Pawan Dham,Haridwar,India

On our way to Haridwar we stopped at  Pawan Dham, a glass temple which one should not miss while visiting Haridwar. As the name implies,it is primarily a Hanuman Mandir(temple) but you will find almost all Hindu deities made of glass intricately carved. Also aesthetically designed glass work of deities are found on the temple wall apart from the glass idols. Thats where the beauty of Pawan Dham lies. This 

modern and untraditional temple is 2kms from Haridwar town. 

All thanks to people of Moga(Punjab) that they put efforts and money to bring up this unique temple. 

At the entry to the temple lot of puja items and gifts are sold. I found something very unique among the items; photo’s where you can see different deity from different angles. The bigger photo cost me Rs80 and the small one cost Rs40.  

HARIDWAR: Where Ganga is Revered

Haridwar, literally “Gateway to God” is one of seven holiest cities in India on the banks of Ganga. The river Ganga after flowing for 253kms from its source at Gaumukh at the edge of the Gangotri Glacier enters the Indo-Gangetic Plains of North India for the first time at Haridwar, which gave the city its ancient name GANGADWARA .It remains active and alive with its crowded markets, a multitude of temples, ashrams and ghats overflowing with pilgrims desirous of attaining salvation. A Gateway to the four pilgrimage of Uttarakhand, it is variously mentioned as Mayapuri, Gangadwar, Mokhsadwar in the ancient Hindu scriptures and epics. A major Shaktipeeth from time immemorial, the place is believed to have both sanctified by the powerful trinity of Hindu mythology - Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. This is why the place has been regarded as a venue for the purification of the mind, body and soul. According to the Samudra manthan, Haridwar along with Ujjain,Nasik and Allahabad is one of four sites where drops of amrit, the elixir of immortality, accidentally spilled over from the pitcher while being carried by the celestial bird Garuda. This is manifested in the Kumbha Mela being celebrated every 3 years in one of the four places, and thus every 12 years in Haridwar. Sanctified by the belief that visiting Haridwar during this period brings more nirvana to the Hindu soul than many years of penance and prayers do, millions of pilgrims throng the town for a dip in the holy Ganga during the Kumbh celebrations. 

 During this vacation to India, we decided to visit this sacred city and for me it was my third visit to the city. We stayed at Dehradoon, at my brother-in-laws place. Since my in-laws were also there, we decided to take them to the celestial city. We took a taxi and made a day’s visit. We visited the Bharat Mata Temple, an eight storied temple which has images of cities; heroes and great men. Our next stop was at Maya Devi Temple, known as one of the Siddhapeethas. It is believed that the heart and navel of goddess Sati had fallen at this ancient saktipeeth, located to the east of Har-ki-Pauri. Har-Ki-Pauri  is the main area and the most sacred Ghat where a holy dip is a must for every devotee. As you arrive at Har ki Pauri, you will witness a good number of long haired pilgrims, with their body smeared with ashes. At twilight, the scene become much livelier at the Ganga Aarti (worshipping the divine Ganges) is performed. Hundreds of glowing lamps and garland of flowers float along the waters of Ganges and the sound of temple bells and mantras being chanted in the background makes it a magical sight which can’t be express in words.  The ghat was constructed by King Vikramaditya in memory of his brother Bhartrihari. It is believed that Bhartihari eventually came to Haridwar to meditate by the banks of the holy Ganga. When he died, his brother constructed the Ghat in his name which later came to be known as Har-Ki-Pauri. This sacred bathing Ghat is also known as Brahmakund. We performed aarti and will never forget the experience.

On our way to Haridwar we stopped at Shanti Kunj and Pawan Dham, two worth visiting places. Pawan Dham is 2kms from Haridwar town and is a modern and untraditional temple made entirely of glass pieces. The beauty of Pawan Dham lies in the aesthetically adorned ornamental idols and glass work designed on the temple walls, which makes it a famous tourist spot. You will find almost all Hindu deities made of glass and intricately carved. It represents the rich culture and heritage of India. All thanks to people of Moga(Punjab) that they put efforts and money to bring up this unique temple. As the name implies, Pawan Dham is a holy place that should not be missed by all those aspiring to visit Haridwar. At the entry to the temple lot of puja items and gifts are sold. I found something very unique among the items; photo’s where you can see different deity from different angles. The bigger photo cost me Rs80 and the small one cost Rs40. 

