Haridwar Tourism

Haridwar has privilege of having IIT at Roorkee, formerly known as University of Roorkee, founded in 1847 as a first technical institute of India. The city has one of the "navratna PSUs of India" i.e BHEL (Bharat Heavy Electricals India Ltd.). The tomb Piran Kaliar of Shabir Shahib in Roorkee is a living example of religious harmony in India which is visited by the people of all religious sects from all over the world. There is another University in the city called Gurukul Kangri Vishva Vidyalaya apart from the head quarter of Uttaranchal State Public Service Commission also being established at Haridwar. Besides this, Kumbh fair is organized at the interval of every 12 years in this city in which about 1 crore pilgrims from all over the world participate

Haridwar, also known as Hardwar is a divine city located in the state of Uttaranchal in Northern India. This place is known as the Gateway to the Gods and is among the seven holiest places of Hindu religion as God and Goddess are said to have left their footprints here. This holy city also serves as the gateway to the three sacred religious destinations of India i.e. Rishikesh, Badrinath, and Kedarnath. Etymologically the word Haridwar is derived from the Sanskrit word which means Dwara of Hari or Gateway to God, 'Hari' meaning god and 'dwar' meaning gate. According to the Hindu mythology this is among the four holy places where drops of the elixir of immortality spilled out from the pitcher. This religious incident makes it a holy land for hosting the Kumbh Mela which is held at an interval of four, six and twelve years. The Holy River Ganga after flowing for 253 kilometers from its source at Gaumukh, at the edge of the Gangotri Glacier, enters the Indo-Gangetic Plain of North India at Haridwar which gave the city its ancient name, Gangadwára, the place where the Ganges descends to the plains.

Har ki Paori This temple is located 1.5 km from the city and was built by King Vikramaditya in memory of his brother Bhatrihar. Here one can see the footprints of Lord Vishnu in the temple adjacent to the ghat.

Maya Devi Temple This temple is one of the known Siddhpeethas of India which is dedicated to the Maya Devi, the Adhisthatri deity of Haridwar. According to Hindu mythology it is the place where the heart and navel of goddess Sati had fallen.

Mansa Devi Temple This is the most sacred temple of this place which is dedicated to Goddess Mansa Devi. Here one of the statues of the deity has three mouths and five arms while the other one has eight arms. It is situated at the top of Bilwa Parwat where devotees can reach via rope-way cable cars. This place offers a bird's eye view of the city.