Haridwar, Rishikesh - A trip to Devbhoomi

Haridwar/Hardwar is a paradise for pilgrims & nature lovers as it presents a kaleidoscope of Indian culture and civilization. It is the gateway to the four pilgrimages of Uttarkhand – Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, Yamnotri. It is also one of the four venues for the Kumbh Mela, held in its magnitude every twelve years – the other three being Nasik, Ujjain & Allahabad. Haridwar/Hardwar literally means 'The gateway to the Gods'. If you can see that the name is spelled in two ways - "Dwar" means entrance whereas "Har" means Shiva and "Hari" means Vishnu, basis the believers who believes it to be the land of Shiva or Vishnu (an age long debate that still remains undecided). The Ganga leaves the mountains and enters the plains here. Maa Ganges doesn't lose its rapids fully nevertheless it becomes terribly quiet and calm here. It's aforesaid that taking bath here purifies the soul,clear all past sins and opens the approach for the last word freedom, Nirvana.

I had been to Haridwar/Hardwar several times during my childhood with my family, however, this is the first time on my own. We took the afternoon Shatabdi from New Delhi Railway Station and reached Haridwar around 9 pm. We took an auto from the railway station to our hotel "Holy Basil" - an elegantly furnished nice hotel. Would like to mention the heavenly chilli potatoes and the sweet Shikhanji that you get to taste here.

Next morning, after breakfast, we hired a cab to visit Rishikesh. Located in the lap of the lower Himalayas, Rishikesh is surrounded by the scenic beauty of the hills on three sides with the Holy Ganga flowing through it. It is about 20 km from Haridwar/Hardwar and is one of the first towns where Ganga emerges from the mountains to touch the plains and that’s why the water is crystal clear and cool. Though just 45 mins away, Haridwar/Hardwar and Rishikesh are very different is their entire look and feel. Whereas Haridwar/Hardwar thrives on Indian pilgrims and religious beliefs, poojas, donations, Rishikesh apart from the religious aspect, is also acquiring greater significance as a center for white water rafting, revering sports, a base for treks and hikes in the beautiful Garhwal Himalayas. 

While some may ascribe the increasing popularity of Rishikesh to the booming worldwide interest in yoga, in fact people have been gathering at this confluence of nature since the dawn of time to pray, meditate, chant and imbue the peaceful valley with eons of sacred energy. We crossed the river by Lakshman Jhula which is a 450 feet long iron suspension bridge on. You get beautiful view of the river Ganges and the far away mountains of the bridge. The thirteen storey Raghunathji Temple can be seen from the jhula. It teems with foot traffic, scooters, cows and monkeys.  

We walked through the narrow streets and then took a 'Vikram' (a large auto) to Ram Jhula (the second bridge constructed years later to balance the two way traffic). We had lunch at the famous choti wala restaurant where a Choti wala guy is at the entrance welcoming you. The vegetarian thali was simple but delicious and as I told my mom later, I can become a vegetarian if I get food like that on a daily basis. 

There is a feeling in Rishikesh unlike anywhere else. The vibe is both relaxed and reverent — and consequently attracts genuine Hindu devotees and gurus as well as western hippies and spiritual devotees. I wished we had more time to spend here, however, since we just have one day in Devbhoomi, had to rush back Haridwar/Hardwar to reach well before time for the famous Ganga Aarti which commences when the sun sets every single day. On our way back, we spotted a huge statue of Lord Shiva about 1/2 km from the main ghat. 

After that, we headed straight to the Har Ki Pauri ghat. You can see a bustle of activity on the ghats. The place was swarming with people of all shapes and sizes. The river was flowing in full force. It was amazing to see people taking a dip in the cold water amidst the strong tides. The barriers of caste and creed had disappeared with people from all echelons of society uniting on the lap of Maa Ganga. This is just the magic of faith which takes away fear and all other negativities from the mind of people. Many babas are seen sitting in corners, hoping to get some donations from the devotees. 

We managed to get ourselves a place right across the river, where we we would get the perfect view of the Ganga Aarti.  Men in blue uniform move around with a receipt book, collecting donations that will be used for conducting the Aarti. People keep walking in all directions trying to find a good place to sit or stand. Hawkers sell wick lamps or diyas to float in the Ganges. A pack of diya comes fully equipped and is self-sufficient! It has a wick lamp surrounded by flowers. There is even a matchbox to light the lamp, so you don’t need to run around looking for one! Two incense sticks also come with it and the whole thing is assembled in a bowl like pack made of stitched leaves.We dipped our feet in the water and also got pulled into offering a small puja and float the diyas in the holy river which ended in paying money to the pandas. 

While we were waiting for the Aarti to start, the sky became overcast and it soon it started raining heavily. The plastic sheets which we had spread to sit on was used as a cover by the waiting crowd. All of us kept praying hard that the rain stops and we get to see the Aarti. We are leaving tomorrow and don't want to miss this world renowned spectacle at any cost. The rain gods answered our prayers and soon the weather cleared. The ghat was crowded with bustle of the people. Many can be seen splashing water onto their faces and heads, while others are busy floating leaf diyas in her waters and some just find content by standing transfixed with hands folded and heads bowed down in prayer. The chit-chatter amongst the crowd who had occupied the ghat has risen substantially and so has the anticipation for the Ganga aarti to commence. Yet, with all this chaos around, surprisingly it was amazing peaceful to sit there & experience the Ganges. Beyond the mystic aura and mythology, Haridwar/Hardwar can cast a magic spell on any visitor and we spent a couple of hours soaking in the beauty of the peaceful and serene, yet strong and vibrant Ganga. 

Evening time for Ganga Aarti is approximately 05:30 PM in winter and 06:30 in summer. This is the most amazing and soul touching spectacle. A large number of people gather on both the banks of river Ganges to sing its praises. Initially the evening puja happens for about 30 minutes with different ceremonies being performed. During the entire time, the pujaris keep chanting the mantras while couple of them offered milk, colored powders, fruits to the holy river. 

After that the Ganga Aarti begins. The aarti takes place facing the river. The lamps are lit and circled around by the pandits (Hindu priests) in a clockwise manner, accompanied by chanting or songs in praise of Mother Ganga. The idea is that the lamps acquire the power of the deity. After the ritual is complete, devotees will cup their hands over the flame and raise their palms to their forehead in order to get the Goddess's purification and blessing. The golden hues of floral diyas reflected in the river Ganges present the most enchanting sight. 

The flames of the 21 aartis… the hymns being chanted… the synchronized ringing of the bells… the view of almost 50,000 people seated along both the sides of the Ganges…. the golden reflection of floral diyas in the river… all together formed a mesmerizing and enchanting sight. It was once in a lifetime experience and would remain etched in our memories forever.