About Haridwar City

History

A paradise for nature-lovers, Haridwar presents kaleidoscope of Indian culture and civilization. Haridwar also termed as ‘Gateway to Gods’ is known as Mayapuri, Kapila, Gangadwar as well. The followers of Lord Shiva(Har) and followers of Lord Vishnu(Hari) pronounce this place Hardwar and Hardwar respectively as told by some. It is also a point of entry to Dev Bhoomi and Char Dham (Four main centers of pilgrimage in Uttarakhand) Viz. Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri.

Legendary king Bhagirath is said to have brought the river Ganga from heaven to earth in order to provide salvation to his ancestors. It is also said that Haridwar has been sanctified by the presence of three Gods; Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. Lord Vishnu is said to have his foot print on the stone that is set in the upper wall of Har-Ki-Pauri where the Holy Ganga touches it all the times . Devout believers feel that they can go to heaven by getting their salvation after a dip in the sacred Ganga at Haridwar.

Haridwar is also one of the four places; where Kumbh Mela occurs after rotation of every twelve Years and Ardh Kumbh after every six years. It is said that drops of Amrit (Elixir) fell in to the Brahmkund of Har-Ki-Pauri, therefore considered that a dip in the Brahmakund on this particular day which is very auspicious and when Jupiter (Brahaspati) comes to the sign Aquarius (Kumbh) once in every twelve years the Maha Kumbh fair is celebrated at Haridwar. Yet beyond the mystic aura and mythology, Haridwar casts another magic spell on the visitor. Being one of the oldest living cities, Haridwar finds its mention in the ancient Hindu scriptures as it waves through the life and time stretching from the period of the Buudha to the more recent British advent. Haridwar has not only remained the abode of the weary in body, mind and spirit, but also served as centre of attraction for many, for learning the arts science and culture. Haridwar’s long standing position as a great source for Ayurvedic medicines and herbal remedies as well as its unique Gurukul school of traditional education, the scenic beauty and lush greenery…all give the city unique flavors and charm; a must among the sojourn centers in a discoverer’s intinary of Uttarakhand – A destination for all seasons.

Haridwar is one of the first towns where Ganga emerges from the mountains to touch the planes. And that’s why the water is crystal clear and cool. Lush green forests and small ponds add to the scenic beauty of this holy land. The Rajaji National Park is just 10 kms from Haridwar. Its an ideal destination for wild life and adventure lovers. In the evening the ghats look breathtakingly beautiful as thousands of diyas (lamps) and marigold flowers float and illuminate the holy waters.

Haridwar as today has not only religious importance but it has another temple of modern civilization i.e. BHEL, a ‘Navratna PSU’ to its credit apart from Integrated Industrial Estate(IIE) established at Haridwar under SIIDCUL spread in total area of about 2034 acres. The IIT Roorkee(Earlier Roorkee University) at Roorkee is one of the oldest and prestigious institute of learning in the fields of science and engineering. Another university of the district i.e. Gurukul having vast campus is giving traditional educations of its own kind.

How to Reach

By Bus

Haridwar can easily be reached from Delhi, Haryana, UP, Punjab and other parts of Uttarakhand. State transport and private buses can easily be reached from Haridwar from all these places. Visitors can board these buses based on their appropriate time.

By Train

Haridwar railway station in Haridwar is under the control of Northern Railway area of Indian Railways. It has direct links to major cities of India like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Indore, Jaipur, Ahmedabad but it does not have direct connection to the major cities of central India.

By Air

The nearest domestic airport is Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun, which is located 37 km from Haridwar. Indira Gandhi International Airport is the nearest international airport in New Delhi.

