Haridwar - Holy Place in North India

Evening_view_of_Har-ki-Pauri,_Haridwar

Holy Ganga River having great gathering for Holy bath in Haridwar.

Manasa Devi Temple

Ganga River at Haridwar

Location

       Haridwar, population 1,90,000, 225 kilometers northeast of Delhi, is easily reached by bus from New Delhi or Shukratal.  Or, if visiting Vrindavana, you can get an overnight bus straight from Vrindavana to Haridwar.

Lord Shiva's statue near Haridwar

       "Haridwar" means the door to Hari, the Supreme Lord Sri Vishnu.  It is also known as Hardwar for its relation to Lord Shiva.  It sits on the banks of Ganga River, known as Mother Ganga.  Many years ago it used to be called Kapilsthan beause Kapila Muni had lived, meditated and performed penance here.  Hardiwar is also known for being where the Ganges leaves the mountains and enters the plains.  This is the reason Haridwar also has the name of Ganga-dwara.  

       It is one of the major holy places of India and has plenty of spiritual significance.  This is where Vidura was instructed by Maitreya,  Daksha performed his great sacrifice near Kankhal, which was attended by all the great demigods.  It is about four kilometers south of the railway station.  The Dakeswara (or Dakshaprajapati) Mahadeva Shiva temple at Kankhal, the oldest temple in Haridwar, marks the place and commemorates Lord Shiva coming to help his wife, Sati.  The contemporary temple was built in 1962.  The central image in the temple is a Shiva Linga,  The little pit in the Daksha Mahadeva Mandir is said to be where Daksha had his original sacrificial fire.

Sati Kund

       Sati Kund, on Kankhal Jwalpur Road is one of the oldest of the significant places in Haridwar and marks the spot where Sati (Durga) left her body and where she burned herself after being insulted by her father, all of which is described in the Srimad Bhagawatam.  Lord Nityananda also stopped here on His tour 500 years go.  However, the kund is in the middle of nowhere on the road and not developed in any way.  It is overgrown with greenery and water lilies and can easily be overlooked.

Legend

       To explain the legend in brief, Durga's father Daksha, son of Brahma, did not like Durga's husband, Shiva.  So when Daksha had his huge ritual, he did not want Shiva to be there.  When Daksha had entered the arena, all sages stood in respect except Brahma and Shiva, which offended Daksha.  So Daksha cursed Shiva to not partake in the rituals.  Thereafter, Daksha and Shiva both left the arena.

       Afterwards, Daksha did not invite Shiva to the ritual, but Durga still wanted to go, even against the advice of Shiva.  After arriving, she underwent insults by her father, Daksha, toward her because of being married to Shiva.  So she self-immolated herself in fire, thus committing Sati.  After Shiva heard about this, he became extremely angry and created a sent a huge black demon, Virabhadra, and his followers to fight and destroy Daksha's ritual.  He also cut off Daksha's head and threw it into the fire. When Shiva came and gathered Sati's body, he was grief stricken and carried her body wherever he went.  To relieve Shiva's grief, Lord Vishnu cut Sati's body into pieces with His chakra and wherever they dropped became Shati-peeths, or places of power where people go to worship Shakti, or Durga. The Daksh Mahadeva Mandir is said to mark the place where the fire of Daksha's Vedic ritual was located.

Manasa Devi Temple

Panorama view of Haridwar City from Manasa Devi Temple

Rope way to Manasa Devi Temple at Haridwar

       Haridwar is known for its many temples, more of which are always being built.  One popular temple is the Manasa Devi temple, another form of Durga, located on the hill above the city.  You can walk up the hill or take a cable car which gives you a way to get a great view of the city and mountains and plains that surround it.  The deity in the temple is small, but the temple is organized and often crowded.

Manasa Devi Temple, Haridwar.

Chandi Devi, Hanuman temple, Hanuman's mother Anjani Devi temples

Chandidevi_temple, Haridwar.

Hanuman Temple at Haridwar

       Other holy temples in Hardiwar include the Chandi Devi, Hanuman and temple to Hanuman's mother, Anjani Devi, on top of the Siwalik Hills about four-and-a-half kilomters away, an south of the river.  You can easily see it from the Ganga.  You can also reach this hill top temple by means of a cable car.

