Haridwar (; ) is a city and municipal corporation in the

Haridwar district Haridwar district () also spelled as ''Hardwar'' is a district in Garhwal which is a part of Uttarakhand, India. It is headquartered at Haridwar which is also its largest city. The district is ringed by the districts Dehradun in the north and e ...

Uttarakhand Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and ...

, India. With a population of 228,832 in 2011, it is the second-largest city in the state and the largest in the district. The city is situated on the right bank of the

Ganges The Ganges ( ) (in India: Ganga ( ); in Bangladesh: Padma ( )). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international river to which India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China are the riparian states." is ...

river, at the foothills of the

Shivalik ranges Shivalik may refer to: * Siwalik Hills, a series of ranges of outer foothills of Himalaya crossing Pakistan, India, Nepal, and Bhutan * ''Shivalik'' class frigate, a class of multi-role stealth frigates in service with the Indian Navy ** INS ''Sh ...

. Haridwar is regarded as a holy place for

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

s, hosting important religious events and serving as a gateway to several prominent places of worship. Most significant of the events is the

Kumbha Mela Kumbh Mela or Kumbha Mela () is a major pilgrimage and festival in Hinduism. It is celebrated in a cycle of approximately 12 years, to celebrate every revolution Brihaspati (Jupiter) completes, at four river-bank pilgrimage sites: Allahabad (G ...

, which is celebrated every 12 years in Haridwar. During the

Haridwar Kumbh Mela The Kumbh Mela at Haridwar is a mela held every 12 years at Haridwar, India. The exact date is determined according to Hindu astrology: the Mela is held when Jupiter is in Aquarius and the Sun enters Aries. The event possesses deep religious s ...

, millions of pilgrims, devotees, and tourists congregate in Haridwar to perform ritualistic bathing on the banks of the Ganges to wash away their sins to attain ''

moksha ''Moksha'' (; sa, मोक्ष, '), also called ''vimoksha'', ''vimukti'' and ''mukti'', is a term in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism for various forms of emancipation, enlightenment, liberation, and release. In its soteriologic ...

''. According to Puranic legend, Haridwar, along with

Ujjain Ujjain (, Hindustani pronunciation: �d͡ːʒɛːn is a city in Ujjain district of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the fifth-largest city in Madhya Pradesh by population and is the administrative centre of Ujjain district and Ujjain ...

Nashik Nashik (, Marathi: aːʃik, also called as Nasik ) is a city in the northern region of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Situated on the banks of river Godavari, Nashik is the third largest city in Maharashtra, after Mumbai and Pune. Nashi ...

, and Prayag, is one of four sites where drops of ''

amrita ''Amrita'' ( sa, अमृत, IAST: ''amṛta''), ''Amrit'' or ''Amata'' in Pali, (also called ''Sudha'', ''Amiy'', ''Ami'') is a Sanskrit word that means "immortality". It is a central concept within Indian religions and is often referred t ...

'', the elixir of immortality, accidentally spilled over from a ''

kumbha A kumbha ( sa, कुम्भ) is a type of pottery in India. Traditionally, it is made by Kumbhars, also known as ''Prajapati''s. In the context of Hindu, Jain Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism tra ...

'' (pitcher) while being carried by the celestial bird

Garuda Garuda (Sanskrit: ; Pāli: ; Vedic Sanskrit: गरुळ Garuḷa) is a Hindu demigod and divine creature mentioned in the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faiths. He is primarily depicted as the mount (''vahana'') of the Hindu god Vishnu. Garuda ...

during the ''

Samudra Manthana The Samudra Manthana ( sa, समुद्रमन्थन; ) is a major episode in Hinduism that is elaborated in the Vishnu Purana, a major text of Hinduism. The Samudra Manthana explains the origin of the elixir of eternal life, amrita. Nom ...

'', or the churning of the ocean of milk. ''Brahma Kund'', the spot where the amrita fell, is believed to be located at

Har ki Pauri Har Ki Pauri is a famous ghat on the banks of the Ganges in Haridwar in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. This revered place is the major landmark of the holy city of Haridwar. Literally, " Har" means "God", "Ki" means " 's " and "Pauri" means ...

(literally, "footsteps of the Lord") and is considered to be the most sacred ''

ghat Ghat, a term used in the Indian subcontinent, depending on the context could refer either to a range of stepped hills with valleys (ghati in Hindi), such as the Eastern Ghats and Western Ghats; or the series of steps leading down to a body of ...

'' of Haridwar. It is also the primary centre of the Kanwar pilgrimage, in which millions of participants gather sacred water from the Ganges and carry it across hundreds of miles to dispense as offerings in

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

shrines. Today, the city is developing beyond its religious importance with the fast-developing industrial estate of the

State Industrial Development Corporation of Uttarakhand The State Industrial Development Corporation of Uttarakhand Limited (SIDCUL) is a government of Uttarakhand enterprise which promotes industries and develops industrial infrastructure in the State. It also provides tax incentives for companies e ...

(SIDCUL), and the close by township of

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) is an Indian central public sector undertaking. It is under the ownership of Ministry of Heavy Industries, Government of India. It is based in New Delhi, India. Established in 1956, BHEL is India' ...

(BHEL), as well as its affiliated ancillaries. Haridwar presents a kaleidoscope of Indian culture and development. In sacred writings, it has been differently specified as Kapilsthan, Gangadwar and Mayapuri. It is additionally a passage for the

Chota Char Dham The Chota Char Dham (literally translated as 'the small four abodes/seats', meaning 'the small circuit of four abodes/seats'), is an important Hindu pilgrimage circuit in Uttarakhand, in the Indian Himalayas. Located in the Garhwal region ...

(the four principal pilgrim destinations in Uttarakhand). Subsequently,

Shaivites Shaivism (; sa, शैवसम्प्रदायः, Śaivasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions rangin ...

(devotees of Shiva) and Vaishavites (devotees of

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" withi ...

) call the city ''Hardwar'' and ''Haridwar'', respectively, ''Har'' meaning Shiva and

Hari Hari ( sa, हरि) is among the primary epithets of the Hindu preserver deity Vishnu, meaning 'the one who takes away' (sins). It refers to the one who removes darkness and illusion, the one who removes all obstacles to spiritual progress ...

, Vishnu.

Etymology

The modern name of the town has two spellings: ''Haridwar and Hardwar''. Each of these names has its own connotation. In

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

'','' the liturgical language of Hinduism, ''

'' means "

", while ''dwar means'' "gateway". So, ''Haridwar'' translates to "The Gateway to Vishnu". It earns this name because it is typically the place where pilgrim's start their journey to visit a prominent temple of Vishnu –

Badrinath Badrinath is a town and nagar panchayat in Chamoli district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. A Hindu holy place, it is one of the four sites in India's Char Dham pilgrimage and is also part of India's Chota Char Dham pilgrimage circuit. ...

. Similarly, ''Hara'' could also mean "

".About Haridwar
sahajaharidwar. Hence, ''Hardwar'' could stand for "Gateway to Shiva". Hardwar is also a typical place to start a pilgrim's journey in order to reach

Mount Kailash Mount Kailash (also Kailasa; ''Kangrinboqê'' or ''Gang Rinpoche''; Tibetan: གངས་རིན་པོ་ཆེ; ; sa, कैलास, ), is a mountain in the Ngari Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It has an altitude of ...

Kedarnath Kedarnath is a town and Nagar Panchayat in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, India, known primarily for the Kedarnath Temple. It is approximately 86 kilometres from Rudraprayag, the district headquarter. Kedarnath is the most remote of t ...

, the northernmost Jyotirlinga and one of the sites of the smaller ''

Char Dham The Char Dham (meaning: ''four abodes'') is a set of four pilgrimage sites in India. It is believed that visiting these sites helps achieve moksha (salvation). The four Dhams are, Badrinath, Dwarka, Puri and Rameswaram. It is believed that ev ...

