More than anything, it was Hinduism which fascinated me in India. In fact, my restless soul received the much needed solace at Haridwar, a place which has been held in reverence by the Hindus for centuries.

Located in the foothills of the Himalayas, Haridwar represents the point where the holy river Ganges reaches the plains. Temples and ashrams dotting this town create the ambience of a totally different world and as I reached the town I was lost in a sea of devotees. Though I was completely a stranger to this environment, yet it didn’t take much time for me to acclimatize.

Haridwar represents one of the two gateways to the Himalayan pilgrimage shrines of Badrinath and Kedarnath, the other being Rishikesh. The pilgrimage to the Himalayan shrines begins only when the sun reaches the zodiac sign of Aries. From my co-pilgrims I came to know that Haridwar is also the site of celebration of the Kumbha Mela, held once in twelve years, when Jupiter transits to the zodiac sign of Aquarius.

I couldn’t resist myself from taking a holy dip at the sacred bathing spots in Haridwar. They are five in number- Gangadwara, Kankhal, Nila Parvata, Bilwa Theertha and Kusavarta. The main ghat at Haridwar is known as Hari-ki-Pairi . It is famous for a footprint, believed to be of Lord Vishnu, which is engraved on a stone in one of the walls.

Close to the ghat lies the Gangadwara temple where I took part in the Ganga Aarti, celebrated at 7 pm every night. The aarti ceremony is performed in all temples at the same moment. I found scores of devotees thronging the ghats at Hari-ki-Pairi to participate in this occasion. Immediately after this ceremony I made offerings of earthen lamps and flowers to the river as others did. I was awe-struck at the sight of hundreds of miniature lamps floating along the river. It was spectacular!