A Sacred city (tirtha) on the Ganges River, about 140 miles northeast of Delhi. One of India's Seven Sacred Cities is Haridwar.
It is said that dying in one of these cities ensures one's
soul's ultimate release.
It is situated on the outskirts of the Shiwalik Hills, which
are the Himalayan foothills, and is where the Ganges is said to emerge from the
mountains and into the northern Indian plain.
Haridwar is regarded extremely sacred, as are other areas
where the Ganges makes a natural transition, and has been a pilgrimage
destination since at least the sixth century, when Chinese missionary Hsuan
Tsang recorded massive pilgrim throngs.
Haridwar's main appeal is as a bathing (snana) destination,
which attracts big people on festival days.
It has long been a popular location for conducting
asthi-visarjana, the final of the burial rituals (antyeshthi samskara), which involves
immersing the deceased's ashes in the Ganges.
Haridwar is also an important entrance to the pilgrimage
sites in the Garhwal area of the Himalayas, and it acts as an essential transit
and supply point to destinations farther up in the mountains during the pilgrim
season (April–October).
Finally, as a haven for ascetics, Haridwar has a long
history.
It is a prominent location for a number of ascetic
organizations, notably the Naga class of the Dashanami Sanyasis, who are
traders-soldiers who are Shiva worshipers (bhakta).
Many ascetics who spend their summers in the Himalayas use
it as their winter quarters.
The presence of so many ascetics has had a significant impact on the city's overall character, as seen by the hundreds of ashrams that dot the city and the bans on the sale of eggs, meat, and booze.
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