Religious Places

Har ke Pauri

This sacred Ghat was constructed by King Vikramaditya in memory of his brother Bhartrihari. It is believed that Bhartrihari eventually came to Haridwar to meditate by the banks of holy Ganga. When he died, his brother constructed a Ghat in his name which later came to be known as Hari-Ki-Pari. This sacred bathing ghat is also known as Brahmakund. The reflection of golden hues of floral diyas in the river Ganga is the most enchanting sight in the twilight during the Ganga Arti ceremony. Attending the Ganga Arti which is performed here

Chandi Devi Temple

The temple of Chandi Devi atop the Neel Parvat on the other bank of river Ganga was constructed in 1929 A.D. by the king of Kashmir- Suchat Singh . It is 3 kms. trek from Chandighat . Legend has it that the army chief Chanda-Munda of a local demon King Shumbh- Nishumbha was killed by goddess Chandi here after which the place got the name Chandi Devi . It is believed that the main statue was established by the Adi Shankracharya in 8th century A.D. One can reach here by Trolley through ropeway or on foot. Ph. no. of ‘Udan Khatola’ (Ropeway) is 01334-220324, Time-8.30 AM to 6 PM.

Mansa Devi Tample

The temple of Goddess Mansa Devi& is situated at the top of Bilwa Parwat .Here one statue of the Goddess has three mouths and five arms while the other statue has eight arms. The beautiful view of the city can be seen from this place. The temple can be reached by trolley through ropeway or on foot.

Daksha Mahadev Tample

The ancient temple of Daksha Mahadev is situated in the south Kankhal town .The mythological story about this place is that King Daksha Prajapati, father of Sati (Lord Shiva ‘s first wife) performed yagya at this place. Daksha Prajapati did not invite Lord Shiva and Sati felt insulted . Therefore she burnt herself in the yagya Kund . This incident provoked the disciples and followers of Mahadev who killed King Daksha, but later on Lord Mahadev brought him back to life. Daksha Mahadev temple is thus a tribute to this legend.

Bhimgoda Tank

This tank is at a distance of about 1 km from Harki Pairi. It is said that while Pandavas were going to Himalayas through Haridwar, Bhim made this tank with the blow of his knee.

Sapt Rishi Ashram

It is said that Ganga had split herself in seven currents at this place so that the Sapt(seven) Rishis worshipping there would not be disturbed.

Maya Devi Temple

This is an ancient temple of Maya Devi the Adhisthatri deity of Haridwar, known as one of the Siddhpeethas. Said to be the place where the heart and navel of goddess Sati had fallen.

Other Place of Interest

Haridwar has several other beautifully made Ashrams/temples of significance such as ShantiKunj, Jairam Ashram, Bhuma Niketan, Bharat Mata Mandir, Vaishnav Devi Temple, Radha Krishan temple, Shravan Nath Math, Pawan Dham, Doodhadari temple, Bilkeshwar Mahadev temple, Shahi Gurudwara, Parmarth Ashram, Prem Nagar Ashram, Ma Anand Mai Ashram etc. All of these places are worth seeing.

Best Accommodation

Accommodation

Apart from the Rest house of Tourism Department, there are plenty of good ashrams, dharamshalas and hotels in the city for stay of tourists. Some are-

Tourist Bungalow (Alaknanda), Haridwar Ph. 226379, 223787
Rahi Motel, Near Bus stand, Haridwar Ph. 226430, 228686
List of Hotels and Dharamshalas

Culture & Heritage

Haridwar is one place where fairs are being organized with full enthusiasm round the year, such as somwati amavasya, Karthik Poornima, Shrvan Poornima, Ganga Dussehra and other important bathing dates of Hindu calendar. The Kanwad Mela during the month of Shravana is Very popular among masses in which lacs of devotees of Lord Shiva come to Haridwar to take holy water of river Ganga. Apart from these, Kumbh mela and Ardh Kumbh mela ate interval of 12 and 6 years respectively do not need any introduction. District administration had also organized ‘Haridwar Mahotsava’, a 3-4 day cultural festival on the bank of river Ganga and Ayurveda Mahotsava’. Besides this ‘Urs’ is organized annually at the holy dargah of Piran Kaliyar in which people of all sects participate and pray for their well being. Following table shows month wise festivals/fairs arranged in this district and approximate no. of visitors to them.

