According to Hindus, Haridwar in Uttaranchal is one of the holiest
places in the country where it is believed that the
Devas have
left their footprints on Earth. Literally meaning
Gateway to God,
Haridwar represents the gateway to the Himalayan pilgrimage shrines of
Badrinath and
Kedarnath and it is the the point where
the Ganga reaches the plains. The main ghat at Haridwar is known as
Hari-ki-Pauri which is renowned for a footprint of Vishnu on a stone in
a wall. There are five sacred bathing spots in Haridwar known as
Gangadwara,
Kankhal, Nila Parvata, Bilwa Theertha and
Kusavarta. The
Ganga aarti which takes place every evening is a spectacular
sight. The
aarti ceremony is performed at all temples in
Haridwar at the same time. There is the
Gangadwara temple nearby
which is considered to be the most important of the several temples that
are within this town. Haridwar is also known by other names as
Gangadwar, Mokshadwar, Tapovan and Mayapuri while its ancient name was
Kapilasthan. The
Kumbh Mela and the
Ardh Kumbh Mela
also take place in this ancient town every 12 th and 6th year,
respectively. Near Haridwar are the towns of Mayapuri and Kankhal and
Kankhal is famous for the famous
Daksheswara temple.
