Haridwar is a holy city located in the state of Uttarakhand in India. Surrounded by the mighty Himalayas and with the River Ganges meandering through the city, Haridwar is regarded as the doorway to heaven. Every year millions of pilgrims visit Haridwar to bathe in the holy waters of the Ganges and the holy Ghat of Har-Ki-Pauri is revered for its spectacular show of the Sandhya Aarti – where every evening lakhs of people gather around Ganges to see the temple chieftains offering prayers to the holy river. The river gets illuminated by hundreds of diyas or lamps and is an invigorating sight to experience.
Pilgrims visit Haridwar to pay patronage to the temples of Chandi Devi and Mansa devi located at a hilltop a little distance from the main city. Sightseeing tours in Haridwar to the temples are a major tourist hotspot and one can reach the temples via cable car rides operated from Haridwar itself. The town of Haridwar still retains a beautiful charm where street hawkers sell everything starting from noodles to momos, thukpas to pasta, but everything that you get in this city is strictly vegetarian. The main streets are lined with hordes of old ashrams and little shops selling religious sculptures, curios and souvenirs.
Haridwar does not restrict itself to its religious offerings, the town is a gateway to major hill stations in Uttarakhand like Rishikesh, Dehradun and Mussoorie. Haridwar is also the base to many important treks around the region like the Chopta-Tunganath Trek, Har-ki-Dun Trek, Roopkund Trek, Chopta Chandrashila Deoriatal Trek, Dayara Bugyal Trek and many more prominent treks. During the months of May to October is the Yatra period of the city when thousands of Shiva devotees, known as Kanwarias, head for sightseeing tours in Haridwar to pay their homage and respects to the place.