Another place you will enjoy visiting is Shanti Kunj, officially known as Shri Ved Mata Gayatri Trust. It is a place of religious discipline and spiritual peace. The institute teaches and trains people on how to live a joyous life and contribute towards social reconstruction. The branches and sub-centres of the institution are not only spread across India but throughout the world. Shantikunj also has the eminence of running free schools and degree colleges in rural areas.  It is at a distance of 6 km from Haridwar Railway Station. Pilgrims come to Shantikunj to learn and practice 'Sanjeevani Vidya', the art of living. The ancient system of Ayurveda takes on a new meaning at Shantikunj. There are expert Ayurveda physicians who provide free service to the incumbents. As a part of a research, there are around 250 rare medicinal plants have been preserved. The spiritual sanatorium of Shantikunj also offers practical guidance in order to control and connect the body, the mind and the innerself. For visitors, the research institute also organises nine-day spiritual training sessions on how to bring about assimilation between spiritual science and day-to-day life. Founded and developed by Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya in 1971, it is the head-quarter of All World Gayatri Pariwar, which has more than 70 million followers all over the world. The serene beautiful complex will do wonders on you.

It is almost impossible to leave Haridwar without stuffing into your bag some of the most interesting and well-crafted items. Generally, tourists come here for a spiritual experience and therefore shopping in the holy town is not on their wish list. But once you come to know of the varieties, the quality and the craftsmanship on offer, you will definitely want to go on a shopping spree, before you leave the place. For travelers, it can also be the most unexpected souvenir shopping opportunity in Haridwar. Have some empty space in your backpack and start on your souvenir shopping in Haridwar. Intricately carved stone idols, beads, copper and brass puja utensils, glass bangles, cane baskets, purses and bags, key rings and jewellery are some of the most popular buying items in Haridwar. Also are available prayer articles, yoga books, religious CD’s and DVD’s. You will find lot of shops in the narrow lanes of the bazaar area. They are scattered all throughout Haridwar.

One of the oldest living cities, Haridwar has been in people's mind from the period of Buddha to the British advent and now even in the 21st century. Besides being a religious place, it has served as the center for learning arts, science and culture. Its unique Gurukul School of traditional education, scenic beauty, lush greenery full with Ayurvedic medicines and herbal remedies, give the place a unique charm and flavor. For the wildlife lovers, the Rajaji National Park which is 9kms from Haridwar is a must-visit place. Do plan a visit, you will surely enjoy.

Rishikesh In Pictures 1

In my earlier post I have given details about the ancient pilgrimage city Rishikesh. Now next few post will be about pictures of this 
sacred city. Let my pictures do all the talking and writing...ENJOY!

Rishikesh - Gateway to the Himalayas

"Rishikesh” the name itself brings to our mind sacredness and spiritualness. This was my third visit to this divine city. One of the holiest cities in India, Rishikesh is not just known for its religious connection but also for its beautiful landscape. Surrounded by hills (the Lesser Himalayas) on three sides and holy Ganga River flowing through it, Rishikesh is an ethereal experience. Rishikesh is the gateway to famous Chardham which are Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. In fact Rishikesh is a favorite of those coming to meditate and seek salvation. It is believed that meditation on this sacred place leads to salvation. Every year many people come here to the ashrams to meditate and gain peace of mind. The place is also very famous with foreigners who come to India in search of spiritual quest. It is famous for its ashrams on the banks of Ganga, at many such ashrams yoga is practiced and taught regularly. Such is the feeling of Rishikesh that even Beatles could not escape from the magical experience. They had visited India in 1960 to pay visit to their Guru in Rishikesh. What else works in Rishikesh's favour is its altitude (1360 metres). It is higher than other holy cities of Haridwar and Varanasi, so the water in Ganga here is cooler and cleaner. The flow of the river is stronger here and the city is less populated than others. It is believed by the Hindu’s that Rishikesh represent the site where Vishnu vanquished the demon Madhu.

During this vacation, when we visited our brother-in-law in Dehradun, we decided to visit this holy city. We took a taxi from Dehradun and it was a day visit. You will find lot of nice restaurants in this small city. Rishikesh is a vegetarian city by law, as well as an alcohol-free city. We had our breakfast at a restaurant call “Rajasthan Restaurant” situated in the Badrinath JI Road, Tapovan Saral area. We took a private guide to take us around Rishikesh. For the entire day, we payed him Rs100. We will find lot of them moving around but be sure to check their government approved identity card.