Maya Devi Temple at Haridwar

Maya Devi Temple at Haridwar

       Also, the Narayana-shila, Bhairava, and the Mayadevi temple is one of the oldest in Haridwar.  The Mayadevi deity is a three-headed, four-armed female in the act of killing a prostrated demon.  Other temples in Haridwar include the Shraannath Mahadeva temple is where Parvati performed austerities to get Lord Shia as her husband.  She ate only leaves of the Bilva trees, which are still respectd here for the part they played in this pastime.  Not far away is a temple marking the place where the Ganges originally appeared in order to supply water for Parvati to drink.

Bharata Mata (Mother India) Mandir

       Another more modern temple in Haridwar is the Bharata Mata (Mother India) Mandir.  It was consecrated in 1983 and stands eight stories tall.  The first floor contains a standing image of Bharata Mata and a map of India on a raised platform.  The second floor contains the Shrine of Heroes, dedicated to those who were active in India's independence movement, such as Bhagat Singh and Shivaji.  The third floor is dedicated to great women of India's legends and recent history.  The fourth floor is the shrine of Indian saints from various religions.  The fifth floor is the assembly hall.  The sixth floor contains the Shakti Shrine with various images of the goddess.  The seventh floor is dedicated to Lord Vishnu with many examples of His forms.  And the eighth floor is the Shiva Shrine  with many images of Shiva and various gods and goddesses associated with him.

Bharata Mata Mandir

       This temple is located along a road in the eastern part of Hardiwar.  The Road has numerous temples that one can visit, several of which have diorama displays which are quite popular with the pilgrims.  There is one that is a replica on the VAishno Devi temple and has a route that you take in which you must cross water, crawl through caves and narrow passages before you finally reach the sanctum.  Visiting it is said to equal the same merit as going to the real Vaishno Devi temple in Jammu. There is also a temple of mirrors nearby which has many deities with mirrors thrones and Krishna and Arjuna on a chariot with horses, all made of colored mirrors.

Har-ki-Pauri

Clock Tower on the Malvia Dip at Har-ki-Pauri, Haridwar.

       One of the holiest places in Haridwar is Har-ki-Pauri, where all pilgrims come to bathe in the water of the Ganga River.  Some people believe that this is the location where the celestial waters of the Ganga flow into the river.  Therefore, the river is known as the Ganga from this spot onwards.  

Pilgrims happily bathing in the Ganga at Har-ki-Pauri

As the pilgrims bathe, they may hang onto chains or rails in the wall to stable themselves in the swift current. If they get carried away by water, there are also chains hanging from the bridge which they can try to grasp.  Otherwise, the water, especially if it is high, can take them downstream a ways before they can reach a point of getting out of the river.  The pilgrims come here first to bathe before going on northern pilgrim tour of Char Dhama, the four major places farther north.

       The Ganges at Har-ki-Pauri is actually a canal that channels the water to the side of the city.  The main branch of the river is very little ways away.  Imprints of Lord Vishnu's foot prints are found on a wall under the water here at Har-ki-Pauri.  One of the priests can help you find them.  There are many little shrines and temples here for Ganga Devi, Haricharan, Vishnu, Shiva, Parvati, and others.  

Panoramic view of Har-ki-Pauri, Haridwar.

Ganga Arati ceremony

       Every evening around 6.30 p.m. you can see the arati ceremony to the Ganga as the priests offer large ghee lamps to the river while kirtan music goes on with banging hand cymbals and gongs.  This is a major event and lots of people turn out to see it.  It creates a festive atmosphere every night. Many pilgrims and sadhus ro holy men attend to this.  So get your seat at least a couple hours before it starts, or they may also close the bridge to pedestrians so you can't cross.  

Evening Aarti at Har-ki-Pauri, Haridwar

      

       You can also pay a priest a small sum to assist you in doing your own puja or worship to Mother Ganga.  He will gather items and then conduct the ritual while telling you what parts of the prayers and mantras to repeat, as you offer flowers and a ghee lamp or a small leaf boat with flowers and lamp to the Ganga.  You can see many pilgrims do this, and some of these small leaf boats can be quite fancy.  It is considered most beneficial to do this, especially if you are continuing up into the mountains to see other holy places along the Ganga.  

