Har Ki Pauri

Getting there

• By air

  The nearest airports are Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun and Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi.

• By train

  The nearest railway station is Haridwar Junction (HW).

Why devotees come here

Har Ki Pauri is a sacred ghat on the Ganges in the holy city of Haridwar, Uttarakhand. It is believed to be where the river leaves the mountains and enters the plains. Pilgrims come here for the evening Ganga Aarti.

It is believed to be the spot where the river Ganges comes down out of the hills onto the plains. Its name is said to mean the feet of Vishnu, or Hari. The ghat is on the west bank of the Ganga canal, where the river is diverted just to the north. Devotees consider Brahmakund, the most sacred spot inside the ghat, to be where drops of Amrit fell. Legend says Garuda carried a pitcher of Amrit after the Samudra Manthan.

King Vikramaditya is said to have built the ghat in the 1st century BC. He did it in memory of his brother Bharthari, who came to meditate on the bank of the Ganges. The ghat has changed many times since. After a crush at the Kumbh Mela in 1819 killed 430 people, the British government widened it to 100 feet and added 60 steps. It was extended again in 1938 and 1986, and the landmark clock tower was built in 1938.

The evening Ganga Aarti takes place at Brahmakund, with lamps set on the water to drift downstream. Pilgrims also float diyas made of leaves and flowers on the river as a sign of their hopes and wishes.

Festivals

• Every twelve yearsKumbh Mela

  One of the great pilgrimage festivals held at Har Ki Pauri. The Ardh Kumbh Mela, a half Kumbh, comes every six years.

• Every AprilVaisakhi

  A harvest festival that Punjabi pilgrims celebrate here.

• July to AugustShravan

  Devotees gather in large numbers to seek Shiva's blessings, and Kanwar Yatra pilgrims set out from here.

Tips for your visit

• Stroll the ghat area to see local culture and try the street food.
• Go to Brahmakund, inside the ghat, for the evening Ganga Aarti.

Questions people ask