Considered together of the 7 holiest places in India, Haridwar may be a major pilgrim spot located within the state of Uttarakhand. The origins of the town dates back to the traditional Hindu texts. It is one among the 7 places where drops of the elixir of life that erupted from the Samundra Manthan or the Churning of the Seas by the Devas and the Asauras leading to its creation. The city came under the reign of the traditional dynasties just like the Mauryas and therefore the Kushana and is mentioned within the texts of the Chinese traveler Hieun Tsang. The city is found 314 meters above water level and may be a popular tourist destination.
One of the foremost revered places in Haridwar, Har ki Pauri literally means the Lord’s Footsteps. The most famous landmark at the Ghats is that the footprint of Lord Vishnu himself. The footprint is claimed to be at the precise location where the River Ganges enters plains from the mountains. The area is famous for being the location of the Kumbha Mela and the Ardha Kumbha Mela.
The temple is devoted to Chandi Devi, a sort of the Hindu deity Durga. The Chandi Devi Temple is one among the foremost ancient temples in India and attracts thousands of pilgrims during the festivals of Navratra and therefore the Kumbha Mela. The temple was founded by the traditional Hindu Philosopher Adi Shankaracharya who lived during 700 – 820 AD.
The temple is devoted to Maya Devi an incarnation of Shakti and dates back to the 11th century AD. After Haridwar was plundered by The Central Asian conqueror Timur Lang this temple was one among the 4 ancient temples that were still intact. It is also the place where the guts and navel of the Goddess Sati fell after she immolated herself and is understood because the Shakti Peetha.
Dedicated to the Hindu deity Mansa Devi, Mansa Devi Temple is placed atop a hillock referred to as the Bilwa Parvat of the Shiwalik Range of the Himalayas. The Goddess is claimed to grant all the needs and therefore the devotees make their wishes by tying a bit of thread on the branches of the tree located in the temple complex and come back to the temple to untie it after the wish is granted.
An important pilgrimage site for all Shiva devotees, Daksha Mahadev Temple was built by Queen Dhankaur in 1810 and rebuilt in 1962. The temple’s location is one among the three disputed sites in India claiming to be the place where Goddess Sati’s father Daksha Prajapati conducted a yagna, resulting in a chain of events. The Maha Shivratri here is filled with festivity and devotion with thousands of devotees coming here during this time. An important temple in Haridwar, this place may be a must visit for all devotees coming to Haridwar.
One of the sacred and therefore the most visited Ghats in Haridwar; Vishnu Ghat is known as after the Hindu deity Lord Vishnu. It is considered a sacred place as Lord Vishnu took bath at this spot and therefore the water is claimed to relive all sins. Haridwar is usually called the gateway to the Hindu pilgrimage sites of the ‘Char Dhams’ and attracts an enormous number of tourists thanks to its amazing mountains, rivers and ancient temples. The above-mentioned places are few of the most frequented places in Haridwar and are sure you engulf you in a spiritual healing experience.