Haridwar

A paradise for nature lovers, Haridwar presents a kaleidoscope of Indian culture and civilization. In mythology it has been variously mentioned as Kapilsthan, Gangadwar and Mayapuri. It is also a entry point to the Char Dham (the four main centers of pilgrimage in Uttarakhand viz, Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri), hence, Shaivaites (followers of Lord Shiva) and Vaishnavites (followers of Lord Vishnu) call this place Hardwar and Haridwar respectively, corresponding to Har being Shiv and Hari being Vishnu. Sage Kapila is said to have an ashram here giving it, its ancient name, Kapila or Kapilastan.

The legendary King, Bhagirath, the great-grandson of the Suryavanshi King Sagar (an ancestor of Rama), is said to have brought the river Ganga down from heaven, through years of penance in Satya Yuga, 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 brings the ashes of their departed family members, in hope of their salvation. Lord 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 Ganga touches it at all times.

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, to the more recent British advent. Haridwar has a rich and ancient religious and cultural heritage. It still has many old havelis and mansions bearing exquisite murals and intricate stonework.

One of the two major dams on the river Ganga, the ‘Bhimgoda Dam’, is situated here. Built in 1840s, to divert the waters of Ganga, to the ‘Upper Ganges Canal’ which irrigated the surrounding lands. Though this caused severe deterioration to the Ganga water flow, and is a major cause for the decay of Ganga as an inland waterway, which till 18th century was used heavily by the ships of the East India Company, and a town as high up as Tehri, was considered a port city. The headworks of the Ganga Canal system are located in Haridwar. The Upper Ganga Canal was opened in 1854 after the work began in April 1842, prompted by the famine of 1837-38. The unique feature of the canal is the half-kilometre-long aqueduct over Solani river at Roorkee, which raises the canal 25 metres above the original river.

'Haridwar Union Municipality' was constituted in 1868, which included the then villages of Mayapur and Kankhal. Haridwar was first connected with railways, via Laksar, through branch line in 1886, when the Awadh and Rohilakhand Railway line was extended through Roorkee to Saharanpur, 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, in Saharanpur district of the United Province, and remained so till the creation of Uttar Pradesh 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 (school of traditional education).

Milestone en route HaridwarHaridwar already has a temple of modern civilization, BHEL, a 'Navratna PSU' to its credit. The University of Roorkee, now IIT Roorkee, is one of the oldest and most prestigious institutes of learning in the fields of science and engineering. Another university of the district, Gurukul Kangri, which has a vast campus, gives traditional education of its own kind. Haridwar is one of the first towns where Ganga 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 Ganga 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, Rawii Rao,Harnaui Rao, Begam Nadi etc. A large part of the district is forested, and Rajaji National Park 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 25 km of Dehradun, while the Motichur, Ranipur and Chilla Gates are just about 9 km from Haridwar. Kunao Gate is 6 km from Rishikesh, and Laldhang gate is 25 km from Kotdwara.

Haridwar district, covering an area of about 2360 km, is in the southwestern part of Uttarakhand state of India. Its latitude and longitude are 29.96 degree north and 78.16 degree east respectively.

Haridwar is situated at height of 249.7 metres from the sea level [41], between Shivalik Hills in the North and Northeast and Ganga River in the South.

Places of Interest:
HAR-KI-PAURI
CHANDI DEVI TEMPLE
MANSA DEVI TEMPLE
MAYA DEVI TEMPLE
DAKSHA MAHADEV TEMPLE
NEEL DHARA PAKSHI VIHAR
SATI KUND
SAPT RISHI ASHRAM & SAPT SAROVAR
SURESHVARI DEVI TEMPLE
BHARAT MATA MANDIR
PIRAN KALIYAR

Educational institutions:
Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee
Gurukul Kangri University
Chinmaya Degree College
Vishwa Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya
Delhi Public School, Ranipur
Kendriya Vidyalaya, B.H.E.L.