Har Ki Pauri

Haridwar's holiest ghat

Har Ki Pauri means the steps of Hari. Tradition says King Vikramaditya first built them in memory of his brother Bharthari. Brahmakund, the tank at its centre, is where drops of amrit are said to have fallen. That makes it the focus of every Kumbh and the place most pilgrims come to bathe. The water here runs in a channel off the main river, fast and cold, between the steps and a small island ghat opposite.

The evening aarti

Shri Ganga Sabha, which manages the ghat, holds the aarti at sunset: around 5:30 pm in winter and later in summer. Priests on the steps of Brahmakund raise multi-tiered brass lamps to the river while bells ring and the crowd sings. Pilgrims float small leaf boats of flowers and a lamp, called diyas, on the current. It lasts about 30 to 45 minutes. A shorter, quieter aarti is held around sunrise.

Where to stand

The steps at Brahmakund fill an hour before the aarti, and from there you mostly see priests' backs. For a face-on view, cross to the island ghat or stand on the bridges looking back at Brahmakund. People sit packed together on the steps. Pick a spot near an exit if you are with children or elderly family, and agree a meeting point in case you get separated.

Bathing safely

The chains fixed along the steps are there for a reason: the current will pull you off your feet. Hold them, stay inside the railed area and keep children within arm's reach. Never bathe when the river is high in the monsoon. Changing cubicles stand along the ghat.

When it changes

In most years, the channel is closed for cleaning between Dussehra and Diwali and the water drops to a trickle. On Kumbh bathing days and in the Kanwar Yatra, the police control entry and the crowds are far larger.