Travel And Leisure
| By : Ajit Hari Sahu | Previous | Next |
| Posted on : 31 Aug, 2005 | Total Views : 373 |
Hardwar and Rishikesh
The Har Ki Pairi Ghat marks the point where the river leaves the Himalayas..
A few kilometers east of Mussoorie and Dehra Dun, the Ganges emerges from the Himalayas and begins her slow progress to the Bay of Bengal. Hardwar, where the river enters the plains, is an important pilgrimage place (222 kilometers, or 140 miles, from Delhi and 52 kilometers, or 32 miles, from Dehra Dun). Every 12th year the annual Kumbh Mela takes place here and millions of pilgrims come to bathe in the river. The winding streets through the bazaars crowded with stalls selling every conceivable item connected with Hindu worship lead down to the bathing ghats. The Har Ki Pairi Ghat marks the point where the river leaves the Himalayas. Every evening at sunset the arti ritual is performed by priests and the river is blessed. Small divas, or lamps, are floated on the water and glide down the river.
Rishikesh, only 24 kilometers (15 miles) up the river, is a more peaceful and in some ways more pleasant town than Hardwar. On the east bank are numerous temples, interesting ashrams and ghats. A ferry operates and a suspension footbridge crosses the river at Laksman Jhoola. Many of the ashrams run residential courses in Hinduism.
