Rishikesh & Haridwar, the Ganges enters the plains!

The river Ganges, the goddess Ganga to millions of Hindus, with its glacial sources in the highest regions of the Himalayas, considered the abode of gods, descends to the great Indo-Gangetic plains at Rishikesh and Haridwar. At both places the river is "greeted" by the devout at temples and ghats strung out on its banks............the river will go on through the heart of the north Indian plains and Bangladesh, for some 2500 kilometers before its waters empty in the Bay of Bengal.

Rishikesh is 25 kilometers from Haridwar, and at an elevation of 1750 feet the place where the Ganges leaves the Himalayas. Rishikesh is mentioned in the ancient sacred book, the "Skanda Purana" as the place where the great god Vishnu appeared as Lord Hrishikesh to a rishi (wise holy man), pleased at the severe penance done by this sage.

Later, Lord Rama, (an avatar -reincarnation-of Vishnu) who had spent 14 years, in exile, roaming through the forests of ancient India, on one word from his father to do so, spent time doing penance at Rishikesh for killing the evil king Ravana of Sri Lanka.

Rishikesh is also famous as a center of yoga.

Haridwar, 25 kilometers downstream from Rishikesh, is sacred to Hinduism as one of four places where heavenly nectar spilled by Garuda, a divine bird, fell here- the other three places are Ujjain, Nasik and Allahbad. As with the association of Vishnu with Rishikesh, He also left his sacred imprint here, thus designating it a place of pigrimage.

Haridwar considered one of the oldest cities in the world, attested by archeology finds from 1700 B.C.E. and part of the Maurya and Kushan empires, is mentioned by the Chinese traveller Huan Tsang.

Here, at Haridwar, family lineage records, in the form of scrolls, are preserved and updated for the past several centuries by "pandits" ( learned Brahmins-priests) who have maintained this tradition for generations, passing on the work from father to son.

Haridwar has also developed into a modern township with headquaters of India's prestigious industrial unit Bharat Heavy Electricals here.

First 3 pictures -Rishikesh; rest of the pics-Haridwar.
Haridwar-getting there.
Rishikesh-getting there.