He first took us to the 1200 years old Laxman Mandir, the only one in India.It is believed that Lakshman carried out penances here. It is also believed that his brother Bharat meditated here, and there is a temple to Bharat here. Then we proceeded to Shiv Mandir, the biggest Shiv Temple in Uttarkhand. Our next destination was Badri Nath Dwarika Dhish Mandir (Lord Krishna’s temple).Its believed that if you can’t visit Badrinath then the other way to attend moksha is by visiting this temple. Just near the temple, at the chowk you will get to see a big statue of Laxman. Our guide next took us to Vishnu or Shri Narayan Mandir where the entire 24 avatar’s of Lord Vishnu is explained in writings and statues. We then moved towards the famous Laxman Jula bridge, a 450 feet long suspension bridge from one bank of Ganga to other which is the landmark of the city. It was built in 1939. The legend behind it states that Lakshman crossed a bridge made of jute ropes here on river Ganga. The view from the bridge itself is panoramic. The mountains covered in green belt, the waters flowing below, a cool breeze, all these together make Lakshman Jhula a great place to visit. You can also feed the fish in the river below from the bridge itself, the fish gather at the place where people drop food for them. The bridge gives a magnificent view of the Ganges, greeting you with the cool breeze from the river.  To take a better view of the Jhula, one can take a boat ride in the river below, the scene with Lakshman Jhula in the foreground and green mountains in the background make a picturesque view and you can also feed the fish while you are in the boat or go for river rafting. We also visited Ram Jhula, a similar structure to Lakshman Jhula. But it is a more recent addition to the city. Also known as Shivanand Jhula, it connects Shivanand ashram with Swarg ashram. Crossing Lakshman Jhula, the main temple you will see is Kailash Niketan Temple. It is a 13 storey structure slightly different from regular temples. The temple has sculptures of all the gods and goddesses.

A visit to Triveni Ghat is “a must” if you are in Rishikesh. It is the main bathing ghat where every morning several devotees take a dip in the holy waters of Ganga, to free themselves of their sins and wrong-doings. The ghat is so named because it is believed that this is the place of confluence of three holiest Hindu rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati. This is the place where River Ganga takes a complete right angle turn. The most enchanting experience here is that of the evening aarti. Scores of devotees stand on the steps of the ghat at this time. The priests perform the rituals, the golden flames come out of large pure ghee lamps (being rotated in set circular motions), vedic chants fill the air in praise of goddess of River Ganga and the conchs in the temples on the Ghat fill the air with their sound. The spiritualness in the air mesmerises one beyond expression and no matter what religion the people on the ghat belong to, their soul cannot remain untouched by this. What follows is even more spectacular. Turning the waters into golden, people float leaf boats into the river with flowers and lamps burning in them. Eyes follow these lamps as they go with the flow of the river. This small ceremony of ownership symbolizes hope, remembrance and wishes for future. As a mark of our remembrance of our visit we collected Ganga water in a white colour plastic water jar, which are abundantly available in the market. Nearby is the Rishikund or sages’s pond.  According to Hindu believes, this pond was saturated by Goddess Yamuna and it mirrors the temple of Ragunath, which is devoted to lord Rama and his wife. This is said to have been a havan kund where the holy men performed hire rituals in ancient times when the Ganga did not flow nearby. On the request of the sages Yamuna magically appeared in the Kund and have stayed there ever since.

There is another famous temple at a height of approximately 5500 feet is the temple of Nilkanth Mahdeo. It is situated at a hill top above Swarg ashram. Legend goes that this was the place where lord Shiva had drank venom which had come out from churning the sea. After drinking it, his neck had turned blue with the poison and hence he was called 'Neelkanth', the one with blue neck. To visit this most revered temple of Rishikesh, jeeps are available from Lakshman Jhula. Every year in the months of monsoon - mid July to August - fairs are held here. There is also a fresh water spring within temple complex where people take bath before paying a visit to the temple.

Known as “Yog Nagri” or “Yoga City”, Rishikesh is home to many ashrams, and most major Indian ashram, including Vivekananda, Sivananda, Osho, Bihar school of yoga, have an office there. It is a good place to experience classical Indian yoga.There is lot of places which you can attend, if you are interested. You can visit the Yoga Study Centre which is at Ganga Vihar, Tel. +91 135 431196. Bramacharya Rudra Dev, a senior Iyengar teacher, conducts lessons in a rather militaristic style and students need to move quickly to keep up. Another well known place is Yoga Niketan Ashram +91 135 430227.Located near the footbridge, classes are taught in a traditional Indian teaching style. Sri Ved Niketan Ashram, Tel. +91 135 433537/430279 is across the river on the Eastern side of the Ganges. Turn right after the footbridge and it's a five minute walk. The classes offer gentle yoga style similar to the Bihar School of Yoga and classes cover gentle warm ups for the joints, a few asanas and some pranayama. Meditation classes are offered too. There are many more prominent yoga centers but to list all of them here is not possible. Rishikesh hosts an International Yoga Festival, which is held every year in the first week of February.

If you adventurous and love rafting, trekking, rock climbing, then you can enjoy here as you will find lot of agencies providing these services.

The calmness, peacefulness, sacredness, fresh air, sound of Ganga flowing, green beautiful hilly landscape in the background, bells from the various temples(both ancient and recent), the banks dotted with many temples, ashrams and yoga centers will create an unforgettable and truly amazing experience for those that visit this ancient pilgrimage city.