Ghat

Pilgrims sitting at the Ghat, for immersion of ahses.

       The southern end of this ghat is where people pour ashes of their deceased ancestors into the Ganges so their existence becomes purified.

Auspicious Days

       The most auspicious days to bathe here are the full and new moon days, plus Ekadasis, all solar and lunar eclipses, and the full moon during Kartika (October/November).  The first day of Vaisaka (April/May) is also important because this is said to be the date when the Ganges first appeared here, and it also marks the beginning of the Hindu solar year.

Kumbha Mela

       The Kumbha Mela is a month-long festival that is very important and marks one of the most auspicious times to bathe here.  It is held at Haridwar every twelve years when the planet Jupiter is in Aquarius and the Sun enters Aries.  This festival is, indeed, timeless and dates back thousands of years. A previous festival was in April/May of 1998.  Over two million people and sages attend this festival in Haridwar.  After six yaers, the Ardh Kumbh Mela is held at the six year interval, which is a much smaller festival.  Other sacred bathing places include Neel Dhara at the main branch of the Ganges, and Gourikund, which is a small holy well.

       To know more details about Kumbha Mela 2013 held at Allahabad, kindly visit the blog as given below:

             http://legacyofwisdom.blogspot.in/2013/01/kumbh-mela-2013.html

Gau Ghat

Gau Ghat at Haridwar.

       Heading south from Har-ki-Pauri along the Ganges we shall reach Gau-Ghat, where it is said that bathers can be purified of sins, even up to the killing and eating of a cow.  Vishnu Ghat marks the spot where Lord Vishnu once bathed.  About a half kilometer south of Har-ki-Pauri is Kushavarta Ghat, where Dattatreya did penance many years ago by standing on one leg for a thousand years.

Bhimagoda Kund

Bhimagoda Tank

       About half a kilometer upstream from Har-ki-Pauri is Bhimagoda Kund.  This is said to have been created by a blow from the knee of Bhima, one of the five Pandavas, when he needed to provide water for his wife and brothers.  Nearby is where we will go to get a riksha to Rishikesh, unless we take bus.

Sapta Rishi Ashram

       About six km North of Haridwar on the banks of the Ganges is Sapta Rishi Ashram where Ganges divided itself and created seven small islands so it would not displease the Seven Rishis who were meditating there at the time.

       

       Haridwar is known for having many ashramas and places of study.  But if you want to stay at an ashrama to study yoga or Hinduism, Rishikesh is much more pleasant.  Haridwar is a nice place to visit to see the temples and holy sites but parts of it are like a typical big, noisy and congested city.

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Source: Excerpts from the book "Spiritual India Hand Book" written by Stephen Knapp

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Self-Belief

       When your past results are good and favourable, then this feeling that 'I know I can do it' or self-belief would become so strong that it may even begin to affect your faith.  If a few results are unfavourable in the past for certain decisions that you have indulged in, then you take refuge in faith so much that there is no more self-belief in you.

       Faith is in knowing that there is a cosmic system that is acting between your choices and consequences. Choices are the steps that you take that is born out of human intelligence and consequences are born out of the infinite intelligence.  For every choice executed we invite a consequence.  While we can have control over our choices, we can only have expectations over consequences. which are,

1] I get more than what I expected, [>]

2] I get what I expected [=].

3] I get less than what I expected. [<]

       For example, when I execute the choice of starting a business on my own, the four possible consequences are, [>] The business might turn out to be roaring success, [=] The business return might be up to my expectations, [<] It might go through slump. [X] It can turn out to be an utter failure.  Whichever may be the consequence, I can take it as a feedback and still execute another choice.

       So there is a  cosmic intervention between the choice and consequences, by whatever name you may want to call it, god or law of karma, which determines the consequences of your life.

       When every choice that you execute expecting something in life, turns out consequences that you expected, or more than what you expected, you start feeling 'Whatever I want is happening'.  When this happens repeatedly, it results in a self-belief which is shadowing your faith.  You may fail to realize that the cosmic intervention is right now happening in your favour because of certain alignments in your life. Knowingly or unknowingly that karmic actor is working in your favour right now.  The favourable results can make the 'I' in you very loud, muffling your faith.