About Kumbh

The origin of the Kumbh is very old and dates back to the time when Kalasha (pot of nectar of immortality) was recovered from Samudramanthan (during the churning of the primordial sea), for which a tense war between Devtas (Gods) and Asuras (Demons) ensued. To prevent the Amrita Kalasha being forcibly taken into possession by Asuras, who were more powerful than Devtas, its safety was entrusted to the Devtas Brahaspati, Surya, Chandra and Shani. The four Devtas ran away with the Amrita Kalasha to hide it from the Asuras. Learning the conspiracy of Devtas, Asuras turned ferocious and chased the 4 Devtas running with Amrita Kalasha. The chase, lasted 12 days and nights during which the Devtas and Asuras went round the earth and during this chase, Devtas put Amrita Kalasha at Haridwar, Prayag, Ujjain and Nasik.To commemorate this holy event of the Amrita Kalasha Amrita being put at 4 places, Kumbh is celebrated every 12 years.According to other Pauranic legends, actual fight took place between Devtas and Asuras resulting in the Amrita Kalash being knocked, out of which (Nectar) fell down at the above 4 places.

The Religious Importance

The festival is religiously most important for the Hindus. At every Kumbh occassion, millions of Hindus take part in the celebrations. During 2003 Kumbh at Haridwar, more than 10 millions devoteed gathered at the site. Saints, priests, and yogis from all corners of India, gathered to participate in Kumbh. Haridwar is considered very holy, due to the fact that Ganga enter plains from mountains here itself. The festival is visited by the most amazing saints from all across India. The Naga Sadhus are one such, who never any cloth and are smeared in ash. They have long matted hairs and are not at all affected by the extremes of heat and cold. Then there are the Urdhwavahurs, who believe in putting the body through severe austerities. There are the Parivajakas, who have taken a vow of silence and go about tinkling little bells to get people out of their way. The Shirshasins stand all 24 hours and meditate for hours standing on their heads. Spending the entire month of Kumbh on the banks of Ganga, meditating, performing rituals and bathing thrice a day, are the Kalpvasis. It is believed that bathing during Kumbh cures the bather of all sins and evils and grants the bather, salvation. It is also believed that at the time of Kumbh Yog, the water of Ganga is charged with positive healing effects and that water at the time of Kumbh is charged positively by enhanced electromagnetic radiations of the Sun, Moon and the Jupiter, the flux of which also varies in accordance to positions and the phases of the moon, and also by the + and – signs of the sun spots

Haridwar Collectorate

Haridwar district came into existence on 28th Dec. 1988. Prior to its inclusion in the newly created state of Uttarakhand, this district was a part of Saharanpur Divisional Commissionary. The district is headed by District Magistrate/District Collector/Deputy Commissioner. The district headquarter is situated in the Roshnabad, at a distance of about 12 kms from railway station. Good transport service is available in the form of local bus, tempo (vikram) to reach Roshnabad. The Collectorate, Vikas Bhawan, District Judiciary, S.P. Office, Police line, District Jail, District sports stadium, District navodaya Vidyalaya etc. are the prime establishments of this area. The district is administratively subdivided into four tehsils i.e. Haridwar, Roorkee,Laksar ,Bhagwanpur and six development blocks i.e. Bhagwanpur, Roorkee, Narsan, Bahadrabad, Laksar and Khanpur. The subdivisions are headed by Sub Divisional Officer, normally called SDM. Each subdivision serves the purpose of general, criminal and revenue administration of the district. For development works, a chief development officer (CDO) is posted at district head quarter who heads a team of Block Development Officers at blocks. The office of CDO is located in Vikas Bhawan at Roshnabad. The Collectorate play a pivotal role in the District administration. Collector in the Cadre of I.A.S. and heads the District. For maintaining Law and Order in his jurisdiction a collector acts as District Magistrate.