'' pilgrimage circuit – all important places for worship for Hindus. According to legend, it was in Haridwar that Goddess Ganga descended when

released the mighty river from the locks of his hair. The

River Ganga The Ganges ( ) (in India: Ganga ( ); in Bangladesh: Padma ( )). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international river to which India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China are the riparian states." is ...

, after flowing for from its source at

Gaumukh Gomukh, also known as "Gaumukh" or "Gomukhi" (Hindi: गौमुख or गौमुखी ; Assamese and Bengali: গোমুখ or গোমুখী), is the terminus or pout of the Gangotri Glacier and the source of the Bhagirathi River, on ...

at the edge of the

Gangotri Glacier Gangotri (Sanskrit and hi, गंगोत्री) is located in Uttarkashi District, Uttarakhand, India in a region bordering Tibet. This glacier, one of the primary sources of the Ganges, has a volume of over 27 cubic kilometers. The glaci ...

, enters the

Gangetic Plain The Indo-Gangetic Plain, also known as the North Indian River Plain, is a fertile plain encompassing northern regions of the Indian subcontinent, including most of northern and eastern India, around half of Pakistan, virtually all of Bangla ...

for the first time at Haridwar, which gave the city its ancient name, Gangadwára. In the annotations to her poetical illustration ''Hurdwar, a Place of Hindoo Pilgrimage'',

Letitia Elizabeth Landon Letitia Elizabeth Landon (14 August 1802 – 15 October 1838) was an English poet and novelist, better known by her initials L.E.L. The writings of Landon are transitional between Romanticism and the Victorian Age. Her first major breakthrough ...

provides information on this name derivation, and also the story of the supposed origin of the 'River Ganges'. The accompanying plate is engraved form a painting by

Samuel Prout Samuel Prout painted by John Jackson in 1831 Market Day by Samuel Prout A View in Nuremberg by Samuel Prout Utrecht Town Hall by Samuel Prout in 1841 Samuel Prout (; 17 September 1783 – 10 February 1852) was a British watercolourist, and ...

History

In the scriptures, Haridwar has been variously mentioned as Kapilasthana, GangadwaraPlaces of peace and power
sacred sites. and Mayapuri. It is also an entry point to the

(the four main centres of pilgrimage in Uttarakhand ''viz'',

, Gangotri, and

Yamunotri Yamunotri, also Jamnotri, is the source of the Yamuna River and the seat of the Goddess Yamuna in Hinduism. It is situated at an altitude of in the Garhwal Himalayas and located approximately North of Uttarkashi, the headquarters of the Uttark ...

), hence, Shaivaites (followers of

) and

Vaishnavites Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...

(followers of

) call this place Hardwar and Haridwar respectively, corresponding to Hara being Shiv and

being Vishnu. In the Vanaparva of the

Mahabharat The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the '' Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuru ...

, where sage Dhaumya tells

Yudhishthira ''Yudhishthira'' (Sanskrit: युधिष्ठिर, IAST: ''Yudhiṣṭhira'') is the eldest among the five Pandava brothers. He is mentioned in the ancient epic Mahabharata. He was sired by King Pandu of the Kuru Dynasty and his firs ...

about the tirthas of India, Gangadwar, i.e., Haridwar and

Kankhal Kankhal is a small colony in Haridwar in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand state in India. Mentioned in the Vayu Purana and the Mahabharata as ''Kanakhala'',Agastya Rishi did penance here, with the help of his wife,

Lopamudra Lopamudra, ( sa, लोपामुद्रा) also known as Kaushitaki and Varaprada, was a philosopher according to ancient Vedic Indian literature. She was the wife of the sage Agastya who is believed to have lived in the Rigveda period ( ...

(the princess of

Vidharba Vidarbha (Pronunciation: �id̪əɾbʱə is a geographical region in the east of the Indian state of Maharashtra and a proposed state of central India, comprising the state's Amravati and Nagpur divisions. Amravati Division's former name is Ber ...

). Sage Kapila is said to have an ashram here giving it, its ancient name, Kapila or Kapilasthana. The legendary King, Bhagiratha, the great-grandson of the Suryavanshi King Sagar (an ancestor of

Rama Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular '' avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Bein ...

), is said to have brought the river Ganges down from heaven, through years of penance in

Satya Yuga ''Satya Yuga'' ( ''Krita Yuga''), in Hinduism, is the first and best of the four ''yugas'' (world ages) in a ''Yuga Cycle'', preceded by ''Kali Yuga'' of the previous cycle and followed by ''Treta Yuga''. ''Satya Yuga'' lasts for 1,728,000 yea ...

, for the salvation of 60,000 of his ancestors from the curse of the saint Kapila, a tradition continued by thousands of devout Hindus, who bring the ashes of their departed family members, in hope of their salvation. Vishnu is said to have left his footprint on the stone that is set in the upper wall of Har Ki Pauri, where the Holy Ganges touches it at all times. Haridwar came under the rule of the Maurya Empire (322–185 BCE), and later under the Kushan Empire (c. 1st–3rd centuries). Archaeological findings have proved that

terra cotta Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based unglazed or glazed ceramic where the fired body is porous. In applied art, craft, construction, and architecture, terracotta ...

culture dating between 1700 BCE and 1200 BCE existed in this region.Haridwar History
'' Haridwar Official website''. First modern era written evidence of Haridwar is found in the accounts of a Chinese traveller, Huan Tsang, who visited India in 629 CE.Kumbh Mela
''

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...

.'' during the reign of King Harshavardhan (590–647) records Haridwar as 'Mo-yu-lo', the remains of which still exist at Mayapur, a little to the south of the modern town. Among the ruins are a fort and three temples, decorated with broken stone sculptures, he also mentions the presence of a temple, north of Mo-yu-lo called 'Gangadwara', Gateway of the Ganges.
Head of Ganges Canal, Haridwar, 1894-1898

Head of Ganges Canal, Haridwar, 1894-1898

Haridwar from opposite bank of the Ganges, 1866

Haridwar came under the rule of the Delhi Sultanate in 1206. The city also fell to the Central Asian conqueror Timur Lang (1336–1405) on 13 January 1399. During his visit to Haridwar, first Sikh Guru,

Guru Nanak Gurū Nānak (15 April 1469 – 22 September 1539; Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ; pronunciation: , ), also referred to as ('father Nānak'), was the founder of Sikhism and is the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. His birth is celebrated w ...

(1469–1539) bathed at 'Kushawart Ghat', wherein the famous, 'watering the crops' episode took place, his visit is today commemorated by a

gurudwara A gurdwara (sometimes written as gurudwara) (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ''guradu'ārā'', meaning "Door to the Guru") is a place of assembly and worship for Sikhs. Sikhs also refer to gurdwaras as ''Gurdwara Sahib''. People from all faiths ...

(Gurudwara Nanakwara), according to two Sikh

Janamsakhis The Janamsakhis ( pa, ਜਨਮਸਾਖੀ, IAST: ''Janam-sākhī'', ''lit.'' ''birth stories''), are legendary biographies of Guru Nanak – the founder of Sikhism. Popular in the Sikh history, these texts are considered by scholars as imaginar ...

, this visit took place on the Baisakhi day in 1504 CE, he later also visited

Kankhal Kankhal is a small colony in Haridwar in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand state in India. Mentioned in the Vayu Purana and the Mahabharata as ''Kanakhala'',Kotdwara Kotdwar is a city, municipal corporation in Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, India. It's just 101 km from Pauri town , the district headquarter. It is the eighth-largest city in Uttarakhand. Its old name was "Khohdwar", which means the ga ...

in Garhwal.Janasakhi

of ''Miharban'' and ''Mani Singh'', Janamsakhi Tradition, Dr. Kirpal Singh, 2004, Punjabi University, Patiala. . www.globalsikhstudies.net. Pandas of the Haridwar have been known to keep genealogy records of most of the Hindu population. Known as ''Vahis'', these records are updated on each visit to the city, and are a repository of vast family trees of the family in North India. In the 16th century, the city came under the rule of the

Mughals The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...

