Haridwar is 200 km North of Delhi. One can drive down to this holy town in about 5 hours. Cross the Yamuna either from ITO or Nizamuddin, and enter UP through Ghaziabad. The traffic is heavy till we cross Modi nagar, about 30 Km out of Ghaziabad. There after two bye pass roads allow us to skip the crowded cities of Meerut and Muzaffarnagar. The National Highway construction activity enroute seems very promising, as the road is excellent in certain stretches (almost as good as Delhi Agra route)
Haridwar is small town, and most of the habitat is sandwiched between the river ganges and Himalayan foothills. An artificial stream has been created for providing ample bathing ghats on this river, which is visited by millions of devotees every six and twelve years on the occasion of Ardh Kumbh and Maha Kumbh.
The most prominent bathing ghat is Har Ki Paudi, with a landmark clock tower in the center. This is the location which hosts the famed Ganga Aarti every evening. Once on the ghats, the connection to divinity is quick and the religious fervor is overpowering. Water is extremely cold even in the blistering heat of June, that is until one takes the first dip. One can not ignore the very visible signs of growth and development of the local vendor community. Commercial wisdom is quick to draw. So while you are contemplating on finding a safe and dry location for your belongings when an adept sales person presents you with a range of plastic sheets you can buy. Once you take a dip and emerge gasping, only to find a very caring and concerned agent of God, with a glass of milk to offer to the Gods. He will be patient and persist in case you decide to take more dips.
There are may temples around Haridwar, but two most prominent are Chandi Devi and Mansha Devi. Both the temples in true tradition of devis are on top of high hills. But there are ropeways up to both, and one can get a combo ticket for both temples at either location. Mansha Devi is about one km from Har Ki Paudi, and the rope way point can be reached by walking from the ghats.
Chandi Devi is about 4 km out of town, and one would need transportation. It is advisable not to fall for the combo offer, as the waiting time for transport from one temple to the other can be a real drain.
Up at the Chandi Devi temple there is another temple dedicated to Anjana Devi, mother of lord Hanuman. This is the location where the mother of the lord is supposed to have spent her time in meditation.
If you have the time and inclination, you can also plan a small trip out to Narendra Nagar to Kuja Devi temple. This is a Siddh Peeth where the chest of Gauri was suppose to have fallen after her body was severed by Lord Vishnu to bring lord Shiva out of the trance of Tandav. There are 308 steps to be climbed after the drive. The place is definitely charming and has some power about it. This is about 40 Km out of Haridwar, on the Badri Nath Route and one can see snow clad peaks on a clear day. The drive is a sample of the hilly roads that lie ahead, if you wish to proceed to Badri Nath. All that later...
No comments:
Post a Comment