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Haridwar

Haridwar is situated in the valleys of the Shivalik mountains, wherethe river flows from the Himalayan Mountains and slowly travels over the meadows and joins the Bay of Bengal. Haridwar is famous for its regular festivals Kumbha Mela and Ardhakumbha. One main attraction of Haridwar is that every evening people light lamps and float them in the river which lights up the dark night and makes the whole place very beautiful. Haridwar stands on the rightside of theriver Ganges. Touristsareadvised to be careful of the frauds who can cheat them out of their money.

Haridwar is dotted with numeroustemples and sightseeing spots. The Har Ki Pauri ghat, said to be built by Vikaramaditya to the memory of his brother Bhartrihari, is one of the most sacred places in not only Haridwar, but also India. The MahaAarti performed every evening here is a must see for any visitor.

Chandi Devi and Mansa Devi, two temples situated at trekking distance from the city arealso well worth a visit. The ancient temple of Maya Devi is dedicated to Sati, the spouse of Lord Shiva who immolated herself to preserve his honour and is one of the major Shakthipeeths. Four kms from Haridwar is the DakshaMahadev temple built in honour of Sati's father, King Daksha Prajapati. Legend has it that King Daksha displeased with his daughter's marriage to Lord Shiva did not invite them to a yagya.

Sati, who went nonetheless, wasinsulted by her father and unable tobear it burnt herselfalive. Daksha was killed by Shiva's followers and later brought back to life by Shiva. The temple commemorates this event and is one of the five sacred places in Haridwar. Finally a visit to Haridwar would be incomplete without a look at the Gurukul Kangri University to experience the gurukul system first-hand.

Haridwar is not only abouttemples. It has a great deal on offer for nature lovers as well. At one spot the Ganges divides into seven small streams called the Sapt Rishi, which provides the visitorwith a vision of beauty. Neel Dhara Pakshi Vihar is an excellent point to watch for migratory birds of which the Siberian Crane is the most illustrious visitor to these shores. Once at Uttaranchal region, you wouldn't want to go away without journeying the other tourist attractions that are at an easy distance from Haridwar.

Shopping
Handicrafts made with shells, pearls, rudraksha beads and cane. Hand woven mats, baskets and woollen clothes.

Tourists Season
As such tourists come here all throughthe year. But taking the climate into consideration the best time is from September to June, specially the summer when bathing in the Ganges can really be enjoyed. July and August are the rainy months.

Climate
Even though it is situated at a height of 300 metres, Haridwar is hot in summer (mid April till June) the mercury rising to as much as forty degrees Celsius and very cold in winter (November till February) with the temperature dipping to a low of six degrees Celsius. During the monsoons from mid-June to end-August it is a place best avoided. The best months for a visit are between September and June.

Places of Interest

• Har Ki Paudi
  This is Haridwar's most important bathing spot. Every day thousands of people come here. In the evening an arati (ceremony performed in the worship of Gods by moving a lighted lamp around the idol in a circular motion) is performed here.
• Temple of Mansa Devi
  This temple is on the Bilva Mountain. To go up, a trolley ropeway can be used or one can walk up the rock stairs. The view of Haridwar and the Ganges is very scenic from here.
• Gurukul Kangri
  This is on the Jwalapur By-pass Road. The Arya Samaj revolutionary, Swamy Shraddanand founded this University. Once upon a time this University was very famous but now most of the buildings there need to be restored. A museum here houses many ancient sculptures.
• Neel Dhara Bird Sanctuary
  In winter many rare and beautiful birds can be seen specially the Siberian crane. A safari tour is organised to Neel Dhara from Cheela.

How to reach

• Rail
  Haridwar has direct rail service from most of the Indian Cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow, Chandigarh, Varanasi, Calcutta, Dehra Dun etc.
• Road
  Haridwar is linked with many cities like Delhi, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Agra, Shimla, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Mathura etc. Bus services are available from most of the cities. There are taxi services from here to Mussoorie, Badrinath and Kedarnath.

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