. '' Ain-e-Akbari'', written by Abul Fazal in the 16th century during the reign of Mughal

Emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...

Akbar, refers to it as Maya (Mayapur), known as Hardwar on the

", as seven sacred cities of Hindus. It further mentions it is eighteen

kos Kos or Cos (; el, Κως ) is a Greek island, part of the Dodecanese island chain in the southeastern Aegean Sea. Kos is the third largest island of the Dodecanese by area, after Rhodes and Karpathos; it has a population of 36,986 (2021 census), ...

(each approx. 2 km) in length, and large numbers of pilgrims assemble on the 10th of Chaitra. It also mentions that during his travels and also while at home, Mughal Emperor, Akbar drank water from the Ganges river, which he called 'the water of immortality'. Special people were stationed at Sorun and later Haridwar to dispatch water, in sealed jars, to wherever he was stationed During the Mughal period, there was mint for Akbar's copper coinage at Haridwar. It is said that Raja

Man Singh Man Singh I, popularly known as Mirza Raja Man Singh (21 December 1550 – 6 July 1614) was the 29th Kachwaha Rajput Raja of Amer, later known as Jaipur state, in Rajputana. He was the most powerful and trusted general of the Mughal empe ...

Amber Amber is fossilized tree resin that has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Much valued from antiquity to the present as a gemstone, amber is made into a variety of decorative objects."Amber" (2004). In ...

, laid that foundation of the present-day city of Haridwar and also renovated the ghats at Har Ki Pauri. After his death, his ashes are also said to have been immersed at Brahma Kund.

Thomas Coryat Thomas Coryat (also Coryate) (c. 15771617) was an English traveller and writer of the late Elizabethan and early Jacobean age. He is principally remembered for two volumes of writings he left regarding his travels, often on foot, through ...

, an English traveller, who visited the city in the reign of Emperor Jahangir (1596–1627) mentions it as 'Haridwara', the capital of Shiva. Being one of the oldest living cities, Haridwar finds its mention in the ancient Hindu scriptures as it weaves through the life and time stretching from the period of the

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in L ...

, to the more recent British advent. Haridwar has a rich and ancient religious and cultural heritage. It still has many old

havelis A ''haveli'' is a traditional townhouse, mansion, manor house, in the Indian subcontinent, usually one with historical and architectural significance, and located in a town or city. The word ''haveli'' is derived from Arabic ''hawali'', meani ...

and mansions bearing exquisite murals and intricate stonework. One of the two major dams on the river Ganges, the Bhimgoda, is situated here. Built-in the 1840s, it diverts the waters of the Ganges to the Upper Ganges Canal, which irrigated the surrounding lands. Though this caused severe deterioration to the Ganges water flow, and is a major cause for the decay of the Ganges as an inland waterway, which till the 18th century was used heavily by the ships of the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and South ...

, and a town as high up as

Tehri New Tehri is a city and a municipal board in Tehri Garhwal District in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the administrative headquarters of Tehri Garhwal District. This urban municipality area has 11 wards, from Vidhi Vihar to Vishwakarma P ...

, was considered a port city The headworks of the

Ganges Canal The Ganges Canal or Ganga Canal is a canal system that irrigates the Doab region between the Ganges River and the Yamuna River in India. The canal is primarily an irrigation canal, although parts of it were also used for navigation, primaril ...

system is located in Haridwar. The Upper Ganges Canal was opened in 1854 after the work began in April 1842,Upper Ganges Canal
''

The Imperial Gazetteer of India ''The Imperial Gazetteer of India'' was a gazetteer of the British Indian Empire, and is now a historical reference work. It was first published in 1881. Sir William Wilson Hunter made the original plans of the book, starting in 1869.< ...

'', 1909, v. 12, p. 138. prompted by the famine of 1837–38. The unique feature of the canal is the half-kilometre-long aqueduct over the Solani river at Roorkee, which raises the canal above the original river. United Provinces 1903

'Haridwar Union Municipality' was constituted in 1868, which included the then villages of Mayapur and

Kankhal Kankhal is a small colony in Haridwar in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand state in India. Mentioned in the Vayu Purana and the Mahabharata as ''Kanakhala'',Laksar Laksar is a small town, near Haridwar city and Nagar Palika in Haridwar district of the Indian state of Uttarakhand, situated along National Highway 334A. It is an important sugar manufacturing destination in the state and also known for the L ...

, through branch line in 1886, when the

Awadh Awadh (), known in British historical texts as Avadh or Oudh, is a region in the modern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which was before independence known as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh. It is synonymous with the Kośāla region of ...

and Rohilakhand Railway line was extended through Roorkee to

Saharanpur Saharanpur is a city and a municipal corporation in Uttar Pradesh, India. It is also the administrative headquarters of Saharanpur district. Saharanpur city's name was given after the Saint Shah Haroon Chishti. Saharanpur is declared as on ...

, this was later extended to Dehradun in 1900. In 1901, it had a population of 25,597 and was a part of the Roorkee

tehsil A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administ ...

, in

district of the

United Province United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...

,Roorkee Town
''

'', v. 21, p. 324. and remained so till the creation of

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...

in 1947. Haridwar has been an abode of the weary in body, mind, and spirit. It has also been a centre of attraction for learning various arts, science, and culture. The city has a long-standing position as a great source of Ayurvedic medicines and herbal remedies and is home to the unique

Gurukul Education in India is primarily managed by state-run public education system, which fall under the command of the government at three levels: central, state and local. Under various articles of the Indian Constitution and the Right of Childre ...

(school of traditional education), including the

Gurukul Kangri Vishwavidyalaya Gurukula Kangri ( deemed to be university) ('गुरुकुल कांगड़ी समविश्वविद्यालय') is a government-funded deemed to be university u/s 3 of the UGC act 1956 located in Haridwar, Uttarakhand ...

, which has a vast campus, and has been providing traditional education of its own kind, since 1902. Development of Haridwar took an upturn in the 1960s, with the setting up of a temple of modern civilisation,

BHEL Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) is an Indian central public sector undertaking. It is under the ownership of Ministry of Heavy Industries, Government of India. It is based in New Delhi, India. Established in 1956, BHEL is India ...

, a ' Maharatna

PSU PSU may refer to: Organizations Military *Police Support Unit, a paramilitary wing of the Zimbabwe Republic Police *Port Security Unit, a U.S. Coast Guard expeditionary force protection unit Political parties * Parti Socialiste Unifié (disambig ...

' in 1975, which brought along not just a its own township of BHEL, Ranipur, close to the existing Ranipur village, but also a set of ancillaries in the region. The

University of Roorkee Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (abbreviated IIT Roorkee) is a technical university located in Roorkee, Uttarakhand, India. It is the oldest engineering institution in India, and was founded as the College of Civil Engineering in Bri ...

, now

IIT Roorkee Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (abbreviated IIT Roorkee) is a technical university located in Roorkee, Uttarakhand, India. It is the oldest engineering institution in India, and was founded as the College of Civil Engineering in Bri ...

, is one of the oldest and most prestigious institutes of learning in the fields of science and engineering.

Geography and climate

Main Ganga river, before the Bhimgoda barrage, Haridwar

The Ganges emerges from the mountains to touch the plains. The water in the river Ganges is mostly clear and generally cold, except in the rainy season, during which soil from the upper regions flows down into it. The river Ganges flows in a series of channels separated from each other called aits, most of which are well wooded. Other minor seasonal streams are Ranipur Rao, Pathri Rao, Ravi Rao, Harnaui Rao, Begham Nadi etc. A large part of the district is forested, and

Rajaji National Park Rajaji National Park is an Indian national park and tiger reserve that encompasses the Shivaliks, near the foothills of the Himalayas. It is spread over 820 km2 and includes three districts of Uttarakhand: Haridwar, Dehradun and Pauri G ...

is within the bounds of the district, making it an ideal destination for wildlife and adventure lovers. Rajaji is accessible through different gates; the Ramgarh Gate and Mohand Gate are within of Dehradun, while the Motichur, Ranipur and Chilla Gates are just about from Haridwar. Kunaon Gate is from Rishikesh, and Laldhang gate is from

Kotdwara Kotdwar is a city, municipal corporation in Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, India. It's just 101 km from Pauri town , the district headquarter. It is the eighth-largest city in Uttarakhand. Its old name was "Khohdwar", which means the ga ...

