Haridwar Temples
The
Temple City
The sacred city of Haridwar is counted amongst the most religious
places for Hindus globally. The city is situated on the banks of river
Ganga, most holy Hindu river. It is believed that the Ganga leaves
mountains and enters plains from Haridwar. The city derives its name
from two words, Hari (meaning God) and Dwar (Gate). The legends say that
Brahma performed a prayer here. Vishnu and Shiva also visited this place
quite a several times. Haridwar has many small and big temples, spread
in the mean streets of the city. Most of the temples are dedicated
either to Shiva or Vishnu.
Main Temples
Mansa Devi Temple
Mansa Devi temple is the most visited temple in Haridwar. The temple is
dedicated to Mansa Devi, an incarnation of Goddess of power, Durga. The
temple is perched on a hilltop, called Bilwa hill. The only way to reach
the temple is to choose from the options of trekking or ropeway cable
car. Both of the ways sound really exciting, as spirituality and
adventure come together at Mansa Devi Temple.
Pawan Dham Temple
The Pawan Dham temple in Haridwar, Uttaranchal, India is one of the
important religious sites that must be visited during pilgrimage tours.
This ancient temple is located at a distance of 2 kilometers from the
town and is known for the glasswork that has been done on the temple
walls. The Pawan Dham Temple is quite popular for the elaborately
ornamented idols.
Maya Devi Temple
At the famous Maya Devi temple, the goddess is worshipped as an
embodiment of power or Shakti. The temple is one of the shaktipeeths of
India. According to ancient scriptures, when lord Shiva was carrying his
burnt wife Sati, the heart and navel of Sati fell at this place.
Vaishno Devi Temple
The temple dedicated to Vaishno Devi is the newest of Haridwar temples.
The temple is a true replica of the original Vaishno Devi temple in
Jammu. Devotees visit the temple in large numbers.
Another religious site, the Gauri Shankar Temple is an important
religious site of Haridwar. Besides the above-mentioned temples there
are quite a few other religious sites in Haridwar, like Jai Ram Ashram,
Anandamayee Ma Ashram, Sapt Rishi Ashram and the Daksha Mahadev temple.
Reaching the Temples
Local transport of Haridwar include the private bus services, tempo
(Vikram), auto rickshaw, tonga, cycle-rickshaw & taxi. Its best to
walk down or get a rickshaw to move in Haridwar. For other parts of
city, taxis and auto-rickshaws are a good option.
