Haridwar Attraction : Har ki Pauri Haridwar

Har ki Pauri is one of major ghat on the banks of the Ganges in Haridwar. It is one of the most famous and most visited sites of Haridwar. It is a major landmark in Haridwar, Uttarakhand.

Location : Har-Ki-Pauri is situated on the banks of the River Ganges in Haridwar.

Har ki Pauri Haridwar

About Har ki Pauri 

Har ki Pauri is also known as Brahmakund and it believed to be the exit point of the Ganges from the mountains and entry into the plains. King Vikramaditya was built this ghat in memory of his brother Brithari. Brithari came to Haridwar and often meditated on the banks of river Ganga. After the death of Brithari, King Vikramaditya was constructed a Ghat in his name.

Literally the "Har" means is "Lord Shiva", "ki" means "of" and "pauri" means "steps". Some people believed that  Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu, two great Hindu Gods, appeared in the Vedic era at this sacred place. There is a large footprint said to belong to Lord Vishnu on a stone wall. Some people believed that Lord Brahma performed a yagna at this place.

Every day, Har Ki Pauri ghat witnesses hundreds taking a dip in water of the Ganges. Every evening after sunset, Ganga Aarti (prayer) performed by the priests that takes place at Har Ki Pauri and it provide the highly enchanting and divine experience. People gather on both sides of the banks of the river to sing its praises. In evening  Ganga Aarti,  priest hold large fire bowls in their hands, the gongs in the temples at the Ghat start ringing and chants sung together by the priests. At this time a large number of people present there. After the ritual, lamps are seen floating on the river. The scenario at Har Ki Pauri at the time of Ganga-Aarti is eye catching. 

Har-Ki-Pauri is also a venue for performing several religious rituals such as  'mundan','upanayan' , 'shraddha' and 'asthi visarjan' which are carried throughout the year. After every 12 years,  Haridwar also serves as the venue for the Kumbh Mela. During the time of Kumbh Mela millions of people take holy bath in the Ganges to attain salvation. 

Temple 

Other Attraction of Har ki Pauri is 2 famous temples, Ganga Mandir and Haricharan Mandir. 

History

In 1st century BC, King Vikramaditya was built this ghat in memory of his brother, Bhatrihari. Millions of pilgrims throng this ghat to take a dip in the sacred river. According to a popular belief, it is said that a dip in the holy water of this ghat relieves a person of all his sins. Har ki pauri is famous for Ganga Aarti, a holy ritual of offering prayers to the Ganges. 

Best time to visit 

You can visit Har Ki Pauri any time but best time to visit Har Ki Pauri is during the summer months March till June, when the days get hot and the nights are pleasant.