. Haridwar district, covering an area of about , is in the southwestern part of Uttarakhand state of India. Haridwar is situated at a height of from the sea level, between

Shivalik Hills The Sivalik Hills, also known as the Shivalik Hills and Churia Hills, are a mountain range of the outer Himalayas that stretches over about from the Indus River eastwards close to the Brahmaputra River, spanning the northern parts of the Ind ...

in the North and Northeast and the Ganges River in the South.

Climate

Temperatures: * Summers: * Winters:

Cityscape

Hindu genealogy registers at Haridwar

Main bathing Ghat, Hurdwar (Haridwar), 1880s

For centuries when Hindu ancestors visited the holy town of Haridwar for any purpose which may have been for

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...

purposes or/and for

cremation Cremation is a method of final disposition of a dead body through burning. Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India and Nepal, cremation on an open-air pyre is ...

of their dead or for immersion of ashes and bones of their

kin __NOTOC__ Kin usually refers to kinship and family. Kin or KIN may also refer to: Culture and religion *Otherkin, people who identify as not entirely human *Kinism, a white supremacist religious movement * Kinh, the majority ethnic group of V ...

after cremation into the waters of the holy Ganges as required by Hindu religious custom, it has been a custom to go to the Pandit who is in charge of one's family register and update the family's

family tree A family tree, also called a genealogy or a pedigree chart, is a chart representing family relationships in a conventional tree structure. More detailed family trees, used in medicine and social work, are known as genograms. Representations of ...

with details of marriages, births, and deaths from ones extended joint family.

Demographics

India census, Haridwar district has population of 1,890,422 (2011). In 2001, the population was 1,447,187. Haridwar city has a 310,562 population (2011). Males constitute 54% of the

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...

and females, 46%. Haridwar has an average literacy rate of 70%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 75%, and female literacy is 64%. In Haridwar, 12% of the population is under six years of age.

Religious sites

traditions, the 'Panch Tirth' (Five Pilgrimages) within Haridwar, are "Gangadwar" (

), ''Kushawart'' (Ghat in

Kankhal Kankhal is a small colony in Haridwar in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand state in India. Mentioned in the Vayu Purana and the Mahabharata as ''Kanakhala'',Mansa Devi Temple) and ''Neel Parvat'' ( Chandi Devi Temple). There are several other temples and ashrams located in and around the city, a list of which can be found below. Also, alcohol and non-vegetarian food is not permitted in Haridwar.

Har Ki Pauri

This Ghat was constructed by King

Vikramaditya Vikramaditya (IAST: ') was a legendary king who has been featured in hundreds of traditional stories including those in ''Baital Pachisi'' and '' Singhasan Battisi''. Many describe him as ruler with his capital at Ujjain (Pataliputra or Prati ...

(1st century BCE) in memory of his brother Bharthari. It is believed that Bharthari came to Haridwar and meditated on the banks of the holy Ganges. When he died, his brother constructed a Ghat in his name, which later came to be known as Har Ki Pauri. The most sacred ghat within Har Ki Pauri is Brahmakund. The evening prayer ( Aarti) at dusk offered to Goddess Ganga at Har Ki Pauri (steps of God Hara or Shiva) is an enchanting experience for any visitor. A spectacle of sound and colour is seen when, after the ceremony, pilgrims float ''Diyas'' (floral floats with lamps) and incense on the river, commemorating their deceased ancestors. Thousands of people from all around the world do make a point to attend this prayer on their visit to Haridwar. A majority of present ghats were largely developed in the 1800s. On the night of Dussehra or a few days before that, the Ganga Canal is dried in Haridwar to clean the riverbed. The water is restored on Diwali. It is believed that on Dussera Maa Ganga goes to her father's house and returns after Bhai Duj or Bhai Phota. It is for this reason that the waters in the Ganga canal in Haridwar are partially dried on the night of Dussehra and the waters are restored on the day of Bhai Duj or Bhai Phota.

Chandi Devi Temple

The temple is dedicated to Goddess

Chandi Chandi ( sa, चण्डी, ) or Chandika () is a Hindu deity. Chandika is another form of Mahadevi, similar to Durga. Chandika is a powerful form of Mahadevi who manifested to destroy evil. She is also known as ''Kaushiki'', '' Katyayan ...

, who sits atop the 'Neel Parvat' on the eastern bank of the river Ganges. It was constructed in 1929 CE by the king of Kashmir, Suchat Singh.

Skanda Purana The ''Skanda Purana'' (IAST: Skanda Purāṇa) is the largest '' Mukyapurana'', a genre of eighteen Hindu religious texts. The text contains over 81,000 verses, and is of Kaumara literature, titled after Skanda, a son of Shiva and Parvati, w ...

mentions a legend, in which ''Chanda-Munda'', the Army Chief of a local Demon Kings ''Shumbha'' and ''Nishumbha'' were killed by goddess

here, after which the place got the name, Chandi Devi. It is believed that the main statue was established by the

Adi Shankaracharya Adi Shankara ("first Shankara," to distinguish him from other Shankaras)(8th cent. CE), also called Adi Shankaracharya ( sa, आदि शङ्कर, आदि शङ्कराचार्य, Ādi Śaṅkarācāryaḥ, lit=First Shanka ...

in the 8th century CE. The temple is a trek from Chandighat and can also be reached through a ropeway.

Mansa Devi Temple

The temple of Goddess

Mansa Devi Manasa () is a Hindu goddess of snakes. She is worshipped mainly in Bihar Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar b ...

is situated at the top of the Bilva Parvat, literally means 'Goddess fulfilling desires'. Mansa is a tourist destination, Especially because of the mountain cable cars which offer city views. The main temple houses two idols of the Goddess, one with three mouths and five arms, while the other one has eight arms.

Maya Devi Temple

Haridwar was previously known as Mayapuri which is because of the Goddess Maya Devi. Dating to the 11th century CE, this ancient temple of Maya Devi, the ''Adhishthatri Devi'' (Patron Goddess) of Haridwar, is considered one of the Siddhapithas and is said to be the place where the heart and navel of Goddess

Sati Sati or SATI may refer to: Entertainment * ''Sati'' (film), a 1989 Bengali film by Aparna Sen and starring Shabana Azmi * ''Sati'' (novel), a 1990 novel by Christopher Pike *Sati (singer) (born 1976), Lithuanian singer *Sati, a character in ''Th ...

had fallen. It is one of few ancient temples still standing in Haridwar, along with Narayani Shila temple and Bhairav Temple.

Makarvahini Temple

Located close to the Birla Ghat, near Laltarao Pul is a temple dedicated to Goddess Ganga. This temple was established by Jayandra Saraswati, Shankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti, a few decades ago. The temple, built in South-Indian style, has a traditional custom of decorating the goddess with vegetables and dry fruits, giving her the title of Shakumbhari on Ashtami Pooja, the eighth day of Navratri.

Kankhal

Das Mahavidya temple, Daksheswara Mahadev temple

Cable car to Mansa Devi Temple, Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India

Bholanath Sevashram temple by the Ganges, Haridwar

The ancient temple of Daksha Mahadev also known as Daksheshwar Mahadev Temple has situated in the south

Kankhal Kankhal is a small colony in Haridwar in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand state in India. Mentioned in the Vayu Purana and the Mahabharata as ''Kanakhala'',Daksha Prajapati, father of

Dakshayani Sati (, sa, सती, , ), also known as Dakshayani (Sanskrit: दाक्षायणी, IAST: ''Dākṣāyaṇī'', lit. 'daughter of Daksha'), is the Hindu goddess of marital felicity and longevity, and is worshipped as an aspect of the ...