Tehsil & Blocks

Haridwar district is administratively subdivided into four tehsil:

Tehsil

Haridwar
Roorkee
Bhagwanpur
Laksar

Haridwar district divided into six development blocks:

Block

Bahadrabad
Bhagwanpur
Roorkee
Narsan
Laksar
Khanpur

Village & Panchayats

Blockwise no. of panchayats and villages are as :

Sl.No.	Block Name	No. of Nyay Panchayat	No. of Gram Panchayat	No. of Villages
1	Bahadrabad	11	72	151
2	Roorkee	8	49	116
3	Bhagwanpur	8	53	87
4	Narsan	9	61	123
5	Laksar	7	50	113
6	Khanpur	3	23	53
Total		46	308	643

District Police

Senior Superintendent of Police
District Office Roshnabad, Haridwar Phone : 01334-239109, Control Room(Haridwar):01334-239100, 265876, Control Room(Roorkee):01332-272896 Toll Free:100, Mahila Helpline:1090 , E-Mail: ssp-har-ua[at]nic[dot]in

Email Directory

Sl.No.	Name of Officer	E-mail Address
1.	District Magistrate	dm-har-ua[at]nic[dot]in
2.	Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP)	ssp-har-ua[at]nic[dot]in
3.	Chief Development Officer (CDO)	cdo-har-ua[at]nic[dot]in
4.	Chief Medical Officer (CMO)	cmo-har-ua[at]nic[dot]in
5.	District Development Officer (DDO)	ddo-har-uk[at]nic[dot]in
6.	Project Director, DRDA	pd-har-ua[at]nic[dot]in
7.	Sr. Treasury Officer, Haridwar	treas-har-ua[at]nic[dot]in
8.	Treasury Officer, Roorkee	treas-roo-ua[at]nic[dot]in
9.	District Economics & Statistical Officer (DEStO)	dsto-har-ua[at]nic[dot]in
10.	District Excise Officer	dxo-har-uk[at]nic[dot]in
11.	District Supply Officer	dso-har-uk[at]nic[dot]in
12.	District Police Control Room	dcr-har-ua[at]nic[dot]in
13.	Exam Controller, Uttarakhand Public Service Commission	ec-psc-ua[at]nic[dot]in
14.	Mela Officer, Kumbh Mela Haridwar	melaofficer-har-uk[at]nic[dot]in
15.	Chief Agriculture Officer(CAO)	caohar-agri-ua[at]nic[dot]in
16.	Chief Veterinary Officer(CVO)	cvo-har-ua[at]nic[dot]in
17.	Chief Education Officer(CEO)	deohar-edu-uk[at]nic[dot]in
18.	Executive Engineer, RES	eeres-har-uk[at]nic[dot]in
19.	GM, District Industries Centre	gmdic-har-uk[at]nic[dot]in

Industries in Haridwar


SIIDCUL, a Government of Uttarakhand Enterprise, was incorporated asa Limited Company in the year 2002 with an authorized share capital of Rs. 50 Crores and Rs. 28.50 Crores paid up capital through Government of Uttarakhand in order to promote Industrial development in the State, provide financial assistance in the shape of debt, equity, venture capital, develop infrastructure and assist private initiative in Industry and Infrastructure and implement, manage projects and provide specialized financial, consultancy and construction and all such other activities to promote industries and develop Industrial Infrastructure in the State of Uttarakhand directly or through Special Purpose Vehicles, Joint Ventures, assisted companies etc.
BHEL, Haridwar has two manufacturing plants, Heavy Electricals Equipment Plant (HEEP) and Central Foundry Forge Plant (CFFP). It also has a Pollution Control Research Institute, PCRI. The Heavy Electricals Equipment Plant is one of the major manufacturing units of BHEL. The core business of HEEP includes design and manufacture of large size steam and gas turbines, turbo generators, heat exchangers, condensers and auxiliaries. The Central Foundry Forge Plant (CFFP) is engaged in manufacture of large size Castings and Forgings of various types of steels like alloy steels, creep resistant steel and supercritical grade steel. The Pollution Control Research Institute (PCRI) provides services in the field of Environmental Management and Pollution Control in the areas of air, water, noise and solid waste.

Information Source Reference: https://haridwar.nic.in

Haridwar City