Pilgrimage Travel To Haridwar – The Gateway To God

By Author: Ninad Chaudhari
Total Articles: 430
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Haridwar, which literally means ‘Gateway of God’, is a very important sacred pilgrimage site. Thousands and thousands of tourists visit this town on the banks of the Ganga River with hearts full of prayer to seek blessings. There are several pilgrimage travel packages in India. However, Haridwar is one of the most important and sacred sites in the country.

One of the important points to visit on Haridwar tour is Har Ki Pauri. This is the location where the Ganga River exits the mountains and enters the plain terrain. Also known as Brahm Kund, tourists visit this point in the evening to participate in an aarti, a prayer ritual. Chandi Devi temple is another important temple in Haridwar. Reaching this temple is not an easy feat. There is an hour’s worth of climbing required to reach the hill top, where the temple resides. However, there is a ropeway also available for today’s devotees.

Mansa Devi temple is where devotees visit to pray and seek blessing. Legend has it that this is the temple that devotees visit to make a wish in. Then, the goddess Mansa blesses the devotees and fulfils their wishes. ...
... As a symbol of their prayers, devotees tie a thread to a sacred tree in the premises. Here is where devotees must return after their desires are fulfilled to untie the tread as a sign of respect. Located on the top of Shivalik Hills, which are a part of the Himalayan Mountain range, this temple requires a considerable uphill hike.

There is third temple that devotees on a Haridwar tour must visit. This is an ancient temple of Goddess Sati, who is the wife of Lord Shiva. This temple dates back to the 11th century. This Maya Devi temple is an ancient temple that is still intact over a period of centuries.

This hill station at an altitude of 250 meters is not only part of a pilgrimage travel plan but it also hosts the most important religious festival in Hindu religion, known as the Kumbh Mela. This festival is held in this city after every 12 years. There is Ardh Kumbh Mela, held 6 years after the festival.

Though, there are several other activities around the region such as a wildlife sanctuary or an opportunity to go on a shopping spree in the local market – Moti Bazaar, most devotees choose to visit Sapt Rishi Asahram. This ancient ashram is where seven important sages meditated. This is the essence of pilgrimage travel in India to get in touch with devotional side of you.

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Ninad Chaudhari works as a Web UI Designer / Developer with Cox & Kings. Ninad is an ardent photographer and likes travelling to pilgrimage destinations in India and pursue his passion. He recently went on a tour to Haridwar with Cox and Kings and his albums are replete with pictures of this tour.