Just downstream from Rishikesh you’ll find Haridwar, colourfully decorating the banks of the Mama Ganga as she makes her way along the Himalayan foothills. An important Hindu Pilgrimage site, it’s considered the gateway to the two holy shrines of Shiva and Vishnu. You’ll even find Shiva standing over the busy highway welcoming you on your journey into the city.
I’ll admit Haridwar was not quite as I expected, in fact I found it really fucking intense. I had originally thought of staying for longer, but two days in Haridwar was more than enough for me. I think the zen embrace of the past week or so at the International Yoga Festival and the general vibe in Rishi had left me wrapped in cosmic cotton wool and a little slow and snoozy. I had forgotten where I was, and Haridwar was a hot and hectic wake-up call.
Exploring Haridwar
The vividness of the sights and sounds brought me back to India with a thump as I explored the windy market streets, lined with stalls selling anything from plastic children’s toys to clothes and jewellery. You could explore by foot or rickshaw, either clattering and dinging past the meandering tourists or jumping out of the way of the pedal powered mean machines. I’m not sure which is better, I think it’s just a case of deciding who’s side you want to be on for the day.
Out on the main streets you’ll find a similar scene, lined with open stalls selling larger versions of the market streets, broken up with the occasional hotel and restaurant to tempt you in. Watch out for the horse and carts trotting past as you explore and the cows that lay heavily and stubbornly across the roads blocking the traffic, with not a single fuck being given, none at all.
However you choose to get around, be aware that some of the streets are not car/tuk-tuk friendly. You may find that some cheeky drivers accept your fare, dropping you at their last point of access and a damn sight longer than the 2 minutes’ walk from your agreed destination….
To avoid too much reliance on others for my transport I had purposely booked a central-ish hotel, Ram Lodge. Located on the Upper Road and just down from Har Ki Pauri Ghat, it was also in a good location for my temple sightseeing trips I had planned in.
Mansa Devi Temple
My first stop was the Mansa Devi Temple built for the worship of the Goddess of snakes and perched up on the atop the Bilwa Parvat on the Sivalik Hills, and only.about 15 minutes’ walk from the hotel. Of course the temple was an attraction for me, but another big draw was the cable car needed to reach it. Since missing out on the cable cars at Lantau Island during my Hong Kong visit I have always been secretly pining over them to complete my experience.
Mansa Devi temple was slightly different to expected, once you land from the cable car you are inside the temple entrance and not able to view the outside as I had first thought.
The entrance section is made up of stalls selling brightly coloured trinkets and bags, containing offerings for the many shrines you’ll pass by as you follow the path around.
Not fully understanding this at the time and not really having a clue what to do, I simply followed the crowds and soon found myself inside the temple. Giftless and awkward, I approached the small doors to the shrines and offerings baskets to take the gits given by devotees. Luckily I had a few small notes which were happily received in exchange for the tilaka’s being offered out. Make sure you go prepared with some small notes and get a bag or two to give out as you tour the temple.
Chandi Devi Temple
My next stop was Chandi Devi Temple, a bigger and grander version of Mansa Devi and located a few kilometres out of the centre atop the Neel Parvat, on the Eastern side of the Sivalik Hills. Unaware of its distance and the hilly climbs to get there I opted for a rickshaw, which I soon regretted as it is a long and uphill journey there. My driver puffed and sweated in his woolly jumper and the sweltering heat up the steep incline, eventually jumping out to pull the rickshaw up, with me and the heavy weight of my embarrassment and awkwardness weighing us down even further. But eventually with a cheer from me and a sweaty grin from him we finally reached the entrance gates and I headed onto my next cable car extravaganza.
And this one certainly was, a much longer cable car ride it whizzed me up to the Chandi Devi temple with some really glorious sights of Haridwar and the Ganges below. The temple was similar to Masna Devi but split over two sections, however this time I was prepared and purchased my gifts to exchange for tilaka’s and smiles from those attending to the shrines.
There is an outside area between the two sections which offers a welcome breeze and some snippets of views as you climb the stairwell. But be warned along with beggars sat along the steps, you’ll also find monkeys swinging above and tumbling through the passageways, looking for anything not held down (watch your sunglasses) and making sneaky dashes inside the temples to cause a commotion.
