Haridwar Travel Guide | Best Places to Visit in Haridwar

Haridwar has very rich and old religious and cultural heritage. Sited in the foothills of the Himalayas, Haridwar is a tourist hot-spot. In Haridwar you will see a great statue of Shiva at the fork of the river. If you are there for a short visit, it is beyond doubt worth to visit the temple on top of the mountain, with a breathtaking view. The clear blue sky, the glimmering mountains on the horizon and the murmur of River Ganga, is too irresistible an attraction. Haridwar Sightseeing Tour including those only those place of Haridwar city, which are famous by vacationer or tourists. Haridwar has some very interesting places which you must visit.

Haridwar is an ancient city and important Hindu pilgrimage site in North India’s Uttarakhand state, where the River Ganges exits the Himalayan foothills. The largest of several sacred ghats (bathing steps), Har Ki Pauri hosts a nightly Ganga Aarti (river-worshipping ceremony) in which tiny flickering lamps are floated off the steps. Worshipers fill the city during major festivals including the annual Kanwar Mela.

In Hindu traditions, the ‘Panch Tirth‘ (Five Pilgrimages) within Haridwar, are “Gangadwar” (Har ki Pauri), Kushawart (Ghat in Kankhal), Bilwa Tirtha (Mansa Devi Temple) and Neel Parvat (Chandi Devi Temple). There are several other temples and ashrams located in and around the city. Also, alcohol and non-vegetarian food is not permitted in Haridwar.

Check out here the best places to visit in Haridwar:-

Har Ki Pauri:-

Har Ki Pauri is a famous ghat on the banks of the Ganges in Haridwar in Uttarakhand state in India. This revered place is the major landmark of the holy city of Haridwar. Literally, “Har” means “Lord Shiva” who is the god according to shaivite school of Hindu theology, “ki” means “of” and “pauri” means “steps”. Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu are believed to have visited the Brahmakund in Har ki Paudi in the Vedic (ancient period) times. There is a large footprint said to belong to Lord Vishnu on a stone wall.

Har Ki Pauri is believed to be the exit point of the Ganges from the mountains and entry into the plains. An area within Hari ki Pauri, where the evening Ganga Aarti takes places and which is considered most sacred is known as Brahm Kund, The spot where the nectar (Amrita) fell is today considered to be Brahma Kund at Har-Ki-Pauri(literally means footsteps of the Lord) which is the most sacred ghat in the Haridwar.

Thousands of devotees and pilgrims flock here from all over the world to take a holy dip; it is believed that a dip here will wash away their sins or Karma and provide Moksha. The ghat is on the west bank of Ganges canal through which the Ganges is diverted just to the north. Har ki pauri is also the area where thousands of pilgrims converge and the festivities commence during the Kumbha Mela, which takes place every twelve years, and the Ardh Kumbh Mela, which takes place every six years and the Punjabi festival of Vaisakhi, a harvest festival occurring every year in the month of April.

Mansa Devi Temple:-

Mansa Devi Temple is located at a distance of 2.5 km from the main township of Haridwar. Located atop the Bilwa Parvat on Shivalik Hills, Mansa Devi is one of the most visited temples in North India. The temple is known for being the home of Goddess Mansa, who was the wife of Nag Vasuki and also the brainchild of Saint Kashyap.

This temple has two idols of the presiding deity, one with three mouths and five arms and the other with eight arms. One of the major Siddh peethas in India, this temple is the apex of Siddh peetha triangle, which is formed by the trio of Mansa Devi, Maya Devi and Chandi Devi.

One of the famous rituals performed by the devotees visiting the temple is to tie holy threads to the sacred tree, which is believed to fulfil wishes of devotees. Once the wishes are fulfilled, devotees need to untie the holy thread.

Apart from being a holy shrine, the temple is also a famous tourist destination. This is because of the cable cars, which are popularly known as ‘Devi Udankhatola’. The cable car carries tourists from the lower station up to the temple. The ropeway, which is used by the cable cars, is located at a height of 178 m from the ground.

Chandi Devi Temple:-

Chandi Devi Temple, located on the top of Neel Parvat, is one of the most famous temples of India. This place is of great religious importance and is also considered as one of the Shakti peethas of North India. This temple is also known as Siddh peetha, as it is believed to have powers to fulfil the wishes of devotees.

According to legend, it is believed that Goddess Chandika Devi rested for a short while on Neel Parvat. This happened after she killed demon kings, Shumbh and Nishumbha. This temple was constructed to welcome her back.

Chandi Devi Temple was constructed in 1929 by Suchat Singh, who was the reigning king of Kashmir. However, it was believed that the idol present in the temple was installed in 8th century, by Adi Shankaracharya.

Tourists travelling to this temple can hire an auto-rickshaw, cycle rickshaw, tongas or taxis, from any part of Haridwar. In addition, travellers can also opt for trekking-route, which is around 3 km from Chandighat. Another mode of transportation available for reaching the temple is through the cable car. It takes duration of around 20 to 25 minutes so as to reach the holy shrine.

Bharat Mata Mandir:-

Cited in Sapt Sarovar near ashram of Haridwar, Bharat Mata Temple is a holy place of its own kind. Bharat Mata Mandir was founded by Swami Satyamitranand Giri. On 15th May 1983, the temple was instated by Late Prime Minister, Smt. Indira Gandhi. The temple is also unique in the sense that it is built in 8 stories, each of which represents a specific theme and is devoted to various legends and deities of India. The eight-storey temple rises up to a height of 180 ft.

