Top Things You Need to Explore in the Holy City Haridwar Uttarakhand

Top Things You Need to Explore in the Holy City Haridwar Uttarakhand

The moment I started to think of the visiting holy place of India then the very first city that stroked my mind was Haridwar Uttarakhand. Certainly, you will also get agree with me right? India is the hub of the holy place with different kinds of culture installed in the respective state. Haridwar is one of those exquisite unexpected holy places where many tourists flocks to worship. Propitiously located at the site where the Ganges emerges from the Himalayas and the city called Haridwar situated at the edge of Ganga River in the state of Uttarakhand, India. Many pilgrims arrive here in droves to bathe on the fast-flowing Ganges. Many pilgrims arrive here from foreign countries and they all gather at ‘Har Ki Pauri’ Ghat and give Haridwar a chaotic feel.

How to reach this Holy Place Haridwar Uttarakhand?

Haridwar can be reached in multiple ways as per your budget. Being one of the most visited cities of Uttarakhand State there are multiple ways to reach the Haridwar Uttarakhand.

By Air

Jolly Grant Airport at Dehradun is the nearest airport to reach your destination. Haridwar is further 40 km from the airport. You can hire a self-drive vehicle or can also opt for local transportation.

By Train

Haridwar Junction is the nearest railhead to reach the holy place. The main Haridwar is further 2 km from the station. You can also reach here from Dehradun and Rishikesh railway station. Haridwar is further 30 to 50 km from Rishikesh and Dehradun station. Once you reach the Haridwar junction then take a shared auto to reach the ‘Har Ki Pauri’. They will charge 10 to 20 INR per person.

By Road

Haridwar city is well connected by road from the nearby cities like Dehradun, Rishikesh, Haryana, Delhi, and UP. Several private buses connect to Haridwar from this place. One can board the bus from this place as per the suitable timing. Enough parking space is available if one travels with own vehicle.

My Experience of Visiting Haridwar 

The journey started from Mumbai with the preplanning of exploring Haridwar city and moving further to Kedarnath and Badrinath Dham. I along with my wife managed to reach Haridwar city by train. The journey was Mumbai- Delhi-Haridwar-Kedarnath-Badrinath. I knew the traveling was going to be very hectic but the things that we had planned to explore were far better than what we suffered in the traveling. It is said that sometimes the journey is better than the destination, right? The most interesting part of our journey was traveling in Rajdhani express from Mumbai to Delhi. There were old age couple in our compartment who accompanied us throughout the train journey and that couple was so kind and talkative. Traveling is all about meeting new people and exploring new places, it is true. They both gave us some knowledge about the Ayurveda and the things they are following to keep themselves fit. The uncle at the age of 75 was as fit as he follows the daily Yoga activity. As he was belonging from Haridwar, he gave some basic information about Haridwar and helped us to explore the Haridwar points. Whenever you travel anywhere then it is always good to interact with new people to know new things.  We reached the Haridwar railway station at 4 pm and headed to the hotel to get fresh up. We decided to move towards ‘Har Ki Pauri’ Ghat at Haridwar. The distance from our hotel was not more than 1 km, we had a very short time in hand and also aarti was about to start so we decided to take cycle auto to reach 'Har Ki Pauri'.

One of the memorable journey of Mumbai-Delhi via Rajdhani express

'Har Ki Pauri' Ghat can be seen via main road

It is always good to give sometimes a short break to the places like Mountains, Beaches, and Jungle hiking and explore the holy place with a chaotic and reverent feel. Haridwar was amongst the one. Many pilgrims visit this place in large quantities to take holy baths in the Ganges. ‘Har Ki Pauri’ (The Footstep of the God) is where lord Vishnu left the footstep behind. Every evening hundreds of worshippers gather for the Ganga Aarti (River Worship Ceremony). As the sun sets, bells ring out a rhythm, torches are lit, and leaf baskets with the flower petals inside and a candle on top of it are lit and placed on the river to drift away downstream. Sounds interesting right? Many devote take deep bathe in the river of Haridwar.

Leaf basket flower with candle on top of it are placed in the river

Many small stalls available that sells this leaf basket

Haridwar Uttarakhand is one of the important pilgrimage sites in the Uttarakhand state. I had never been to a place full of devotees and temples. My visit to Haridwar holy place took me close to my dream. Once you enter this holy city, you will get a glimpse of the joyful climate. Being situated on the edge of river Ganga, ‘Har Ki Pauri’ Ghat at Haridwar shines in the evening time. This Ghat is also called an exit point of river Ganga. It is one of those places where Kumbh Mela takes place. I was lucky enough because we all reached here just 5 minutes before the Aarti starts. When you visit the Haridwar then don’t ever miss the Aarti (River Worship Ceremony), this is the peculiarity of the Haridwar. We sat at the edge of the river to witness the soothing sound of a bell along with a rotating heavy fire lamp. There are so many small temples dedicated to the Ganges.

Temple dedicated to lord Ganges on the edge of Ganga River

The color of dusk reflecting on the water looks so beautiful. The Aarti takes place from around 5:30 to 6 pm in the evening so I would suggest you to not to miss this time to feel the actual flavour of the Haridwar. We took a long photogenic break to click some amazing pictures around the river Ganges. You can also visit to Mansa Devi temple in Haridwar if you have good time in your hand. After attending the Aarti we moved to the restaurant next to the temple and had our favorite Aloo Paratha. You must carry your woolen clothes if you are planning to visit here in the wintertime.

Ideal Time to Visit this Holy City

This town experiences a moderate temperature throughout the year; the best time to visit Haridwar is between November to March as the weather is cool and pleasant when you are out exploring the place. This is the time when temperature ranges between 5 degrees to 20 degrees. You may find tourists visiting here between April to October but, most of the people prefer to visit in the winter season to witness the climates goose pump. Sometimes the temperature here falls to zero degrees.

Budgeted Stay in Haridwar City

‘Har Ki Pauri’ is not more than 2 km from Haridwar railway station so; one does not have to worry about the stay near the railway station or bus stop. There are so many options near the station for a stay. We had our budget stay in Dharmashala near the station. Dharmashala offers clean accommodation for all budgets, including the low-income group. Few of the Dharmashala look beautiful with a good ambiance around. No doubt, other hotels are available ranging from economic to deluxe rooms. If anyone running out of budget and looking for some cheap accommodation then Dharmashala is the best option. Some of the Dharmashala does not provide the guizer facility so it is better to take detailed information before you check-in.

Shyam Niwas Dharmashala near Haridwar railway station

Food in Haridwar Uttarakhand

If you are on your budget trip then how can you miss the street food. Sometimes this street food can give you the feel of a 3-star restaurant, agree right? Haridwar is one of those places which are famous for street food. The flavor of hot Parathas in a cold climate is something you cannot miss here. There are so many restaurants near ‘Har Ki Pauri’ that serves simple food but, sometimes this simple food can beat the five-star foods. There are so many good restaurants on the road from Haridwar railway station to ‘Har Ki Pauri’. Being a holy place there is no non-veg food available in the surrounding area.

Shopping at Haridwar

Haridwar is a famous spot for shopping. There are varieties of clothing options available for the shop; you may get starting from traditional wear to western cloths in the Haridwar market. There are so many shops selling woolen clothes at a cheap rate. Many tourists visit Haridwar and then move to Char Dham like Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri as the journey to these places starts from the Haridwar city. People normally do the shopping of woolen clothing and travel further to these snow places. You must know to bargain while shopping in Haridwar Uttarakhnd.