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Har Ki Pauri (Ganga Aarti)

Haridwar, Haridwar district, Uttarakhand

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Har Ki Pauri (Ganga Aarti)
Photo: Peter and Chris Marchand (Sanatan Society), CC BY-SA 2.5

About

Har Ki Pauri is the holiest ghat of Haridwar, at the point where the Ganga leaves the hills and enters the plains. Its name means 'the steps of Hari (Bhagwan Vishnu)', and a mark on a stone here is honoured as Shri Hari's footprint. The most sacred part of the ghat is Brahmakund. Every evening at sunset, priests wave large lamps in the Ganga Aarti while bells ring and thousands sing along. Devotees float small leaf bowls with flowers and diyas on the river. Almost every pilgrim to Haridwar wishes to bathe here, and it is the main bathing place of the Kumbh Mela.

The story

When the devas and asuras churned the ocean, a pot of amrit came out. As it was carried away from the asuras, a few drops fell on the earth. Devotees believe that at Haridwar the drop fell at Brahmakund, so this spot is the heart of the Kumbh Mela held here every twelve years, and of the Ardh Kumbh every six years. Tradition says King Vikramaditya built the ghat in memory of his brother Bharthari, who had meditated on the bank of the Ganga. In later times the ghat was widened more than once, and its well-known clock tower was built in 1938. The ghat lies on a canal of the Ganga. Each year, around Dussehra, the canal's water is lowered for some days for cleaning and repairs, and it returns around Diwali. People say Maa Ganga goes to her mother's home in those days; even so, the evening aarti goes on as usual.

Visiting

Do see the evening Ganga Aarti, and come early to find a place on the steps. October to March is pleasant; summer, the Kanwar days and the Kumbh are very crowded. Keep children close in the fast current and hold the chains on the steps while bathing. Nearby are the Mansa Devi and Chandi Devi temples (by ropeway), the Maya Devi temple, and Rishikesh about 24 km away.

Festivals

  • Kumbh Mela (every 12 years) and Ardh Kumbh (every 6 years)
  • Baisakhi snan (April)
  • Kanwar Yatra in Shravan
  • The daily evening Ganga Aarti

Famous temples

Sources