Vaishno Devi Temple:-

Vaishno Devi Temple, not known by many, is a replica of the temple, which is located in Jammu. This temple has been recently constructed and hence, does not fall into the league of ancient temples.

Similar to Vaishno Devi Temple located in Jammu, the path which leads to worship the Goddess is full of tunnels and caves. In addition, it is believed that the deity blesses only those worshippers who truly intend to seek the blessings of goddess.

Maya Devi Temple:-

Maya Devi Temple, located in Haridwar, dates back to 11th century. Counted as one of the Shakti peethas present in India, this temple is enshrined with the deity of Adhisthatri. This temple resembles the form of Shakti and large influx of devotees visit here to worship this divine power.

According to the legend, it is believed that Sati, the divine consort of Lord Shiva, sacrificed her life because of her father’s insulting behaviour towards her husband. When Lord Shiva came to know that his consort sacrificed her life to keep his honour, he got furious and carried the body of his wife in the entire universe.

While Lord Shiva was taking a tour of the entire world, different parts of Sati fell in various corners. According to the religious beliefs, it is said that the naval and heart of Sati fell in the same place where the Maya Devi temple stands today.

Rajaji National Park:-

Chilla Wildlife Sanctuary, part of Rajaji National Park, covers an area of approximately 240 sq. km. which attracts wildlife lovers with its perfect scenic beauty and rich biodiversity. It has 23 species of mammals and 315 fauna species. One may watch a herd of elephants roaming majestically in the jungle or may find oneself excited by a wildlife of many kinds including tigers, barking dear, wild boar, langur, ghural, sloth bear, leopard, jungle cat, Himalayan yellow throated marten, samber, cheetal, king cobra, woodpecker, etc.

Daksh Mahadev Temple:-

Daksha Mahadev Temple, situated in Kankhal, is located at a distance of 4 km from the township of Haridwar. One of the ancient temples of Lord Shiva, this temple is visited by large number of devotees every year. According to the mythologies, this temple is associated to Daksha Yagya. Popularly known as Shri Daksheshwar Temple, this temple was initially constructed in 1810 AD by Queen Dhankaur. However, the temple was again constructed in 1962.

According to the legends, it is said that Daksha Prajapati, who was the father of Goddess Sati, performed a holy ritual, known as yagna at this place. However, he did not invite Lord Shiva, who was his son-in-law, for this yagna. Feeling insulted by her father’s behaviour, Sati sacrificed her life in the fire of the yagna.

The Daksha Mahadev Temple is believed to be constructed on the same site where Sati sacrificed her life. The temple also has a pit located within it, which marks the exact location where Sati sacrificed her life.

At the centre of Shri Daksheshwar Temple, devotees can see the holy Shiv idol installed in phallic form. This temple throngs with tourists in the month of August, which is also known as the holy month of Sawan. This month is also known as the month of Lord Shiva, according to the Hindu calendar.

Pawan Dham:-

Pawan Dham, located at a distance of around 2 km from the main town of Haridwar, is one of the ancient temples of the destination. Situated at a distance of 3 km from Har ki Pauri, the temple is known for its ornamental idols. In addition, the glass work, which is designed on the temple walls, makes it one of the most famous tourist spots.

Gayatrikunj Shantikunj Haridwar:-

Shantikunj is the headquarters of the spiritual and social organization All World Gayatri Pariwar. Recognized in 1971 at Haridwar, it has emerged over the years as a center of the global movement of Yug Nirman Yojana for moral-spiritual regeneration in the light of hoary Indian heritage. Sited at the bank of holy Ganges and between the Shivalik ranges of the Himalayas, it’s also a place of attraction for tourists and seekers of spiritual guidance.

Sapt Sarovar Ashram:-

Soham Swami was a big spiritual leader and yogi of India. He was in this world previous to the 1st part of the 20th century. His actually name Shyamakanta Bandopaddhyaya. He was Advaita Vedantic follower of Tibbetibaba. Tibbetibaba was a big yogi and maharishi of India. Soham Swami built an ashram named as Soham Ashram in both in Nainital and Haridwar. He was born at Autsahi in Dhaka.

Sati kund:-

The Sati Kund is located at Kankhal in Haridwar. It is the Yagna Kund or sacrificial fire in which Sati, the daughter of Daksh had self-immolated herself due to her annoyance with her father’s non-acceptance of her husband.

A visit to Haridwar necessitates a visit to the Sati Kund area to understand the intensity of relations the Hindu pantheon has within itself as well as the all-powerful trinity of Bramha, Vishnu and Mahesh. The Sati Kund is located on the banks of the Ganga at Kankhal which finds mention in the great Indian epic, Mahabharata.

Other places are Maa Anandmayee Ashram, Hari Har Ashram, Bhuma Niketan, Ram Mandir, Bilkeshwar Mandir, Laal Mata Mandir, Adhbhut Temple, Satyanarayan Temple, Jain Mandir, Gurukul Kangri University, Nileshwar Mahadev Temple, Patanaji Yogpeeth and more.

You can book a trip from Gokeys Haridwar for Haridwar Sightseeing and get the best deals for Car Rental, Tour Package and Sightseeing with us.

Just submit your query with us and rest we will do.