12 Best Places to Visit in Rishikesh and Haridwar
When visiting Rishikesh and Haridwar, there are countless things to do and places to see. If you don’t know where to start, worry not—here are 12 best places to visit in Rishikesh and Haridwar.
They include both popular locations and more off-the-beaten-path gems, so you’re sure to find something that suits your interests!
12 Best Places to Visit in Rishikesh and Haridwar
1) Har Ki Pauri- Haridwar
A famous ghat in Haridwar is one of the top 10 places to visit in Rishikesh and Haridwar. It is a great place for spiritual people who loves listening to chanting, prayers, and devotional music.
An evening time at har ki Pauri is always full of energy. A temple (Shankaracharya Mandir) contains an ancient sun clock called Kalasha.
2) Mansa Devi Temple, Haridwar
A holy place for Hindus, it’s situated at an altitude of 2,312 feet. This ancient temple is known for housing the goddess Mansa Devi.
The temple holds immense religious significance among devotees and is visited by a huge number of tourists every year.
It has been listed as one of the Panch Tirth pilgrimages that are sacred to Hindus. Other than Manaka Devi Temple, Chhota Char Dham also features other beautiful religious sites such as Laxman Jhula, Shri Trimurti Cave Temple, Swarg Ashram, and Bhairav Kund and Guptakashi.
3) Chandi Devi Temple, Haridwar
Chandi Devi Temple, a religious place for Hindus, is located on Kankhal road in Haridwar. The temple houses Chandi’s idol placed inside a Garbha Griha, which is made up of marble stone.
The Chandi Temple is considered one of the 108 Shakti Peethas placed across India where people from all over visit with great faith and devotion.
The rituals performed at Chandi Devi Temple are based on tantra.
4) Kankhal, Haridwar
The first place one should visit while in Rishikesh is Kankhal. It’s situated 3 km from the bus stand. Kankhal is visited by tourists for its religious significance.
In Sanskrit ‘Kanak’ means Gold and ‘Khali’ means dust, therefore it got its name from here as it has lots of temples with golden roofing.
One should never miss seeing Ugrasen ki Baoli, Shani Dev Temple, Jwalaji Temple, Saptrishi Kund, and so on while visiting here. All these temples are the best place to watch the sunset too!
5) Maya Devi Temple, Haridwar
Maya Devi Temple is located at Har-ki-Pauri, one of the holiest places in Hinduism. It is dedicated to Maya Devi, an incarnation of Parvati or Shakti.
Goddess Maya Devi was the wife of sage Vashishtha and the sister of Raj Rishi Kapil. The temple was built by Maharaja Udai Singh 2 (1542–1586).
Worshiped here as a manifestation of Sati (the goddess who took up flames when her husband Shiva died), she is celebrated with prayers and festivals throughout India.
A dip in the Holy Ganges River at Har-Ki-Pauri after taking bath at Maya Devi Temple is said that cleanses all sins done by you from birth till now.
6) Sapt Rishi Ashram, Haridwar
The ashram is situated at a distance of 3 km from Kankhal and 3.2 km from Theur on Dehradun-Rishikesh Road.
It is located near the Ganges River but is comparatively away from the daily hustle-bustle of city life. The place is named after eight great saintly persons who were prominent among sages in the Vedic era.
The ashram was established by a renowned scholar, Swami Nigamananda Saraswati, a spiritual leader who believed that man’s spirituality should be based on purity rather than rituals and practices.
He used to read Puranas and teach it to his students at Sapt Rishi Ashram during his student days.
Places to visit in Rishikesh in one day 12 Best Places to Visit in Rishikesh and Haridwar
7) Laxman Jhula & Ram Jhula – Rishikesh
Laxman Jhula & Ram Jhula is the first preference of tourists to visit from the 12 Best Places to Visit in Rishikesh and Haridwar.
Located on Ram Jhula Road, Laxman Jhula is a suspension bridge that connects Shivanand Ashram on one side with Lakshman Mandir on the other.
This Bridge was built across River Ganges using iron chains. Thousands of devotees come here every day to meet Lord Vishnu, who is believed to reside in Lakshman Temple.
Laxman Jhula has several attractions along its stretch that are worth a visit while you are holidaying here.
The restaurants here offer delicious food items and traditional Uttarakhandi cuisine. It is advisable not to wear high-heeled shoes when walking across the bridge because of a large number of hawkers selling their products along with it to tourists.
8) Neelkanth Mahadev Temple
Neelkand Mahadev Temple is the Second Top preference to visit among the 12 Best Places to Visit in Rishikesh and Haridwar.
It is Located 2,200 meters (7,218 feet) above sea level in Uttarakhand, India is a temple devoted to Neelkanth or Lord Shiva.
The temple was built by Adi Shankaracharya in memory of his mother. It stands on top of Trikuta Hill. In Sanskrit, tribute means three peaks and refers to each of its three stories high where Shiva resides.
9) The Beatles Ashram
The Beatles Ashram is a popular destination for anyone visiting Rishikesh. It is located in Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s former home, where George Harrison and John Lennon lived during their time spent there meditating.
This historic building was transformed into a tourist attraction after being left abandoned for over 50 years.
It offers wonderful views of Valmiki Nagar from its main balcony, which The Beatles once stood upon while composing songs for their album Sgt.
Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. It is also where The Beatles’ final concert took place before they traveled back to England after many months of meditation with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
10) Swarg Ashram
Founded by Adi Shankaracharya, one of India’s most revered sages, Swarg Ashram is a picturesque town on the banks of the river Ganga.
It is here that he started his pilgrimage which led him to many places across India. There are many temples including those dedicated to Lord Shiva, Kali Ma, Ganesh, and Adi Shankaracharya himself.
The serene ambiance has a healing effect on all who visit it. It also serves as an important tourist spot with its legendary floating ashram which attracts a large number of tourists from around the world each year.
11) Kaudiyala
Located on a hill at an altitude of 2000 meters above sea level, Kaudiyala is about 3 km from Dehradun.
The best time to visit here is from November to March when winters are at their best. The view of snow-clad peaks from Kaudiyala is breathtakingly beautiful.
Hikes through forests are also very popular here during these months. Another important thing that you can’t afford to miss while visiting Kaudiyala is the Diwali celebrations.
There’s a beautiful festival ground right opposite Kaudiyala Railway Station where you can enjoy Diwali with your family, friends, and loved ones!
This tourist spot has direct trains available only between New Delhi and Dehradun.
12) Rajaji National Park
Located in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, Rajaji National Park is known for its rich biodiversity. It is spread over around a 582 sq km area.
The park has a beautiful landscape that resembles a hill station with dense forests and many lakes. The tiger safari can be enjoyed here and also a drive-through from Jim Corbett National Park.
Apart from wildlife spotting, a visit to Rajaji national park provides adventure activities like rock climbing, rappelling down waterfalls, mountain biking, etc…
This Concludes Tropic on the 12 Best Places to Visit in Rishikesh and Haridwar.
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