Haridwar: The Gateway to the Lord

by Namaste India Trip Tour & Travel Agent

Haridwar is located at the foothills of the Himalayas and is among the Hindu sacred places in India. Since centuries, Haridwar, literally Gateway to God, is a centre for Hindu mysticism and religion. Haridwar also means Dwar of Hari and the place attracts huge number of Hindu pilgrims from around the world. According to the devout, Haridwar is among the four Indian places upon which AMRIT, the nector of immortality fell. The GHATS in Haridwar have large number of visitors where almost all the devotees have sacramental bath in river Ganga. Keeping in mind the safety aspect of the devotees, steps or Bathing Ghats have been built so that the devotees can have safe bathe. The five holy bathing spots here are BilwaTheertha, Kankhal, Kusavarta, Gangadwara and NilaParvata.

Haridwar is the gateway to Himalayan pilgrimage shrines of Kedarnath and Badrinath. KumbhaMela is celebrated in Haridwar, once in every 12 years. The Ardh Mela is held in every six years which also draw large number of visitors. The other festivals held in Haridwar are Kanwar Mela, Kartik Purnima, Baisakhi and Somwati Amavasya. Haridwar is crowded with visitors throughout the year, so booking a room well in advance would be a good option to avoid last minute hassles. Alpana hotel, Park View hotel, Sagar Ganga Resort, Classic Residency is some of the good hotels in Haridwar. The visitors can select the hotel as per their preferences to enjoy the maximum comforts of the hospitality and facilities extended by the staff of Haridwar hotels.

Rishikesh is located in Indian state of Uttarakhand at the foothills of Himalaya. It is around twenty five kms away from another sacred place, Haridwar and is commonly known as the gateway to Himalayas. The name means "Hair of the sage" and is the divine land for Hindus. According to the legend, after killing Ravana, Lord Rama did penance in Rishikesh. The holy river Ganga flows through this place after leaving Shivalik mountains Himalayas. Thousands of tourist and pilgrims from India as well as abroad visit this alluring place. Rishikesh is also renowned for its yoga centres which attracts large number of tourist and is nicknamed as "the world-capital of Yoga". The place is home to Kailas Ashram Brahma vidya peetham, which promotes and preserves the traditional Vedantic Studies. Swami Shivananda, Swami Ramatirtha and Swami Vivekananda are some prominent personalities to study in this institution.

Rishikesh is also famous for White Water Rafting. Tourists from all over the world come to enjoy the thrill of White Water Rafting

Traveling to Rishikesh is also very convenient. The visitors can go there by air, rails or by road. The nearest airport is in Dehradun, the Jolly Grant Airport which is 15 kilometers from the place. Railway line connects Rishikesh to Haridwar but there are only few trains. Reaching Rishikesh by train is most feasible. From Delhi the place is 230 kilometers which will take around five to seven hours. You may also take a train to Haridwar and from there continue by bus to Rishikesh which will take approx 45 minutes. The major tourist interest place in Rishikesh includes Gita Bhavan, ParmarthNiketan, Trayambakeshwar Temple, Neelkanth Mahadev Mela, Swaga Ashram and Triveni Ghat. Rishikesh houses wide range of alluring hotels and resorts with an extra touch of comfort, style and service.