Haridwar – the land of the Holy Ganges

There is a giant statue of Lord Shiva at the entrance of Har-ki-Pauri in Haridwar which dominates the skyline of the city (larger picture). The statute depicts Shiva with an impressive-looking trident (trishul) in his left hand. While the trident is to battle with the dark forces, the right hand is held up to confer blessings and protection on his devotees. A giant king cobra is curled over his neck while two smaller serpants are curled over each arm. Surprisingly, the statute depicts Shiva with only two arms while it the norm in Hinduism to depict Gods with at least four arms. Shiva is definitely the presiding diety of Haridwar and it is common to find large and small idols across the numerous temples of the city of Haridwar.

There is an interesting legend behind the association of Lord Shiva with the Ganges river which flows through the city of Haridwar. According to the Puranas, Goddess Ganga was asked to descend from the heavens to cleanse the souls of the inhabitants of earth. The river descended at such a fearsome pace that it was feared that the earth would be washed away. Shiva used his tremendous divine powers to regulate the manner in which Ganga descended on earth and to control its flow. Accordingly, wherever the Ganges flows, Shiva is worshipped by the grateful inhabitants.

Getting To Haridwar: By Air: Air Deccan has a flight from Delhi to Dehradun. Haridwar is only one hour (52 kms) by road from Dehradun. By Train: There are a number of trains to and fro Dehradun/Haridwar. By Road: Haridwar is well connected by road. The distance from Delhi is about 220 kms (6 hrs).

Accomodation in Haridwar: While there is no dearth of budget accomodation in Haridwar, high end accomodation is in scarce supply. A new hotel called “Ginger” has set up shop in Haridwar promising to provide “smart neccessities” at a budget rate. Definitely worth a try.