, Shiva's first wife, performed a yagña, to which he deliberately did not invite Shiva. When she arrived uninvited, he was further insulted by the king, seeing which Sati felt infuriated and self-immolated herself in the ''yagna kund''. King Daksha was later killed by

Virabhadra Virabhadra (), also rendered Veerabhadra, Veerabathira, and Veerabathiran, is a fierce form of the Hindu god Shiva. He is created by the wrath of Shiva, when the deity hurls a lock of his matted hair upon the ground, upon hearing of the self- ...

, born out of Shiva's anger. Later the king was brought to life and given a goat's head by

. Daksha Mahadev temple is a tribute to this legend. Sati Kund, another well-known mythological heritage worth a visit is situated in the

Kankhal Kankhal is a small colony in Haridwar in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand state in India. Mentioned in the Vayu Purana and the Mahabharata as ''Kanakhala'',Bharat Mata Bhārat Mātā ( Mother India in English) is a national personification of India ( Bharat ) as a mother goddess. In the visual arts she is commonly depicted dressed in a red or saffron-coloured sari and holding a national flag; she sometimes ...

'' (Mother India). ''Bharat Mata Mandir'' was inaugurated on 15 May 1983 by Indira Gandhi on the banks of the river Ganges. It is situated adjacent to the ''Samanvaya Ashram'', and stands eight stories tall to a height of . Each floor depicts an era in the Indian history, from the days of

Ramayana The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th ...

until India's independence. On the first floor is the statue of ''Bharat Mata''. The second floor, ''Shur Mandir'', is dedicated to the well-renowned heroes of India. The third floor ''Matri Mandir'' is dedicated to the achievements of India's revered women, such as Radha,

Mira Mira (), designation Omicron Ceti (ο Ceti, abbreviated Omicron Cet, ο Cet), is a red-giant star estimated to be 200–400 light-years from the Sun in the constellation Cetus. ο Ceti is a binary stellar system, consisting of a vari ...

, Savitri, Draupadi, Ahilya,

Anusuya Anasuya () is an ascetic, and the wife of Sage Atri in Hinduism. She is the daughter of Devahuti and Sage Kardama in Hindu texts. In the ''Ramayana'', she lives with her husband in a small hermitage on the southern border of the Chitrakuta fo ...

Maitreyi Maitreyi ( sa, मैत्रेयी) ("Wise one") was an Indian philosopher who lived during the later Vedic period in ancient India. She is mentioned in the ''Brihadaranyaka Upanishad'' as one of two wives of the Vedic sage Yajnavalkya; s ...

, Gargi etc. The great saints from various religions, including

Jainism Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle bein ...

Sikhism Sikhism (), also known as Sikhi ( pa, ਸਿੱਖੀ ', , from pa, ਸਿੱਖ, lit=disciple', 'seeker', or 'learner, translit=Sikh, label=none),''Sikhism'' (commonly known as ''Sikhī'') originated from the word ''Sikh'', which comes fro ...

, and

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religions, Indian religion or Indian philosophy#Buddhist philosophy, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha. ...

are featured on the fourth floor ''Sant Mandir''. The assembly hall with walls depicting symbolic coexistence of all religions practised in India and paintings portraying history in various provinces is situated on the fifth floor. The various forms of the Goddess

Shakti In Hinduism, especially Shaktism (a theological tradition of Hinduism), Shakti (Devanagari: शक्ति, IAST: Śakti; lit. "Energy, ability, strength, effort, power, capability") is the primordial cosmic energy, female in aspect, and r ...

can be seen on the sixth floor, whilst the seventh floor is devoted to all incarnations of

. The eighth floor holds the shrine of

from which devotees can gain a view of Himalayas, Haridwar, and the campus of ''Sapta Sarovar''. The temple was built under the former Shankaracharya Maha-Mandleshwar Swami Satyamitranand Giri Maharaj. Since the inception of the Swami Satyamitranand foundation in 1998, several other branches have been opened, namely in Renukut, Jabalpur, Jodhpur, Indore, and Ahmedabad. It is presently under The Junapeethadheesh, Acharya Shree Mahamandaleshwar Swami Avdheshanand Giri Ji Maharaj.

Piran Kaliyar

Piran Kaliyar Sharif, built by

Ibrahim Lodhi Ibrahim Khan Lodi (or Lodhi) (Pashto: ابراهیم خان لودي), (1480 – 21 April 1526) was the last Sultan of the Delhi Sultanate, who became Sultan in 1517 after the death of his father Sikandar Khan Lodi. He was the last ruler of th ...

, a ruler of Delhi, this 'Dargah' of Hazrat

Alauddin Sabir Kaliyari Makhdoom Alauddin Ali Ahmed Sabir, also known as صابر کلیری Sabir Kaliyari ("Sabir of Kaliyar"), was an Indian Sunni Muslim preacher and Sufi saint in the 13th century. He was nephew successor to Baba Fareed (1188–1280),''Sheikh Fari ...

, a 13th-century, Sufi Saint of

Chishti Order The Chishtī Order ( fa, ''chishtī'') is a tariqa, an order or school within the mystic Sufi tradition of Sunni Islam. The Chishti Order is known for its emphasis on love, tolerance, and openness. It began with Abu Ishaq Shami in Chisht, a ...

(also known as Sarkar Sabir Pak), in Kaliyar village, . from Roorkee, is visited by devotees from all over the world, during the annual '

Urs Urs (from ''‘Urs'') or ''Urus'' (literal meaning wedding), is the death anniversary of a Sufi saint, usually held at the saint's dargah (shrine or tomb). In most Sufi orders such as Naqshbandiyyah, Suhrawardiyya, Chishtiyya, Qadiriyya, etc ...

' festival, which is celebrated from 1st day of sighting the moon to 16th day of Rabi al-awwal month, in the

Islamic calendar The Hijri calendar ( ar, ٱلتَّقْوِيم ٱلْهِجْرِيّ, translit=al-taqwīm al-hijrī), also known in English as the Muslim calendar and Islamic calendar, is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 ...

Neel Dhara Pakshi Vihar

At a distance of from Haridwar Junction Railway Station, Neel Dhara Pakshi Vihar is a bird-watching point situated at the Bhimgoda Barrage of Haridwar and has rich flora and fauna. The Bhimgoda Barrage is on the Ganges River near Har-Ki-Pauri Ghat. The barrage was originally built to aid irrigation but it also generates hydro-electric power and controls floods. The area behind the barrage is known as Neel Dhara Pakshi Vihar. The place is popular among bird-loving tourists. The place is known for Siberian Cranes that can be spotted during the winter months at Laljiwala. In addition, the place is also a natural habitat of different species of migratory birds. Not only avid bird watchers, but the spot also welcomes a number of nature lovers and trekkers. Also, the spot of Neel Dhara Pakshi Vihar is visited by trekkers as it is situated close to many trekking routes in Haridwar. Visitors can also see the Shivalik Hills from the bird watching point and enjoy the sight of the snow-covered mountains which makes it to the top list of tourist attractions in Haridwar. Chilla

Other temples and ashrams

Dudhadhari Barfani Temple, part of the ashram of Dudhadhari Barfani Baba, was constructed from shining white marble and honours

Sita Sita (; ) also called as Janaki and Vaidehi is a Hindu goddess and the female protagonist of the Hindu epic, ''Ramayana''. She is the consort of Rama, the avatar of the god Vishnu, and is regarded as a form of Vishnu's consort, Lakshmi. She ...

