Haridwar

Where the Ganga reaches the plains

Haridwar sits at the point where the Ganga leaves the Shivalik hills and spreads out onto the plains. For Hindus it is one of the seven holiest cities, and it is one of the four places that host the Kumbh Mela. Most visitors come for a single ritual: the evening Ganga aarti at Har Ki Pauri, when priests swing large brass lamps over the water and thousands of small leaf-boat lamps float away on the current.

The shape of a visit

The town runs along the river in a long strip. The old centre around Har Ki Pauri, Bara Bazaar and Upper Road is where pilgrims stay, eat and shop. Two goddess temples sit on the hills either side: Mansa Devi on Bilwa Parvat above the bazaar, and Chandi Devi on Neel Parvat across the river. Both have cable cars, and most people do them together in one morning. South of the centre is Kankhal, a quieter old quarter with the Daksheswara Mahadev Temple. North, on the road towards Rishikesh, is the eight-floor Bharat Mata Mandir.

A dry, vegetarian town

Meat, eggs and alcohol are not sold around Har Ki Pauri. A bylaw dating from 1935 bans them within about 5 km of the ghat, which covers almost everywhere a visitor goes. In 2026 the municipal corporation moved to shift the remaining meat shops out of the city ahead of the Ardh Kumbh. Food here means puris, kachoris, chaat, thalis and sweets, and many kitchens also cook without onion and garlic. The food guide and where to eat pages cover the bazaar classics.

The river is not a swimming pool

The Ganga at Har Ki Pauri moves fast and stays cold even in summer. The chains and railings along the bathing steps are there to hold onto. Stay inside the railed areas and keep children within reach. In the monsoon the river runs high and brown, and the administration warns people away from the banks when levels rise.

When the crowds come

October to March is the comfortable season. Two events change the town completely. In Shravan (July–August), the Kanwar Yatra brings millions of Shiva devotees to collect Ganga water, and the Delhi–Haridwar highway is closed to normal traffic for the peak days. And from January to April 2027, Haridwar hosts the Ardh Kumbh. See what's on and the best time to visit before you book.

Getting there

Haridwar Junction has direct trains from Delhi and most of north India. The nearest airport is Jolly Grant, near Dehradun, about 35 km away. Rishikesh is roughly 25 km up the river, and many people see both towns on one trip.