Travelling

Haridwar, one of the holiest cities of India, is famous for its sacred Ghats, morning and evening Arti, never ending crowd of pilgrims and a land full of Saints. Har ki Pauri, the place where Brahma Kund is located which considered to be the place where Amrit fell while Samudramanthan, is the most sacred Ghat of Haridwar. This place holds a lot of religious importance. The lanes, old buildings and holy river Ganga has witnessed here the most ancient of religious historical events. From May to October, this gateway to God city is crowded most since Shiva devotees or the Kanwaris visit here for the famous Yatra. Some of the best places to visit to visit while staying in Haridwar are 1. HAR KI PAURI Considered one of the holiest spot of Haridwar, this Ghat is famous for morning and evening Arti, Ganga bath and scenic beauty. It is a very clean and organized Ghat where local markets, eating joints, bathing spots, and sitting area by the Ghat is located. Taking a dip in the river near this Ghat is a blissful experience. Har ki Pauri is located near City control Room and is open 24 hours. Timings : 5 AM to 9 PM Entry Fee : Free 2. MANSA DEVI TEMPLE Located on Bilwa Parvat of Haridwar, Mansa Devi is considered one of the most esteemed temples of Haridwar. This place is of immense importance because it is said that if a devotee comes with sincere wishes, they are surely fulfilled here. The temple is located at a very beautiful location where you can either trek or enjoy a ropeway ride available at very reasonable and minimal price. This ropeway ride gives a beautiful view of Haridwar and the way in the ride has also been made very manifesting. Mansa Devi temple is open from morning 6 AM to evening 9 PM. Timings : Morning 6 AM to evening 9 PM. Entry Fee : Free 3. CHANDI DEVI TEMPLE Located on top of Neel Parvat in Haridwar, it is a very ancient temple built in year 1929. Chandi Devi Temple gives a closer view of Hindu Culture and is considered to be a Siddh Peeth temple. Folklores suggest Goddess Chandi came here to kill demons and further rested here at the very spot. You can reach this temple either by trekking a distance of 3 kms which is very picturesque and charming or take a ropeway available at reasonable price. Timings : Chandi Devi temple is open from 7 AM in the morning to 7 in the evening. Entry Fee : Free 4. PATANJALI YOGA PEETH Backers of Yoga will surely love to visit this place when in Haridwar. Patanjali Yoga Peeth, founded by Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna, is one the largest yoga institutes of India. Not only yoga is practiced and taught here, but a lot of ayurvedic medicines and products are also researched and manufactured. The place has been constructed very beautifully and has a lot of greenery and gardens inside the area. You can also visit the herbal museum and the herbal garden here.  Timings : Patanjali Yoga Peeth is open from 9 in the morning and closes at 9 in the evening. Entry Fee : Free 5. MAA ANANDMAYI ASHRAM Situated in Kankhal, Haridwar, this place can be easily visited as it is a 10 min way by car from Har ki Pauri. The place is very calm, serene and sacred. Staffs there are great hosts and is a perfect place to meditate fronting MA’s Samadhi. Also, there is an original rudraksh tree in the complex. Timings : 09 AM TO 6 PM Entry Fee : Free 6. BHARAT MATA MANDIR A unique and famous temple located in Motichur, Haridwar, this place is known for worshipping India as goddess in this temple. This temple is very different from other temples architecturally as well as nationally. This eight storied building, located near river Ganga, was inaugurated by Late Indira Gandhi in 1983. Besides temple, this place also has diagnostic medical camps, old age home, animal shelter for cows and a dispensary. Timings : Bharat Mata Mandir is open from 7.30 in the morning to 5 in the evening. Entry Fee : Free 7. NEEL DHARA PAKSHI VIHAR A bird watching spot located in Bhimgoda Barrage, 3 kms from Haridwar, this place is a favorite spot for nature lovers. Neel Dhara is famous for exquisite range of birds from all over the place. This place is so beautiful and enchanting, you can sit all day and watch them chirp and fly freely and feel the nature. Don’t forget to bring camera with you and capture all these stupefying beauty to keep it for a lifetime! This place is open from 7 AM to 7 PM. Timings : Open 7 AM to 7 PM. Entry Fee : Free 8. PAWAN DHAM Also known as Glass Temple, it is one of the most famous temples of Haridwar among all the pilgrims. Pawan Dham is known as Glass temple because of the figurines worshipped here are made with astonishing mirror work and glass cravings. These architectural beauty is surely going to stupefy you. Pawan Dham has a peaceful atmosphere and very relaxing environment. Timings : This place is open from from 6 AM to 8 PM. Entry Fee : Free 9. MAYA DEVI TEMPLE Situated on Birla Ghat, Haridwar, this temple is known for being the same place where the heart and navel of Goddess Sati fell. Maya Devi temple is considered to be a very prestigious temple in Haridwar. This temple evinces an architectural marvel of modern era and religious and cultural beauty as well. Altogether, this place is a must visit place. Timings : This place is open from from 6 AM to 6 PM. Entry Fee : Free 10. SAPT RISHI ASHRAM Situated in Motichur, 5 kms from Haridwar, this place is known for its peaceful, pristine and serene location. The flowing sparkling Ganga, relaxing nature and