and Hanumana.Sureshvari Devi Temple, a temple dedicated to the goddess Sureshwari, is situated in the middle of Rajaji National Park, and thus is only accessible with permission from forest rangers. Pawan Dham is a modern temple made entirely of glass pieces, which is now a tourist destination. One of the most sacred temples in Haridwar is Tirupati Balaji Mandir. The temple, which is built in the Dravidian architectural style, is located away from Har Ki Pauri. It is a major pilgrimage centre of Haridwar in Uttarakhand. The image of the temple deity represents both Vishnu and Shiva ( Vishnu is considered as the preserver whereas Shiva is considered as the destroyer in Hindu religion). Shiva statue by the Ganges, across Har-ki-Pauri, Haridwar

Shiva statue by the Ganges, across Har-ki-Pauri, Haridwar

Sapt Rishi Ashram at Sapt Sarovar, near the bank of the Ganga, is a meditation and yoga centre. The Ashram, established in 1943 by Guru Goswami Dutt, provides lodging, meals and free education for poor kids. Sapt Rishi Ashram, as its name would suggest, was the place where seven sages, namely Kashyapa, Vashisht, Atri, Vishwamitra, Jamadagi, Bharadwaja and Gautam, meditated. As per the mythological records, when all the sages were meditating, they were disturbed by the gushing sound of river Ganges. Annoyed and irritated due to sound, all seven of them were trapped in the flow of the river. Later, Ganges River splits into seven water streams so there is less noise. Those seven river streams are now known as Sapt Sarovar, and the point where the seven sages meditated is called as Saptrishi Ashram. In the Harihar Ashram, Kankhal, the Parad Shivalinga (Mercury Shivalinga) weighing about 150 kg and a

Rudraksha ''Rudraksha'' (IAST: ') refers to a stonefruit, the dried stones of which are used as prayer beads by Hindus (especially Shaivas), as well as by Buddhists and Sikhs. When they are ripe, ''rudraksha'' stones are covered by an inedible blue ou ...

tree are the main attractions for pilgrims and tourists. The Ramanand Ashram, situated in the Shravan Nath Nagar district near the railway station, is the main ashram of Ramanand Sampraday in Haridwar. The Uma Maheswar Sanyas Ashram lies on the banks of the Ganga, in Bairagi Camp; while the Anandamayi Maa Ashram is located in

Kankhal Kankhal is a small colony in Haridwar in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand state in India. Mentioned in the Vayu Purana and the Mahabharata as ''Kanakhala'',Sri Anandamoyi Ma (1896–1982), a noted saint of India.

Shantikunj Shantikunj is a religious tourist attraction in Haridwar and also the headquarters of All World Gaytri Pariwar. History Shantikunj was established in 1971 by Shriram Sharma and Bhagwati Devi Sharma on a small piece of land. It was expanded ...

is the headquarters of the spiritual and social organisation All World Gayatri Pariwar (AWGP) established by Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya. Located from Haridwar railway station, at the bank of the Ganges and under the Shivalik Himalayas, it is a place of attraction for tourists as well as seekers of spiritual guidance. Haridwar Jain temple (1)

The Shri Chintamani Parshwnath Jain Shwetambar Mandir was built in 1990 by Jain saint Shri Padam Sagar Suri. This temple is built by Jaisalmer stone in Jain architectural style. Moolnayak of this temple is a black coloured idol of Chintamani Parshwnath Bhagwan in Padmasan posture. Idols of Shri Parshv Yaksha and Mata Padmawati on both sides of the main idol. There is also an idol of Rishabhanatha made up of white marble. There is small temple of Shri Ghantakaran Mahavir Ji and charan-paduka's (foot imprints) near this temple. The temple also has a dharmshala for accommodation of around 1000 pilgrims at a time. Patanjali center

The

Patanjali Yogpeeth Patanjali Yogpeeth is a yoga institute located in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India. Founded in 2006 and named after the Rishi Patanjali, the purpose of the institute is to practice, research, and develop yoga and ayurveda. The institute is the fla ...

is situated in Haridwar-Delhi Highway. This is a yoga institution and research centre of Swami Ramdev. Every day thousands of people come here for yoga and other purposes. The Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission Sevashrama is a branch of the worldwide

Ramakrishna Movement Ramakrishna Mission (RKM) is a Hinduism, Hindu religious and spiritual organisation which forms the core of a worldwide spiritual movement known as the ''Ramakrishna Movement'' or the ''Vedanta Movement''. The mission is named after and insp ...

. The Mission centre was founded in 1901, and the Math centre was started in 1980. The Math centre conducts daily worship and bhajans, and fortnightly Ramnam Sankirtan.

Seven holy places (Sapta Puri)

"Ayodhyā Mathurā Māyā Kāśī Kāñcī Avantikā
Purī Dvārāvatī caiva saptaitā mokṣadāyikāḥ" – '' Garuḍa Purāṇa I XVI .14'' ''

Ayodhya Ayodhya (; ) is a city situated on the banks of holy river Saryu in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Ayodhya, also known as Saketa, is an ancient city of India, the birthplace of Rama and setting of the great epic Ramayana. Ayodhya wa ...

Mathura Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located approximately north of Agra, and south-east of Delhi; about from the town of Vrindavan, and from Govardhan. ...

, Haridwar,

Kasi KASI (1430 AM, "News Talk 1430") is a radio station licensed to serve Ames, Iowa. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. and licensed to iHM Licenses, LLC. It airs a News/Talk radio format. The station was assigned the KASI call letters b ...

Kanchi Kanchipuram ('; ) also known as ''Conjeevaram,'' is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu in the Tondaimandalam region, from Chennaithe capital of Tamil Nadu. Known as the ''City of Thousand Temples'', Kanchipuram is known for its templ ...

, Avantika and

Dwaraka Dvaraka, Dwaraka, Dwarka may refer to: Places India * Dvārakā, ancient city in Gujarat, the capital of the Yadus in the Mahabharata :* Dvārakā–Kamboja route, an ancient trade-route and a branch of the Silk Road * Dwarka, Gujarat, also k ...

are the seven holy places.'' Note the use of the puranic name 'Maya' for Haridwar. As also the inter-change usage of

Puri Puri () is a coastal city and a municipality in the state of Odisha in eastern India. It is the district headquarters of Puri district and is situated on the Bay of Bengal, south of the state capital of Bhubaneswar. It is also known as '' ...

and

. The ''Garuḍa Purāṇa'' enumerates seven cities as the giver of ''Moksha''. Haridwar is said to be one of the seven most holy

places (='' Kṣetra'') in India, with

Varanasi Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and Kashi.) is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world. * * * * The city has a syncretic t ...

usually considered the holiest. A Kṣetra is sacred ground, a field of active power, a place where ''

Moksha ''Moksha'' (; sa, मोक्ष, '), also called ''vimoksha'', ''vimukti'' and ''mukti'', is a term in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism for various forms of emancipation, enlightenment, liberation, and release. In its soteriologic ...

'', final release can be obtained.

Educational institutions

Unipolaris Academy

An Edtech startup in Haridwar providing live online classes through visualization techniques.

Acharyakulam

situated in Haridwar- Delhi highway it is the part of Patanjali group. This is residential institution.

Gurukul Kangri University

Situated in

Kankhal Kankhal is a small colony in Haridwar in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand state in India. Mentioned in the Vayu Purana and the Mahabharata as ''Kanakhala'',Gurukul Kangri University Gurukula Kangri ( deemed to be university) ('गुरुकुल कांगड़ी समविश्वविद्यालय') is a government-funded deemed to be university u/s 3 of the UGC act 1956 located in Haridwar, Uttarakhand ...

is one of the oldest Universities of India, it was founded in 1902 by Swami Shraddhananda (1856–1926), according to the tenets of Swami Dayananda Saraswati, the founder of Arya Samaj. It has also been visited by British Trade Union leader

Charles Freer Andrews Charles Freer Andrews (12 February 1871 – 5 April 1940) was an Anglican priest and Christian missionary, educator and social reformer, and an activist for Indian independence. He became a close friend of Rabindranath Tagore and Mahatma Gand ...

and British prime minister, Ramsay MacDonald, to study the unique

based education system. Here Ancient Vedic and Sanskrit literature, Ayurveda, Philosophy are part of the curriculum besides Modern Sciences and Journalism. Its 'Archaeological Museum', (established 1945) houses some rare statues, coins, paintings, manuscripts, and artefacts, starting from

Indus Valley civilisation The Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC), also known as the Indus Civilisation was a Bronze Age civilisation in the northwestern regions of South Asia, lasting from 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE, and in its mature form 2600 BCE to 1900& ...

culture (c. 2500–1500 BCE).

