an ancient city and important Hindu pilgrimage site in North India's Uttarakhand state, where the River Ganges exits the Himalayan foothills. The largest of several sacred ghats (bathing steps), Har Ki Pauri hosts a nightly Ganga Aarti (river-worshipping ceremony) in which tiny flickering lamps are floated off the steps. Worshipers fill the city during major festivals including the annual Kanwar Mela
HAR KI PAURI:-Har Ki Pauri is a famous ghat on the banks of the Ganges in Haridwar in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. This revered place is the major landmark of the holy city of Haridwar. Literally, "Har" means "God", "Ki" means "of" and "Pauri" means "steps". Lord Vishnu is believed to have visited the Brahmakund in Har Ki Pauri in the Vedic times.[1]
Evening view of Har Ki Pauri, Haridwar
It is believed that it is precise spot where the Ganges leaves the mountains and enters the plains. The ghat is on the west bank of Ganges canal through which the Ganges is diverted just to the north. Har Ki Pauri is also the area where thousands of pilgrims converge and the festivities commence during the Kumbha Mela (कुम्भ मेला), which takes place every twelve years, and the Ardh Kumbh Mela (अर्धकुम्भ मेला), which takes place every six years and the Punjabi festival of Vaisakhi, a harvest festival occurring every year in the month of April.
RISHIKESH:- Rishikesh is a city in India’s northern state of Uttarakhand, in the Himalayan foothills beside the Ganges River. The river is considered holy, and the city is renowned as a center for studying yoga and meditation. Temples and ashrams (centers for spiritual studies) line the eastern bank around Swarg Ashram, a traffic-free, alcohol-free and vegetarian enclave upstream from Rishikesh town
PlACE TO VISIT :-
1) LAXMAN JHULA:-Lakshman Jhula is a suspension bridge across the river Ganges, located 5 kilometres north-east of the city of Rishikesh in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. The bridge connects the two villages of Tapovan in Tehri Garhwal district, on the west bank of the river, to Jonk in Pauri Garhwal district, on the east bank.
2) RAAM JHULA:- Ram Jhula is an iron suspension bridge across the river Ganges, located 3 kilometres north-east from the town Rishikesh in the Indian state of Uttarakhand.