Haridwar

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Haridwar (Hindi: हरिद्वार, Haridvar, also Hardwar ) is a city in the state of Uttarakhand, India, with about 225,000 inhabitants ( 2011 census ). It is the administrative seat of the district of Haridwar on the Ganges and is at an altitude of 316 m.

In Hinduism, it is a place of pilgrimage and is one of the seven sacred cities. Main destination of the pilgrimage is the Hari -ki- Pauri. In the Brahma Kund flow after the presentation of the faithful the heavenly water in the Ganges. A temple here is to contain the footprint of Vishnu. The place is important because here the entrance of the corridor is seen in the plain.

Every 12 years takes place in Haridwar on the banks of the holy river Ganges for Hindus held a great religious festival, the Kumbh Mela. The cities of Haridwar, Allahabad, Ujjain and Nashik host the Kumbh Mela every three years alternately, thus in each case in the twelve year cycle. The last Kumbh Mela in Haridwar was held in March / April 2010 was attended by 40 million people, of whom alone ten million gathered on the main day to bath in the Ganges.

Above Haridwar, the Siwalik hill rises with the Temple of Manasa Devi, reached by a cable car. On the Leel Parbat hill on the opposite side of the river is the temple of Chandi Devi.

About 20 km from Haridwar is located upstream of the pilgrimage Rishikesh, which is famous for its ashrams and temples. He became known as the Beatles meditated in the sixties with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.