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...

visited the campus three times, and stayed in its sprawling and serene campus for extended periods of time, most notably during the 1915 Kumbh mela, Kumbh Mela 1915

The Story of My Experiments with Truth ''The Story of My Experiments with Truth'' ( gu, Satya Na Prayogo athva Atmakatha, ) is the autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi, covering his life from early childhood through to 1921. It was written in weekly installments and published in his jo ...

/Part V/Lakshman Jhula. followed by a visit in 1916, when on 20 March, he spoke at Gurukul Anniversary.

Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya

Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya was established in 2002 by the act of the Uttarakhand Government is a fully residential university. Run by Shri Vedmata Gayatri Trust,

, Haridwar (headquarters of

All World Gayatri Pariwar Shantikunj is a religious tourist attraction in Haridwar and also the headquarters of All World Gaytri Pariwar. History Shantikunj was established in 1971 by Shriram Sharma and Bhagwati Devi Sharma on a small piece of land. It was expanded ...

), it provides various degree, diploma and certificate courses in areas like Yogic Science, Alternative Therapy, Indian Culture, Tourism, Rural Management, Theology, Spiritual Counseling, etc. It also provides courses through

distance learning Distance education, also known as distance learning, is the education of students who may not always be physically present at a school, or where the learner and the teacher are separated in both time and distance. Traditionally, this usually in ...

Uttarakhand Sanskrit University

Set up by the Government of Uttarakhand, the university is dedicated to studies of ancient Sanskrit scriptures and books. It also has a curriculum covering ancient Hindu rituals, culture, and tradition, and boasts of a building inspired by ancient Hindu architecture style.

Chinmaya Degree College

Situated in Shivalik Nagar, from Haridwar city. one of the science colleges in Haridwar.

HEC PG College

It was established in the year 2002. HEC College provides Undergraduate, Postgraduate, PG diploma courses. The courses are in the field of commerce, Management, Science, Lib. Science and Arts and it is affiliated to HNB Garhwal University, Sri Nagar, Garhwal, and Sri Dev Suman Uttarakhand University, Badshahithol, Tehri Garhwal.

Sheel Institute

Situated in Shivalik Nagar, from Haridwar city. one of the Best Computer Institute in Haridwar.

Other colleges

There are two State Ayurvedic College & Hospital in Haridwar, one is Rishikul State Ayurvedic College (has PG level courses) and the other is Gurukul Ayurvedic College.

Other schools

Delhi Public School Delhi Public School (also known as DPS) is the largest public school institution in India. The classes are from KG I to Class XII (Science, Arts and Commerce). It is affiliated to CBSE. Delhi Public School may refer to: * Delhi Public School Socie ...

, Haridwar *

Kendriya Vidyalaya The Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan () is a system of central government schools in India that are instituted under the aegis of the Ministry of Education, Government of India. , it has a total of 1,248 schools in India, and three abroad in Moscow ...

, B.H.E.L. Haridwar * DAV Central Public School, Jagjeetpur

Important areas within the city

B.H.E.L., Ranipur Township The campus of

, a Maharatna

Public Sector Undertaking A state-owned enterprise (SOE) is a government entity which is established or nationalised by the ''national government'' or ''provincial government'' by an executive order or an act of legislation in order to earn profit for the government ...

(PSU) is spread across an area of . The main factory consists of two divisions: the Heavy Electricals Equipment Plant (HEEP), and the Central Foundry Forge Plant (CFFP). Together they employ over 8000 skilled employees. The campus is divided into six sectors providing excellent residential, schooling and medical facilities. Bahadrabad – It is located on the Haridwar–Delhi National Highway at a distance of from Haridwar. Close by, in village Pathri, lies the Bhimgoda Barrage built on the Upper Ganges Canal in 1955. It also has a block development office responsible for many developed villages (e.g. Khedli, Kisanpur Rohalki, Atmalpur Bongla, Sitapur, Alipur, Salempur). SIDCUL – A massive industrial area, spread over , developed by

(

SIDCUL The State Industrial Development Corporation of Uttarakhand Limited (SIDCUL) is a government of Uttarakhand enterprise which promotes industries and develops industrial infrastructure in the State. It also provides tax incentives for companies e ...

), a state government body. With the arrival of big enterprises like ITC,

Hindustan Unilever Limited Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) is a consumer goods company headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is a subsidiary of Unilever, a British company. Its products include foods, beverages, cleaning agents, personal care products, water pur ...

Dabur Dabur Ltd is an Indian multinational consumer goods company, founded by S. K. Burman and headquartered in Ghaziabad. It manufactures Ayurvedic medicine and natural consumer products, and is one of the largest fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) ...

Mahindra & Mahindra Mahindra & Mahindra Limited (M&M) is an Indian multinational automotive manufacturing corporation headquartered in Mumbai. It was established in 1945 as Mahindra & Mohammed and later renamed as Mahindra & Mahindra. Part of the Mahindra Group ...

, Havells and Kirby, SIDCUL is set to develop into another industrial township within the city. away from the Delhi-Hardwar National Highway, SIDCUL lies adjacent to the BHEL Township, an important Public Sector township. Jwalapur An old part of the city, Jwalapur is the financial and industrial capital of the city, and now an important trading and shopping centre for the locals. The town dates back to 1700 CE. This town was called Mohammed Pura and ruled by a local Muslim ruler. In the early 1600s the family of Sisodias from Mewar, descendants of Rana Pratap, fleeing from the Mughal invasion, came to settle on the outskirts of Haridwar. The families lived quietly for almost a generation to avoid detection. Local people renamed their surname to Mehta. It is firmly believed that in early 1700 the Mehtas dislodged the Muslim ruler and renamed the town as Jwalapur. This family subsequently settled in Jwalapur itself and intermarried with the local population. Cheela Dam A good picnic spot with a dam and a man-made lake nearby. Elephants and other wild animals may be spotted. Shivalik Nagar One of the newest and biggest residential areas of Haridwar. It is divided into various clusters. It was originally developed as a residential colony for BHEL employees, but with the advent of SIDCUL, population and financial activity has grown rapidly in the area due to its proximity.

Transport

Haridwar is headquarters of Haridwar district and it has good connectivity with the other towns of the district and the

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

Road

National Highway 58, between

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders ...

and

Mana Pass , photo = Mana Village, Badrinath, Uttarakhand, India.jpeg , photo_caption = Mana Village, Badrinath, Uttarakhand, pak , elevation_m = 5632 , elevation_ref = (SRTM2) , traversed = India National Highway NH58 , location = Uttarakhand, India � ...

passes through Haridwar connecting it with

Ghaziabad Ghaziabad () is a city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and a part of Delhi NCR. It is the administrative headquarters of Ghaziabad district and is the largest city in western Uttar Pradesh, with a population of 1,729,000. Ghaziabad Mun ...

Meerut Meerut (, IAST: ''Meraṭh'') is a city in Meerut district of the western part of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The city lies northeast of the national capital New Delhi, within the National Capital Region and west of the state capital ...

, Muzzafarnagar, Roorkee and

and National Highway 74 originating from Haridwar connects it with Kashipur,

Kichha Kichha is oldest tehseel of Udham Singh Nagar district. It is older than Rudrapur city. It has its own municipal board, located in Udham Singh Nagar district, Uttarakhand, India. Geography Kichha is located at . The town has an average elevatio ...

Nagina Nagina is a town and a municipal board in Bijnor district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. History Nagina is the word for ''"Jewel"'' (See Negin), it was named by Syed's who received this place as jagir by the Mughals. During the British ...

