Places to See in Haridwar

Har ki Pauri: It is also known as Brahmakund and it is believed to be the place where divine nectar fell from the pitcher. It is the site for the famous Kumbh Mela which is celebrated in 12 years. Large number of devotees comes especially to Haridwar to take a holy dip in the Ganga River. At twilight, when evening aarti is performed the reflection of the golden diyas that keep floating on the river offers an enchanting view of the ghat to the visitors. This sacred Ghat was built by King Vikramaditya in memory of his brother Bhatrihari, who is said to have meditated on the banks of Ganga in Haridwar.

Chandi Devi temple: Situated on the top of the Neel Parvat, Chandi Temple was built in 1929 by Suchat Singh, the King of Kashmir. The temple can be reached after a 3km trek from Chandi Ghat. The main statue of Chandi Devi Temple is said to be established by the Adi Shankaracharya in 8th century. Cable car has also been introduced upto Chandi Devi Temple.

Maya Devi Temple: It is believed that the heart and navel of Goddess Sati fell here when Lord Shiva was taking her corpse. Maya Devi Temple is regarded as one of the Siddhapeeth’s. This ancient temple is dedicated to Goddess Maya Devi, the Adhisthatri deity of Haridwar.

Mansa Devi Temple: Mansa Devi temple is perched on the top of the Bilwa Parwat and it is dedicated to Goddess Mansa Devi. Mansa Devi can be reached either by a ropeway that carries pilgrims to the temple or on foot. A statue of the Goddess here has three mouths and five arms, while the other one has eight arms. The temple affords bird’s eye view of Haridwar.

Sapta Rishi Ashram: It is believed that seven sages meditated at this place. Kashyapa, Vashisht, Atri, Vishwamitra, Jamadagi, Bharadwaja and Gautam were the seven rishis. Ganga split herself into seven streams to avoid any disturbance to their meditation.

Daksha Mahadev Temple: This ancient Dsksha Mahadev Temple is located in the south Kankhal with Lord Shiva as its residing deity. According to mythology, this temple is supposed to have been the site of a yagna conducted by Daksha.

Rajaji National Park: It is gifted with immaculate beauteousness covering an area of 820sqkms on the edge of the Doon Valley. It is situated around 10kms from Haridwar. Rajaji National Park was established in 1996 and has over 23 species of mammals and 315 avifauna species. It is a safe haven for panther, bear, chital, elephant, tiger, sambar, wild boar, barking deer, python, monitor lizard etc. Elephant Safari is also available at Chilla and Dholkand.

Neelkanth Mahadev: Thousands of devotees visit Neelkanth Mahadev every month throughout the year. It is situated on the summit of the mountain across the sacred Ganga River. According to mythology this is the place where Lord Shiva drank the venom produced during 'Sagar Manthan' which turned his throat blue and was thus the place was named as Neelkanth. Neelkanth and Mahadev are names of Lord Shiva. It is situated 66kms from Dehradun city.