India is called the land of spirituality, and Uttarakhand is a significant contributor to it. It has been the gateway to spiritual belief and has attracted people who wish to become one with nature right, from the times of Sri Adi Shankar Acharya himself. Thousands have come here in search for peace; many have found their true inner calling among the dense forests and virgin rivers that flow through the lower Himalayas. Home to the holy Ganga and the four most sacred Hindu pilgrimage sites, it is commonly called ‘Dev Bhoomi’ (the land of gods). Today, the world flocks here to master yoga asanas and to seek out big answers through meditation, and many ashrams gladly offer them rooms to rest.
Haridwar, is an ancient city and municipality in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India. There are many legends and folklores of Hinduism that surround Haridwar. According to one popular Hindu legend, it was here that Goddess Ganga when Lord Shiva released the mighty river from the locks of his hair. The River Ganga flows for 253 kilometers (157 mi) from its source at Gaumukh at the edge of the Gangotri Glacier and enters the Gangetic Plain for the first time at Haridwar, which gave the city its ancient name, Gangadwára. According to another Hindu legend that describes the churning of the infinite ocean, or the ‘Samudra Manthan’,Haridwar along with Ujjain, Nashik and Prayag (Allahabad) is one of four sites where drops of Amrit, the elixir of immortality, accidentally spilled over from the pitcher while being carried by the celestial bird Garuda. This falling of Amrit over Haridwar is celebrated by organizing the Kumbha Mela, which is celebrated every 12 years. During the Haridwar Kumbh Mela, millions of pilgrims, devotees, and tourists congregate in Haridwar to perform ritualistic bathing on the banks of the river Ganges to wash away their sins to attain Moksha. Brahma Kund, the spot where the Amrit fell, is located at Har ki Pauri (literally, “footsteps of the Lord”) and is considered to be the most sacred ghat of Haridwar. It is also the primary center of the Kanwar pilgrimage, in which millions of participants gather sacred water from the Ganga and carry it across hundreds of miles to dispense as offerings in Śiva shrines.
All along the road to the Ganga ghats are hotels, eateries, shops, guides who jostle with each other to entice the traveler. The main event is the evening aarti known as “Ganga Aarti,” performed by 11 priests. Every evening at sunset the priests perform the Ganga Aarti, where lamps are set in the water to drift downstream. The colours of the dusk reflect beautifully on the waters, the frothy canvas speckled with floral lamps set floating by the devotees. Huge crowds witness the aarti, and the religious fervor is something worth experiencing. The priests hold large fire bowls which they rotate in a right-handed circular direction, gongs in the temples start ringing, and chants flow in the air creating a sublime atmosphere.
The beauty of a destination is not always in its sights, attractions, or monuments. It is in the story that travel offers to travellers, a kaleidoscope of myths and traditions that lend a unique character to a place and its people.
