“There’s no dearth of food and water where Ganga Mata resides”-said the autowala(auto driver) as I stood muddled after a 4 hour train journey from Delhi to Haridwar. With no booked hotel and a starving tummy, I began my hunt for a shelter and came across Shri shiddha Ashram with the mighty Ganges in the front.
Achieving salvation: The next morning, I went to the Birla Ghat (you can choose any ghat) for the holy dip. According to Hindu mythology, the holy dip removes your sins.
Food junction:
There are tons of places to relish your hunger for north Indian food. Chole Bhature and lassi did the magic on me.
Haridwar provides you with loads of travel agencies. I found one and they booked me a cab for Rishikesh, 28 kms from Haridwar. After an hour, we reached Rishikesh(rishi=sages) commonly called the “place of sages”. The Rudraksha tree beside the roaring Ganges provides a serene environment. No wonder, this place has served as an ideal meditation ground for travellers and pilgrims for thousands of years.
Legend of Rishikesh:
Yudishthir, a pandava brother, was the only brother who was able to reach this dev bhumi( the place of the Gods) as he never did anything sinful. Hence, he was regarded as Dharmaraj (dharma= righteousness, raj=king).
My next stoppage was Shivanada jhula aka Ram jhula. The popular misconception is that the jhula was made by lord Ram. However, it was made by the indian govt. and was named Shivanada jhula, but later became popular as Ram jhula. Just 2 kms ahead of it, lies the Lakshman jhula(closed for safety reasons at present). The ram jhula with the fierce Ganges flowing underneath will provide you with a good adreline rush. It’s famous for river rafting. After crossing the 450ft bridge, we reached Shatrughana swami temple.
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Legend of the Shatrughana swami temple:
This is the only temple in India dedicated to Lord Shatrughana, the youngest brother of lord Rama. After killing Ravana, as the four brothers reached Ayodha, their kulguru refused to do their rajavishek(coronation ceremony). He considered the killing of Ravana as a brahmapaap(sin). To achieve salvation, they were told to do tapasya(meditation). Satrughana did the meditation in this temple.
The popular attractions near Ram jhula are:
• Shivananda Ashram
• Swargashram
• Yog niketan etc.
Traveller’s advice:
This place provides excellent shopping centers with beautiful chikankari clothing pieces,bags, ayurvedic medicines etc.
Info on Rudraksha and Lakshmiyantra:
This place is flooded with Rudraksha shops. You can find people convincing you to buy these. The science behind them is – the ice that accumulates at the Himalayas are cut in a shape to form Sphatik(quartz). These are given the shape of Lakshmi yantra that is believed to remove all negative energies around you and keep you hale and hearty. Sphatik neck pieces are also sold .On the contrary, Rudraksha are of different kinds. Ek mukhi(1 faced), aat mukhi(8 faced) , nau mukhi(9 faced)- each providing different functionality.
Traveller’s advice:
After travelling Rishikesh, you can have good food anywhere near the place that provides dining experience with the enchanting view of the Ganges.
Some famous restaurants are :
• The sitting elephant
• Jal and Jalebi
• Chotiwala etc.
After coming back to Haridwar, I prepared myself for the auspicious Ganga Aarti(worshipping river Ganga)at Har ki Pauri ghat. The aarti is done to worship Ganga mata as she provides life to millions of Indians and helps us to thrive.
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Traveller’s advice:
The aarti starts at 7 pm. However, it’s better to reach early for the best view.
The next morning I visited Mansa devi temple. You can reach there by ropeway or by walking. I opted the ropeway that provided wonderful view of the entire Haridwar city from the hill top. From there, I took a bus and reached Chandi devi temple built by Adi Shankaracharya, in the 8th century, making it one of the oldest temples in north India. One of the Shakti peeths is mentioned in this verse.. This place also has ropeways and a water fall on its way.
Legend of the Chandi temple: The demon kings Shumbha and Nishumbha captured the kingdom of Indra. After intense prayers by the gods, a goddess emerged from Parvati, mesmerized by her beauty, Shumbha desired to marry her. On being refused, Shumbha sent Chanda and Munda to kill her. They were killed by goddess Chamunda who originated out of Chandi’s anger.Thereafter, Chandi devi rested for a short while at the top of Neel Parvat and later a temple was built here. There are two peaks in the mountain range known as Shumbha and Nishumbha.
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Traveller’s advice:
The temple is surrounded by bandars (monkeys) that can take away your Prasad, shoes and bags. So be aware!
My blissful journey to the place of Gods ended here. It bought a sense of tranquility in my mind. As they say, Haridwar washes away your sins and brings you salvation.