Rishikesh, also known as ‘Yoga capital of World’, is famous for its adventure spots, scenic beauty, calm surrounding and its culture richness. Located approximately 25 kms from Haridwar, Rishikesh is known as one of the holiest places for Hindus. People from all over the world visit here to witness the serenity of heritage as well as adventure adrenaline rush together. The sparkling river, the mountains which have been home to Sadhus for ages, the beautiful camps to take away all the city life stress, heart taking adventure, all these to experience at a single place. When visiting Rishikesh, there are a number of places which are must visit in order to complete this visit. Laxman Jhula, Triveni Ghat, Beatles Ashram, Shivpuri, Vashishta Gufa and a lot other places are some of the top attractions of Rishikesh. 1. Lakshman Jhula Located 4 kms from Rishikesh Railway Station, Lakshman Jhula is 284 feet long which connects two districts of Uttarakhand i.e. Tehri and Pauri. This bridge provides a breath taking view of river Ganges on either side. You can sit here and watch beautiful sunrise and sunset alongside river. Not only the Jhula is famous for its beautiful view but it has its historical and architectural importance also. Ancient history says, in the age of Ramayana, Lakshman, brother of Lord Rama, crossed the River Ganga, through a bridge from this place only. Hence after a period of time, a bridge was made at the same spot. But the bridge broke down in a heavy flood after some time and later after a long period of time, this suspension bridge was made and named after brother Lakshman. How to reach Lakshman Jhula To reach this iconic bridge, you can hire a private taxi or a shared cab from bus station or any place. Also, you can take a public transport like a bus or an auto which takes close to Lakshman Jhula from where you can walk to this bridge. 2. Triveni Ghat A meeting point of three sacred rivers, Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati, Triveni Ghat is famous for its evening Arti. It is one of the magnetic places, where in morning you can find an aura of meditation alongside beautiful sunrise and in the evening, stupefying view of Arti full of diyas and enchanting chorus of Maha Aarti to the river. People from all over the world gather here in the evening around 6 pm to offer devotion and gratitude in the form of lighting Diyas, flowers and singing Arti in unison to the sacred River. It is said that, visiting this Ghat, performing the Arti and taking a bathe in the holy River purifies the body and cleanses soul of all the sins. The charming hymns buzzes all over this place. How to reach Triveni Ghat The Ghat is located 6 kms from Ram Jhula and 9 kms from Lakshman Jhula. You can reach here by shared or private cab or Tuk tuk available all time. 3. Neer Garh Waterfall Approximately 3 kms from Lakshman Jhula, the waterfall is an astonishing place to visit. Situated away from crowd of Rishikesh, hidden in an uphill, the waterfall is so tranquilizing and offers a masterpiece view of nature. The sparkling and cascading waterfall along with the pool and its mesmerizing beauty must be embraced when visiting Rishikesh.  To reach this gorgeous waterfall view, one has to trek for approx. 2 hours. In between, there is a food joint or a small eating place where the chairs has been kept in passing water which is very soothing. You can sit in passing water and enjoy your food. There is a minimal entry fee for this place. How to reach Neer Garh waterfall You can reach waterfall by taking a cab or by walking up to the waterfall. 7 kms from Tapovan and 3 kms from Lakshman Jhula, hike up to the steep mountains to the parking lot from where you can see the beautiful fall. 4. The Beatles Ashram The holy Ashram of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi became famous and came to be known as ‘The Beatles Ashram’ when the very phenomenal band of that time, in the year 1968, the Beatles flew down to this place to learn some advanced meditation from the sage. This abandoned Ashram is located in the foothills of Himalayas and is one of the hardest place to be located in Rishikesh. The place is famous for its beautiful graffiti art and calmness surrounding it. The meditation cave, ruins of this place and mesmerizing graffiti takes you to the past and gives a feeling of peace. A minimal entrance fee is charged for entrance to this place.  How to reach the Beatles Ashram The ashram is just 2 kms from Ram Jhula and 3 kms from Lakshman Jhula. One can walk up to there or take an auto or TukTuk. At the end of the road towards Gita Bhawan, you can find the closed iron gate of this Ashram. 5. Vashishta Gufa It is an ancient cave situated on the bank of River Ganga and in the middle of Gular trees where Saint Vashishta and his wife used to meditate and lived for years. 25 kms from Rishikesh, this Gufa offers so much spiritual vibration, positivity and calmness. Stepping down to 200 steps approximately, you can enter the cave with candles lit and tranquility all around. The place is so serene and pristine, you can sit here and meditate and introspect in silence for hour and feel the peace inside. How to reach Vashishta gufa Public transport like buses, jeeps and taxis are available to reach the Gufa. Since the Gufa is situated on Rishikesh-Badrinath Road, vehicles going towards Dev Prayag, goes through this place and thus can be easily reached. 6. Ram Jhula A 450 ft suspension bridge, it is yet another architectural beauty of Rishikesh. The bridge was once made of Jute and was built in 1980s by regional government. It gets pretty crowded in day time