Haridwar, Uttarakhand

Why this place matters

Haridwar means the gateway to Hari (Vishnu), and also to Hara (Shiva), because it is the starting point of pilgrimages to Badrinath and Kedarnath. It is where the Ganga leaves the Himalayan foothills and enters the plains. The old texts also call the area Gangadwara.

Haridwar is one of the four places of the Kumbh gathering. Many families who cannot travel far, or who are on their way to or from the hills, choose it for Tarpan and Shraddha because it is easier to reach than Gaya and offers a flowing, clean stretch of the Ganga. Tradition holds that offerings made here reach the ancestors.

Rituals performed here

• Kushavarta Ghat: The ghat most associated with Shraddha and Pind Daan in Haridwar. Many priests sit here to guide pilgrims.
• Har Ki Pauri: The famous bathing ghat and site of the evening aarti. Tarpan and the immersion of ashes are also done in the Ganga here. Check current rules about where certain offerings are allowed.
• Narayani Shila: A sacred stone, with a temple, associated in tradition with Narayan Bali and Pind Daan for ancestors whose last rites were incomplete or whose deaths were untimely. Practices vary by family and lineage. Ask a qualified priest.

The usual order is a bath, Sankalpa, Tarpan, then Pind Daan or Shraddha with a priest. Many pilgrims also make charitable offerings (dana). For the general method see the Tarpan vidhi and Pind Daan vidhi guides on this site.

Best time to visit

Traditional occasions. Every Amavasya, especially Somvati Amavasya, Pitru Paksha and Sarva Pitru Amavasya, is kept here. Makar Sankranti and the Kumbh years (a twelve-year cycle, with the Ardh Kumbh in between) draw enormous crowds.

Practical season. February to April and October to November are the most comfortable. December and January are cold at dawn, especially on the river. May and June are very hot. In the monsoon, from July to September, the river is high and fast, ghats may be restricted, and landslides on hill roads can disrupt onward travel. In Shravan, the month of the Kanwar pilgrimage, millions of pilgrims arrive, and roads close; avoid it unless you are joining the Kanwar.

Planning your visit

Haridwar has hereditary priests who keep family records, and pilgrims are traditionally connected to a priest by region or ancestral village. Ask your elders if your family has a regular Haridwar priest, and look for the matching registers (vahi) he keeps.

• Book through an official or well-reviewed channel, and agree on the scope of the rite and the dakshina (dakshina = the priest's offering) before beginning. Avoid touts who approach you at the railway station or on the bridges and insist you must pay for a special service.
• A standard Tarpan and Shraddha takes a few hours to half a day. Add a second day for Narayani Shila rites, if your family's custom includes them.
• Getting there: Haridwar Junction is a major railway station connected to Delhi and other cities. The nearest airport is Jolly Grant near Dehradun, about an hour or more by road. Rishikesh is a short drive to the north.
• What to wear and carry: clothes for bathing and a dry change, a towel, sandals, a warm shawl in winter, a hat in summer, water, and a small waterproof bag. The Ganga is cold and fast, so a firm hold on the chain at ghats is wise.

Practical tips

• The river current is strong even where it looks calm. Use the chains provided and keep children and older relatives close. Take care at Har Ki Pauri during crowded hours.
• The main canal is sometimes closed or drained for maintenance, which can change the bathing arrangements. Ask locally before travelling.
• Prebook hotels and dharamshalas (dharamshala = pilgrim guesthouse), especially for Amavasya, Pitru Paksha and Kumbh years.
• Accessibility is mixed: main ghats have steps and railings, but crowds are heavy at peak hours. Ask your priest about quieter ghats for elderly pilgrims.
• Official information is posted by the Haridwar district administration, the Uttarakhand government and, for Kumbh years, the Mela administration. Check there for notices.