India has long been fabled as the land of rooted culture for its unshakable faith in religion. To experience this, there is no better place than Haridwar, a mystical city located at the foothills of Himalayas. It is recognized for being one of the sites of famous Kumbha Mela. Resting on the banks of Ganga River, devout flock throughout the year to take a holy dip and offer prayers. Every inch of the city is dotted with beautiful temples that enchant the travelers. The main landmark is Har ki Pauri, a sacred ghat where the grand Ganga Aarti is an unmissable event.
Also referred to as Brahmakund, it is the ghat serving as the symbolic landmark of the city. The significance lies in its sacred location on the bank of Ganga River. It is a common sight to see people taking a holy dip and offering a flower and incense carrying leaf on the water. The best time to visit is during the evening when the famous Ganga Aarti is conducted. The chanting of mantras by priests, sound of musical instruments like cymbal and bells, and feel of the cool river air touching your face is a soothing experience.
If you start to count the number of temples in the city, you are likely to lose count. Of these, one of the must-visit is the Maya Devi Temple, dedicated to Goddess Maya, the patron goddess of Haridwar. Earlier, the city was called Mayapuri in relation to the worshipped goddess. It is said that the heart and navel of Goddess Sati fell here, making it one of the Shaktipeeths. Do visit this temple and find out more interesting facts from the locals and priests here.
As the name suggests, it is one of the ancient temples dedicated to Goddess Chandi. It is located on a hilltop of Neel Parvat, in Shivalik range. The main idol of Chandi Devi is said to be installed in the 8th century by Adi Shankaracharya. To reach the temple, you can either take the 3 km trek followed by numerous stairs or ride the cable car. People who come here also visit the nearby Anjana Temple, dedicated to mother of Lord Hanuman. See the age-old idols, take blessings and capture the fabulous bird’s eye view of the city from the top.
The repository of city temples keeps fascinating offering beauty and peace. Make your way to yet another beautiful Mansa Devi Temple, devoted to Goddess Mansa Devi. It sits on the top of Bilwa Parvat on the Shivalik Hills of Himalayas. Mansa means wish, which reflects its popularity for fulfilling wish by the goddess. You will enjoy the route which is also connected with a ropeway. Enjoy the stunning city view from a staggering height while riding the cable car.
The temple is unique from all others as it is dedicated to Bharat Mata (Mother India). It was built in 1983 comprising eight-stories and was inaugurated by Indira Gandhi. You will enjoy its quaint presentation of the journey of India from time immemorial. Right from the Ramayana till today, you will find all the legendary heroes, gods and goddesses. The prominent attraction is the statue of Bharat Mata on the first floor. Other exhibits include the statue of famous freedom fighters, saints of different religions, the shrine of Lord Shiva and various incarnations of Lord Vishnu.
By Air- Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun is the nearest airport that offers domestic air connectivity to all major cities.
By Rail- Haridwar Railway Station is the main railway station that offers regular trains to all parts of the country.
By Road- It is well-connected by an extensive network of roads.
MarcoFrance1965
UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE !
I just came back from a 12 days Rajasthan tour. It was just myself and my 14 year olde daughter. I found Caper surfing the web and had non suggestion from friends and had never read comments or reviews about it. Totally "blind-choice". I was very lucky. The organization was really excellent. The agent that followed us, Mr. Praveen Juyal did a great job. I decided our itinerary and he punctually gave me suggestions on the best management of my choices. The hotel choice was fine and confirmed expectations. We had tour guides in every site seeing location and they were all extremely professional, very punctual and really kind and polite.
But I must say that what made the trip even better was our driver; Mr. Deshraj.
One of those persons that you really wish you could meet once in your life. Not only an excellent driver but always helpful, respectful and friendly. He explained us many things about Indian life along the journey and sometimes stopped for short breaks in beautiful places on the road that were not even mentioned in the guide books. My only regret is that at the end of the trip I didn't have much money left and I left a tip probably not adeguate for the kind of service but I will definitely send him try to sort this maybe in a next trip. Thank you very much Caper and Deshraj.
Dreamer802943
A Memorable Trip
We recently concluded a 12 day driving tour of New Delhi, Agra and Rajasthan with Caper Travel. It was most enjoyable !! The logistics arrangements were excellent - from tour planning , hotel selection , vehicle condition to driver. Mr Alok handled the planning, and Mr Vikram was our Tempo driver throughout the journey. Mr Vikram was very helpful , accommodating and patient throughout the tour, despite long hours of driving on the roads ( not to mention India traffic}. We would not hesitate to recommend Caper to our fellow travellers who are thinking of visiting India. Thank You Caper !
goochie33, London, United Kingdom
Golden triangle goa and mumbia
Just come back from an amazing 2 week trip to India. First we done the golden triangle which we chose to do the train trip from Delhi to Agra a must you have to do if not just for the experience. All the cities were wonderful but be prepared to see lots of temple one seems to run into another but wow the taj was my highlight along with the Hindu temple in Delhi. The driving the cows the dogs are everywhere are all an experience. Goa was beautiful we stayed at the taj exotica. In mumbia we done a city tour and ended our trip in the taj for afternoon tea another must. It is a exhilarating trip but one I will never forget. From booking with Manika to all the drivers and guides they were always there to meet us from the airport and hotels on time. They really looked after us thank you all.
Aileen M
Wonderful trip
We have just returned from our first trip to India and we must say it was absolutely fascinating. The itinerary was first class and covered everything we could have wished for. On arrival we were met by a very nice rep and driver who took us to our hotel and sorted out the necessary paperwork with us. We had our driver Vishan for our time in the north and he was terrific, kept the vehicle spotless and kept us supplied with water. We then flew to the south of India and met up with our driver Suhdeer who again was very nice and very informative about things as we drove along. The guides we had on all our trips were excellent and again very informative.
The only down side to it all was that in our package we paid for the drivers accommodation, food and allowance only to find out that the drivers don’t receive this money and if they want accommodation they have to pay for it themselves. We ended up paying one of our drivers an amount for the nights that we had him for him to get somewhere to sleep and food as we were concerned that if he slept in his car he wouldn’t be rested enough to take on the next day driving for 4-5 hours.
All in all Caper Travel are excellent in their planning and can’t fault them for that.
Urquiola, New York City, New York
Caper travel
Recently traveled to India on a private guided tour with Caper Travel. Ms. Mumtaz Khan worked with me on arranging my itinerary.
She was always available to answer all my concerns immediately. On my arrival in Delhi I was welcome with warm smile at the airport by a young gentleman name Kapol Joshi . My experience with the company was amazing and I would highly recommend to anyone traveling to India.
I would also like to mention the personal attention I received at Amritsar by Aman Shara and his lovely wife who welcomed me and my son to their home
and soon to open their beautiful hotel.
Any Query? Please write us at info@india-travel-packages.in
