Saturday, May 01, 2010
Quote of the Post: "The more you dip in the Holy Ganga river, the more you will desire to dip." - Quote about Ganga and Har-Ki-Paudi - Sachin Kumar Gupta
Goddess Ganga invited us to Haridwar. I am not a preacher, but according to Hindu religion, It is said that whenever you go to any holy place with open heart, that is direct call from the almighty God. :) Haridwar itself stands for Dwara of Hari (Gateway to God).
The Panch Tirth (Five Pilgrimages) within Haridwar are, Gangadwar (Har-Ki-Pauri), Kushwart ghat, Kankhal, Bilwa Parvat (Mansa Devi) and Neel Parvat (Chandi Devi). Lords arrived here in different avatar(forms) and converted Haridwar as celestial and immortal land.
We have visited the place when Maha Kumbha Mela (celebrated every 12th year) was at its eleventh hour. Millions of pilgrims and devotees congregate here from all over the world to celebrate the holy event.
Har-Ki-Pauri (Footsteps of the Lord):
As per Hindu scriptures, Few drops of nector (Amrit) fell over this ghat(bank) when the nector jug was carried by Gods after Samudra manthan. Other holy places are Ujjain, Nasik, Allahabad where drops of immortality spilled over from the pitcher, where the Kumbha Mela is celebrated once every 3 years in any of these 4 places and after a period of 12 years. The most sacred spot where the nector fell is considered to be the Brahma Kund at Har-Ki-Pauri. It is said that ritualistic bathing on the banks of the river Ganga, is equivalent of washing away one's sins and wrong-doings to attain Moksha and heaven. People used to take round of the temple during bathe. The holy water of this sacred place is carried by pilgrims for solemn occasions.
The evening "Aarti of Ganga" is the most awaited event at this place. The whole atmosphere during that time becomes the centre of attraction as well as admiration. People chanting mantras, ear-loving sound, floating fire-lamps, flowers with different colours, all hands in air, and above all its reflection in the holy water makes it eye-catching. The other nearby places are the Temple of Ganga, Asthi Visarjan Ghat, Haricharan Temple, Brahma kund, Birla Tower.
Kankhal:
The place is most known for Daksheswara Mahadev temple. The mythological story about this place is that Daksha Prajapati, son of Lord Brahma performed a yagya and deliberately didn't invite Lord Shiva. Seeing this Sati (Lord Shiva's first wife), daughter of Daksha felt embarrassed and burnt herself in the fire of the yagna kund.
King Daksha was then killed by the demon Virabhadra, who was born out of Lord Shiva's anger. Later the king was brought to life with goat's head by Shiva. You can directly get auto (transport) from Har-Ki-Pauri, Haridwar to this place.
Chandi Devi Temple (Neel Parvat):
On the eastern bank of River Ganga, On the top of Neel Parvat is the temple of Goddess Chandi, 4 KM away from Har-Ki-Pauri. It is said that two local demons Shumbh-Nishumbh (who captured the kingdom of heaven) were beheaded by Goddess Chandi, after which this place known as Chandi Devi.
It can be reached by following the trekking route or recently introduced rope-way cable car (Udan-Khatola) service. We taken the ropeways to the God (Udankhatola) service and enjoy the scenic views of Ganga river and Haridwar. The point where ropeways service exit, has two ways, one to Chandi Devi and the other to Anjana Devi temple. (Mother of the monkey-god Hanuman) The temple is open between 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Mansa Devi Temple (Bilwa Parvat):
The temple of Mansa Devi is exactly opposite on the bank of River Ganga, on the Bilwa Parvat. It is said that Mansa and Chandi Devi, the two forms of goddess Parvati always reside close to each other. Mansa Devi literally means the Goddess who fulfills desires (wishes). Same as chandi Devi, this place can also be reached by rope-way as well as trekking route using stairs. This time we proceeded with the trek and enjoyed the pictsquare view of Har-Ki-Paudi alongwith the Ganga and Haridwar at various stops. It is one of the three such Siddh Peethas (where desires get fulfilled) located in Haridwar, the other two being Chandi Devi Temple and Maya Devi Temple.
Other Places and Temples in Haridwar:
ShantiKunj Haridwar, a serene and tranquil place, is a world in itself. BharatMata Temple, Mata Lal Devi Ji Temple, Sri Ram Temple, Shivanand Dham, Paavan Dhaam (The temple of Glass) are the temples worth to watch from ShantiKunj to Har-Ki-Paudi way. Many consciousness camp, holy preaching, spiritual campaigns, celebrations and festival like events happen throghout the year at this place.
Get, Set and Go to the Gateway to the God (Haridwar).
- Jai Gange!!!
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4 comments:
Thanks John for commenting and providing more information to other readers as well.
The haridwar city has many temples and hence it is said that is the gateway to the God. Mata Chandi Devi and Mansa Devi are the favorite places to visit when you are in the city of Haridwar. The haridwar temples are famous all over india and we can see hundreds and thousands of devotees come here to have the blessings from the God.
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Indian Vedic contribution is a reservoir of Vibrant Information and Harmonious Creativity. May the Womb of Nature Embrace all with Tranquil Blessings from this day forward. Let this attract one's attention affecting them Positively. It is a Sanctuary of the Self , a Creative Venue which serves as an Enduring Expression of Lightness, where a peaceful Atmosphere with Sunlight Flows and serene atmosphere prevail.
In the storm of life we struggle through myriads of stimuli of pressure, stress, and muti-problems that seek for a solution and answer. We are so suppressed by the routine of this every life style that most of us seem helpless. However, if we look closely to ancient techniques we shall discover the magnificent way to understand and realize the ones around us and mostly ourselves. If only we could stop for a moment and allow this to happen. May all beings be happy (Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavanthu)
The ancient Hindu philosophy of keepiing mind and body for the well being, has entered the managerial, medical and judicial domain of the world. Today it has found its place as an alternative to the theory of modern management and also as a means to bring back the right path of peace and prosperity for the human beings. Let me bow to Indian Maharishi Veda Vysa with folded hands who helped in removing the impurities of the mind through his writings on Vedas, impurities of speech through his writings on puranas, and impurities of body through his writings on other sacred texts.
The Holy Gita is the essence of the Vedas, Upanishads. It is a universal scripture applicable to people of all temperaments and for all times. It is a book with sublime thoughts and practical instructions on Yoga, Devotion, Vedanta and Action. It is profound in thought and sublime in heights of vision. It brings peace and solace to souls that are afflicted by the three fires of mortal existence, namely, afflictions caused by one's own body (disease etc), those caused by beings around one ( e.g. wild animals, snakes etc.), and those caused by the gods (natural disasters, earth-quakes, floods etc).
Mind can be one's friend or enemy. Mind is the cause for both bondage and liberation. The word mind is derived from man to think and the word man derived from manu (Sanskrit word for man).
This is the best place to travel in north India, I have
Visited this place with my parents and family. All love this place, specially aarti at the hat ki paudi . Another one Rushikesh laxman Jhula is also lovely place. This is really a family place. Feel the nature and gods beauty everywhere. We also visited neelkanth another very famous Shiv temple.
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