Buying tickets for Haridwar temples
I brought my ticket for the cable cars and temple at my first stop, Mansa Devi Temple. The entrance to the cable cars is found at the top of a windy market street and I jostled for a place amongst the Indian tour groups and families in three different queues, before realising where I actually needed to go. A large sign on the ticket booth warned of a ‘1 hour 30 wait’. Time conscious I double checked the queue times with the attendant and was assured it was a very long one. Not wanting to feel rushed I purchased the queue jump package for the day at around 670 rupees, which got my entry into both Mansa Devi and Chandi Devi Temples.
Needles to say, I’d been had, and the queue was more like 15 minutes for those with a standard ticket. But I decided to embrace the experience and sauntered to the front of the queue flashing my VIP entrance ticket. While I enjoyed feeling a little like a celeb for those few minutes it really wasn’t worth it, unless the queue stretches out of the gate save your rupees and buy the normal temple entrance ticket or standard joint entry option. Of course you could always walk to the Temple, but those I spotted on the path below looked like they were having a hard time of it, especially in the midday heat.
Aarti at Har Ki Pauri
This is the big one for Haridwar and in my opinion, the Aarti is worth the visit alone. I arrived at the Ghat around 5.30pm and put my shoes into the locker room found at the top of the stairs. I was quite quickly surrounded by a number of men, all keen to show me the best seat in the house and selling me Puja’s (flower baskets) as we made our way down towards the river. Despite their best attempts I purchased the cheapest and stood nervously with my feet in the river whilst I made my offering and wishes for the trip. My Puja floated bumpily downstream, catching in the ankles of those doing the same before spilling over into the flow of the river.
After I found a seat on the steps and made friends with an Indian family, who insisted on a selfie with each person’s camera, including my own. At first I did find the experience quite unnerving, the uncertainty of not knowing quite what to do and feeling slightly like I was intruding on a religious ceremony that was not my own. I also found fending off the many selfie requests and sneaky photos had become quite tiring, but once I settled in I began to really enjoy the magic of where I was.
As the sun began to set I sat with my new friends watching the bathers and dunkers, bravely cleansing themselves in the cold flow of the river, egged on by shouting family and friends as they sunk their heads under the water.
The Aarti itself began around 6.15pm and the still growing crowds sang and swayed along to the hymns as the night set in, it was a truly magical experience.
It is also worth visiting the Ghat during the daytime, before the rush of Aarti for a different vibe. Filled with tourist and locals you can watch the bathers enjoying a cooling dip in the river and see the local charities giving out free food to the many homeless and disabled that beg along the bridge and the adjoining roads.
Where to eat in Haridwar
Luckily for me, Hoshiyar Puri (which you’ll find highly rated on TripAdvisor) was just down the road from my hotel. I got there just before it opened at 7pm and grabbed a table, by 7.15 the punters were rolling in and the tables were almost full. There’s a good reason for this, it was probably the best traditional Indian meal I have eaten in my time here.
It’s not a huge menu, but that’s probably how they get it so bang on. They even offered to do half portions so I could try more of the dishes, all of which were all delicious. It was so good that I went back the following day and had another good fill in preparation for my long bus ride. If you go to Haridwar make sure you put Hoshiyar Puri on your list!
If you’re looking for snacks to keep you going, there are also fruit stalls a plenty and I did my usual trick of stocking up on bananas and nuts to keep me going throughout the day. There is also the occasional juice stall dotted along the market streets, where I enjoyed (with no repercussions) a super cheap and very tasty juice in a bag.
Recommendations
I personally wouldn’t recommend going to Haridwar for too long, especially if you have a short amount of time on your trip. If you’re in Rishikesh and are keen to go, then I would recommend to just do a day trip out and back to Haridwar. Go midday, head straight up to Chandi Devi Temple (the better of the two in my opinion) before coming back down into the city, grabbing some street food and exploring the market streets. Head Har Ki Pauri Ghat for about 5 to soak up the energy and watch the vibe change before finding a prime spot for Aarti. After Aarti head to Hoshiyar Puri for a delicious meal and watch the city come alive at night, before heading back upstream to Rishikesh.
