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Haridwar
On the foot of Himalayas, on the west bank
of Ganges is situated the gateway to
Lord Vishnu, i.e., Haridwar. It is also
called Ganga-Dwara, because the holy Ganges
enters the plains here. This is one of the
seven holy cities in India. It is called
Mayapuri Kshetra in the Puranas. Haridwar is
about 225 kilometers northeast of Delhi.
Uddhava asked Vidura to go to Haridwar to be
instructed by Maitreya Muni. It is also
called Kapilasthan, because it is said that
Kapildeva performed penances here. The great
sacrifice of Daksa Prajapati took place near
here, where Sati burned herself alive.
Nearby at Sapta Sarovana, the Ganges splits
into seven streams to please the seven
rishis doing austerities there.
Haridwar is hot in the summer but the Ganges
water is always icy cold. The river is fed
by melting glaciers and snow peaks. The
Ganges is split by a barrage just north of
Haridwar. The main natural rivulet of the
Ganges called Neel Dhara flows about half a
kilometers east of the city. The Ganges is
known as Ganga in India.
Haridwar is a busy, fairly fast moving town.
Most people stay here for a day or two and
then move on to Rishikesh or some
other place in the mountains. If you want a
peaceful place to stay for a few weeks,
Rishikesh is much better. Meat, fish and all
intoxications are banned in Haridwar. It is
one of the four places where Kumbha mela is
held every 12 years.
How to get there
By bus: The UP Roadways bus stand is
at the southwest end of Station Road. Buses
leave every 30 minutes for Rishikesh and
Dehradun. There are ordinary bus services
every 30 minutes up to 11.30 PM to Delhi,
and early morning and late afternoon and
evening services to Agra.
For the Char Dham (Yamunotri,
Gangotri,Badrinath and Kedarnath) you'll
need to find your way to Rishikesh. As many
of the buses to these pilgrimage sites leave
in the wee hours, you will have to stay
overnight in Rishikesh at one of the hotels
opposite the Yatra bus stand.
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