HARIDWAR - PLACES TO VISIT

Haridwar- an ancient city in the state of Uttarakhand is one of the most revered pilgrimage centres of India. People from across the globe visit Haridwar to spend some time in peace and tranquillity and pay their respects to the Holy River Ganga. Apart from temple hopping, spending a few days in the Ashrams, or enjoying the local cuisine, this holy city has much more to offer. Find here list of 4 unexplored hidden gems in Haridwar.

1. Evening Aarti at Daksha Mahadev Temple

Everyone knows of the evening aarti ritual at Har Ki Pauri but not everyone is familiar with the same (or better) aarti experience that you can get at this temple. About 4 km away from Haridwar, this temple, according to Hindu mythology is where Goddess Parvati jumped into the fire after being scorned by her father, Daksha. Angered at this act, a massive fight took place between Lord Shiva and Daksha here.The calm flowing Ganga River is visible from here and as it gets from dawn to dusk, an evening aarti with melodious sounds from musical instruments and ancient rituals begins, which is nothing less than magic to your eyes and music to your ears.

2. Bharat Mata Mandir

Standing tall at a height of 180 ft, Bharat Mata Mandir is located at Motichur and is one of the many places of interest that remains unexplored near Haridwar. This temple is dedicated to Mother India and was built to commemorate the commitment of all the patriots and freedom fighters, each of the eight stories of this famous temple displays a different theme dedicated to several legends and deities.

3. Kankhal

A small colony named Kankhal is one of the many places of interest near Haridwar. Probably the one reason people may know of this destination is for its Daksheswara Mahadev Temple. An offbeat gem otherwise, one can also find other tourist spots here like the Maa Anandamoyi Ashram and Patanjali Yogpeeth. Another fact about this place not very known to the common folk is that it is one of the ‘Five Pilgrimages’ in Haridwar along with other four pilgrimages of Har ki Pauri, Kushwart (Ghat in Kankhal), Bilwa Teerth (Mansa Devi Temple) and Neel Parvat (Chandi Devi Temple).

4. Vishnu Ghat

Named after Lord Vishnu, Vishnu Ghat is a major tourist attraction in the city. It is believed that Lord Vishnu took bath at this ghat and the water is said to wash away all the sins. Vishnu Ghat is counted amongst one of the cleanest ghats and is less crowded in comparison to other ghats in Haridwar. The ghat is located adjacent to Birla Ghat.