My Trip to Haridwar & Rishikesh

Feb 21st, 2010

We left Delhi by car via Ghaziabad, ModiNagar, Meerut, Muzzafar Nagar, Rourkee and then to Haridwar. We arrived in Haridwar at 10.30 am after a 4 hour drive including a breakfast stop at Cheetal Resorts before Muzzafarpur Bypass road. This is a good place to stop for rest and food. They have some very interesting sign boards inside the premises.

This is the time of khumb Mela and the traffic was quite busy between Rourkee and Haridwar. We stopped for a few minutes at the Patanjali Yogapeeth Ashram of Baba Ramdev. Impressive place.

We then went to Khankal to see the only Lingam in the country made of Mercury. It was at the Harihar Ashram where a Rudraksha Tree is also there. Under that tree are the 12 Jyothirlingas. Abhishek at this Mercury Lingam is only allowed on Shivarathri day.

We went to Har-ki-Pawdi and had a dip in the Ganges. The water is very cold right round the year. On a previous occassion I was there in August and the water was equally chilled.

Around 3pm we made our way to Rishikesh. It is indeed a beautiful place and the River Ganga is stunningly beautiful. We visited Sivananda Ashram and spent a few hours there. We were told the 6pm Ganga Aarthi is a sight to watch. However, we were involved in a meeting with a few swamis. We decide to go back there in April / May to spend a week and then visit Neelkant, Gangotri and Badrinath. Came back to Haridwar at around 7.30pm.

We also happened to visit an Ashram of an Aghori Baba near Haridwar, who offered to perform Yagna and then take us to the cremation grounds. We just didn't have time as we were heading back to Delhi. Very interesting person to talk to.

Went to Veer Bhadra Mandir near Bairaj colony. I think its actually Barrage Colony named after the barrage that came up close to that area.

Left Haridwar at 11pm after attending a wedding reception in Khankal.