Pilibhit Pilibhit is a city and a municipal board of Pilibhit district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Pilibhit is the north-easternmost district of Bareilly division, situated in the Rohilkhand region of the sub-Himalayan Plateau belt next to f ...

and

Bareilly Bareilly () is a city in Bareilly district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is among the largest metropolises in Western Uttar Pradesh and is the centre of the Bareilly division as well as the historical region of Rohilkhand. The c ...

. Haridwar is well connected to all major cities by bus. Buses from Delhi to Haridwar are available daily, more than 150 buses are available.

Rail

The

Haridwar Railway Station Haridwar railway station (Station code: HW), is one of the major railway stations in Haridwar district, Uttarakhand, India. It falls under the Moradabad division of the Northern Railway zone of the Indian Railways. Haridwar was first connected ...

located in Haridwar is under the control of the Northern Railway zone of the

Indian Railways Indian Railways (IR) is a statutory body under the ownership of Ministry of Railways, Government of India that operates India's national railway system. It manages the fourth largest national railway system in the world by size, with a tota ...

. It has direct links the major cities of

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

such as

Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...

Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...

Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

Gorakhpur Gorakhpur is a city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, along the banks of the Rapti river in the Purvanchal region. It is situated 272 kilometers east of the state capital Lucknow. It is the administrative headquarters of Gorakhpur dis ...

Muzaffarpur Muzaffarpur () is a city located in Muzaffarpur district in the Tirhut region of the Indian state of Bihar. It serves as the headquarters of the Tirhut division, the Muzaffarpur district and the Muzaffarpur Railway District. It is the fourth ...

, Madgaon,

Jaipur Jaipur (; Hindi: ''Jayapura''), formerly Jeypore, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. , the city had a population of 3.1 million, making it the tenth most populous city in the country. Jaipur is also known ...

Jodhpur Jodhpur (; ) is the second-largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan and officially the second metropolitan city of the state. It was formerly the seat of the princely state of Jodhpur State. Jodhpur was historically the capital of the ...

, Ahmedabad,

Patna Patna ( ), historically known as Pataliputra, is the capital and largest city of the state of Bihar in India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Patna had a population of 2.35 million, making it the 19th largest city in India. ...

, Gaya,

, Allahabad,

Lucknow Lucknow (, ) is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is also the second largest urban agglomeration in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and division ...

, and major cities of Central India namely

Bhopal Bhopal (; ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of both Bhopal district and Bhopal division. It is known as the ''City of Lakes'' due to its various natural and artificial lakes. It i ...

Indore Indore () is the largest and most populous city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It serves as the headquarters of both Indore District and Indore Division. It is also considered as an education hub of the state and is the only city to ...

Khandwa Khandwa is a city and a nagar nigam in the Nimar region of Madhya Pradesh, India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Khandwa district, formerly known as East Nimar District. Khandwa is a major railway junction; the Malwa line conn ...

Itarsi Itarsi is a city and municipality in Madhya Pradesh, India in Narmadapuram District. Itarsi is a key hub for agricultural goods and is the biggest railway junction in Madhya Pradesh. Rail services from all 4 major metropolitan cities of India ...

Air

The nearest domestic airport is Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun which is located from Haridwar.

Indira Gandhi International Airport Indira Gandhi International Airport is the primary international airport serving Delhi, the capital of India, and the National Capital Region (NCR). The airport, spread over an area of , is situated in Palam, Delhi, southwest of the New ...

New Delhi New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament Ho ...

is the nearest International Airport which is located from Haridwar.

Industry

Haridwar is rapidly developing as an important industrial township of Uttarakhand since the state government agency, SIIDCUL established in 2002, set up the Integrated Industrial Estate in a district attracting many important industrial houses which are setting up manufacturing facilities in the area. According to list of allottee provided by SIIDCUL, the industrial estate is home to over 650 companies currently.https://www.siidcul.com/upload/industrialEstate/LOA_IIEHaridwar1442649742.pdf Haridwar has a thriving industrial area situated at the bypass road, comprising mainly ancillary units to PSU,

, which was established here in 1964 and currently employs over 8000 people.

Notable people

* Pilot Baba *

Hans Ji Maharaj Hans Rām Singh Rawat, called Shrī Hans Jī Mahārāj and by various other honorifics (8 November 1900 – 19 July 1966), was an Indian religious leader. He was born in Gadh-ki-Sedhia, north-east of Haridwar in present-day Uttarakhand, India. ...

* Vijay Singh Gujjar *

Satpal Maharaj Satpal Maharaj (born 21 September 1951) is a spiritual master and an Indian politician, serving as the current PWD, tourism, cultural and irrigation minister in the cabinet of Government of Uttarakhand. He was born to Shri Hans Ji Maharaj and ...

Prem Rawat Prem Pal Singh Rawat (born 10 December 1957), formerly known as Maharaji, is an international speaker and book-author. His teachings include a meditation practice he calls "Knowledge", and peace education based on the discovery of personal re ...

Urvashi Rautela Urvashi Rautela (born 25 February 1994) is an Indian film actress and model who predominantly appears in Hindi films. She was crowned Reina Hispanoamericana India 2022 and represented India at the Reina Hispanoamericana 2022 pageant. Raute ...

* Charles Orman * Ernest Burdett *

Rishabh Pant Rishabh Rajendra Pant (born 4 October 1997) is an Indian international cricketer who plays for the Indian cricket team as a wicket-keeper batter. Having played all formats for India, he is best known for his consistency to score runs in Test ...

Narender Pal Singh Narender Pal Singh (born 10 September 1973), also known as N. P. Singh, is an Indian former first-class cricketer who represented Hyderabad for 14 seasons. He later worked as a selector for Hyderabad Cricket Association. Life and career Born in ...

* Beatrice Harrison *

Louisa Durrell Louisa Florence Durrell (née Dixie; 16 January 1886 – 24 January 1964), was an Anglo-Irish woman born in India during the British Raj. She was the mother of Lawrence and Gerald Durrell. She was featured in Gerald Durrell's autobiographic ...

John Duncan Grant Colonel John Duncan Grant (28 December 1877 – 20 February 1967) was a British Indian Army officer who was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth for ...

Usha Verma Usha Verma is an Indian politician. She was elected to the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament of India from Hardoi (Lok Sabha constituency), Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh in 1998, 2004 and 2009 as a member of the Samajwadi Party as a SC candid ...

* Vijay Bose * Naresh Bedi *

Raza Ali Abidi Raza Ali Abidi ( ur, رضا علی عابدی; born 30 November 1935) is a Pakistani journalist and broadcaster who is best known for his radio documentaries on the Grand Trunk Road in Pakistan (called Sher Shah Suri Marg in India) and his trav ...

* Krishna Chandra Sharma *

Unwan Chishti Unwan Chishti (5 February 1937 – 1 February 2004) was an Urdu poet who gained repute as a poet, as a scholar, as a teacher and as a literary critic. He was the disciple of Abr Ahasani Gunnauri. Life Chishti was born Iftikharul Hasan ...

Shriya Saran Shriya Saran Bhatnagar (; born 11 September 1982) is an Indian actress who works predominantly in Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi-language films. Although Saran aspired to become a well-known dancer, she became an actress with her film debut in 2001 ...

* Kunwar Pranav Singh *

Ram Dayal Singh Ram Dayal Singh was the Gurjar, Gujar Chieftain of Landhaura. He was the son of Chaudhari Nahar Singh. In 1790, Sikhs under Rae Singh Jagdhari and Sher Singh Buriya wrested Manglaur, Jaurasi and Jwalapur from Gujars of Landhaura and Landha ...

References

External links

*
Official website of Haridwar district.
{{Uttarakhand Hindu holy cities Hindu pilgrimage sites in India Cities and towns in Haridwar district Tourism in Uttarakhand Shaivism Vaishnavism Cities in Uttarakhand