       This happened to even Arjuna and Krishna had to remind him saying, 'Arjuna, from where are you getting this feeling, that you are doing all these things?  The truth is, not a single arrow from that other side has touched you and every arrow from you is producing the results you wanted on the other end.  Because of this happening, Arjuna you have started feeling that only you are producing all these results; you are not realizing that, this thumb of yours cannot move without my providential sanction.'

       The other extreme is, if every choice that you have executed has somehow resulted in consequences less than what you expected or completely opposite of what you had expected, you feel like a victim in life. When nothing seems to be working as planned, you understand the helplessness of your finite intelligence and begin to understand the power and the potency of that cosmic intervention.  At that point most will run towards faith, hoping that it will alter the circumstances for you.  If Krishna could do everything, then Arjuna need not have fired those arrows, isn't it?

       When belief is delivered from the womb of faith, neither self-belief becomes arrogance nor spirituality becomes a refuge.  When you realize "Without me God will not, Without God I cannot, God plus me miracles are possible' neither the desperate running towards spirituality will be there nor will there be a haughty tone in your activities.  You will understand that 'Divine energy' plus 'my intelligent effort' plus 'my faith in that energy' - a threefold combination produces the desired results.

       Sri Ramakrishna, by himself, wouldn't have cared to take his wisdom to the world.  Swami Vivekananda, by himself, couldn't have enlightened the world.  Yet, the energy of Shri Ramakrishna plus the efforts of Swami Vivekananda plus the faith Swami Vivekananda had in his Master Shri Ramakrishna - caused a renaissance in the world.

       Rama, by himself, could not have traced Sita.  Hanuman, by himself, could not have crossed the seas in search of Sita.  Yet, the energy of Rama plus the efforts of Hanuman plus the faith Hanuman had in his Lord Rama - caused miraculous possibilities.

       Krishna, by himself would not have fought the war.  Arjuna, by himself, could not have fought the war. Yet, the energy of Krishna plus the efforts of Arjuna plus Arjuna's faith in his Bhagwan Krishna - was an absolute winning combination.

       The energy of Jesus Christ plus the efforts of Mother Teresa plus her faith n her Good Shepherd - made a difference to millions of lives.

       Even from an organisational parlance, the energy of a visionary plus the effort of the team plus the faith of the team in the vision of their visionary - builds a legendary organisation.

       But the intelligent effort is still dependent on you; this effort is the human manifestation in all the providential plans and it has to be executed only through you.  There has to be tremendous amount of self belief to put in the intelligent effort and f the self-belief is born out of your unshakable faith then your life becomes a series of win.

       Energy is the spiritual aspect of life and intelligent effort is the material aspect of life.  The formless by itself has no way to manifest and the form by itself is still a spiritual orphan.  The bridge between these two ends is the faith, it bridges spirituality and the material reality.  

         The energy of Ramakrishna, Rama, Krishna and Jesus didn't work for all those who put in their efforts, but it did work for Vivekananda, Hanuman, Arjuna, Teresa and the likes who worked with faith in their sources of energy.  It is Faith that connects the object of your effort with the source of  energy.  However, remember, faith does not free man from the responsibility of his efforts.  For the effort to be consistent and wholehearted you need self-belief.  Faith without effort is expecting God to do man's work, which is mere foolishness.

       'Energy plus Effort plus Faith' is a miraculous combination.  Explore the infinite possibilities with self-belief rooted in Faith.

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Source: Excerpts from the Article published in Infinithoughts magazine.

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Power of Non Doing

       The science of physics initially believed that all material is matter:  When the evolution of scientific observation and with the aid of technology, the scientists discovered that matter is actually arrangement of atoms.  

Further, discoveries revealed that atoms have a structure.  It consists of Nuclei made of protons and neutrons and electrons that seemed to have no structure. Later it was discovered that protons and neutrons are also made of smaller particles called quarks.  

And today, science claims that all the particles, all the carriers of forces, are excitation of string-like objects. According to this theory, quarks are not viewed as points anymore, but as one-dimensional strings made up of an infinite number of sub-quarks all around the string.

