Haridwar

The modern name of the town has two spellings: Haridwar and Hardwar. Each of these names has its own connotation. In Sanskrit, the liturgical language of Hinduism, Hari means Vishnu, while dvāra means "gateway". So, Haridwar translates to "The Gateway to Vishnu". It earns this name because it is typically the place where pilgrims start their journey to visit a prominent temple of Vishnu: Badrinath Temple. Similarly, Hara could also mean "Shiva". Hence, Hardwar could stand for "Gateway to Shiva". Hardwar is also a typical place for pilgrims to start their journey in order to reach Mount Kailash, Kedarnath, the northernmost Jyotirlinga and one of the sites of the smaller Char Dham pilgrimage circuit – all important places for worship for Hindus. According to legend, it was in Haridwar that goddess Ganga descended when Shiva released the mighty river from the locks of his hair. The River Ganga, after flowing for 253 kilometres (157 mi) from its source at Gaumukh at the edge of the Gangotri Glacier, enters the Gangetic Plain for the first time at Haridwar, which gave the city its ancient name, Gangadwára.

In the annotations to her poetical illustration Hurdwar, a Place of Hindoo Pilgrimage, Letitia Elizabeth Landon provides information on this name derivation, and also the story of the supposed origin of the 'River Ganges'. The accompanying plate is engraved from a painting by Samuel Prout. In sacred writings, it has been differently specified as "Kapilasthan", "Gangadwar" and "Mayapuri".

In the scriptures, Haridwar has been variously mentioned as Kapilasthana, Gangadvāra and Mayapuri.

The Ganges is a trans-boundary river of Asia which flows through India and Bangladesh. The 2,525-kilometre-long (1,569 mi) river rises in the western Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It flows south and east through the Gangetic plain of North India, receiving the right-bank tributary, the Yamuna, which also rises in the western Indian Himalayas, and several left-bank tributaries from Nepal that account for the bulk of its flow. In West Bengal, India, a feeder canal taking off from its right bank diverts 50% of its flow southwards, artificially connecting it to the Hooghly River. The Ganges continues into Bangladesh, its name changing to the Padma. It is then joined by the Jamuna, the lower stream of the Brahmaputra, and eventually the Meghna, forming the major estuary of the Ganges Delta, and emptying into the Bay of Bengal.

Read more about [Ganga](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganga).

Haridwar is headquarters of Haridwar district and it has good connectivity with the other towns of the district and the state.

National Highway 58, between Delhi and Mana Pass passes through Haridwar connecting it with Ghaziabad, Meerut, Muzzafarnagar, Roorkee and Badrinath and National Highway 74 originating from Haridwar connects it with Najibabad, Kashipur, Kichha, Nagina, Pilibhit and Bareilly. Haridwar is well connected to all major cities by bus. Buses from Delhi to Haridwar are available daily, more than 150 buses are available.

The Haridwar Railway Station located in Haridwar is under the control of the Northern Railway zone of the Indian Railways.

Located in: Haridwar, Uttarakhand.