Theory Of  Everything [TOE]

       According to the string theory, elementary particles are loops of one-dimensional strings vibrating at dizzy speeds.  The substance of all the particles and hence all atom and matter is one. The string theory is called as the Theory Of Everything [TOE].  This is one of the most fascinating theories of science because it proves the oneness of existence.  The same vibrating string vibrates in infinite ways and becomes infinite particles.  What is unifying and simple about a string is that all of the particles are all excitations of the same one object - the vibrating strings.

       Science has finally concluded that everything is vibration.  But this is what spirituality has been claiming from the beginning.  Finally the old is looking new.  

Spirituality

       Spirituality had always explained, the more gross the matter; the lesser the frequency of vibrations; subtler the matter; higher the frequency of vibrations.  Though all matter is constituted by the same vibrating strings, they resonate at different frequencies - depending on how gross or subtle the matter is.  Thus, the difference between the gross physical body and the subtler  mind is only in the difference in the frequency of vibrations.  So, when you know how to tune into different frequencies, you can tune into the thought flow of others.  You can trade and share minds.

Silence

       SILENCE is fundamentally vibrations with the highest frequency.  Haven't you noticed that the blades almost appear extinct when they rotate at a great speed?  So, when the strings vibrate at their highest frequency; they almost seem like nothing which is silence.  However, it is from these highest vibrations all the relatively lower vibrations originate.  Hence, spiritual expression, everything comes from nothing.  

Everything comes from nothing

       Everything is born out of silence.  Anything can be created from that state of silence.  There is so much scientific truth to the expression, "When a thought is released from the seat of silence, a mere wish becomes a command to the universe."  After all, isn't the smallest of particles enough to cause endless ripples in a still water lake?  

       Traditionally, whenever enlightened people discovered a place with high vibrations, they formulated and formed a  place of worship in that location.  The science behind places of worship is to create a space where people can come and inherit the vibrations of that place.  When a man stands inside a rose garden long enough, won't he come out smelling roses?  In experiencing a space of high vibrations long enough, you inherit the vibrations of that place.  In fact, it is for this reason that people come to visit those who return from pilgrimage.  The idea being, in the presence of those who have inherited the vibrations from places of pilgrimage, the visitors can in turn inherit vibrations. That is why it is foolish to argue, 'If god is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent, what is the necessity to to places of worship'.  God may be omnipresent, but higher vibrations aren't.  They are concentrated only in a few places.      

       While some spaces fill people with vibrations, some people fill spaces and vibrations.  The idea behind inviting spiritually evolved souls to initiate new spaces, from temples to offices to homes, is because these people can fill spaces with their vibrations.  In fact, a spiritually evolved person, apart from all other characteristics, is one who remains centered and attuned to vibrations of the higher frequency.  That is why it is said even when a Master speaks his within is still silent.  He is always internally tuned to the higher vibrations.  And when a person or space is filled with higher vibrations; all things become possible.  After all, all the relatively low frequencies of vibrations emanate from the high frequency vibrations.  

Power of Non-Doing

       However, vibrations can be transferred and inherited only in a state of non-doing.  That's why significance of you being asked to sit silently in places of worship, after you are done with your ritualistic practices.  That's the significance of sitting in a state of non-doing, either in a space of high vibrations or in the presence of spiritually evolved soul with high vibrations, the vibrations will be transferred unto you.  That's why you are asked not to speak in the presence of the spiritually evolved, for it isn't time for doing, but it is time for non-doing.  The power of non-doing is that it enables you to tune in and inherit the higher vibrations, and in the presence of higher vibrations, all things are possible.  Everything is possible.

       Robert Frost rightly put it when he said, 

"We dance around in a ring and suppose,
but the secret sits in the middle and knows."  

       Also, Franz Kafka said, 

"It is not necessary that you leave the house.
Remain at your table and listen.
Do not even listen; only wait.
Do not even wait; be wholly still and alone.
The world will present itself to you for its unmasking,
it can do nothing else, in ecstasy it will writhe at your feet."

       So the spiritual expression"...where he sat became a temple."

       Go searching.... Find'.  Having found a SOURCE high in vibrations, make a temple in your heart to your SOURCE.  And from that moment of connect, watch the way your life is led Higher Deeper Beyond.....

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Source: Excerpts from the magazine "Infinithoughts" .

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