PILGRIMAGE TO HARIDWAR INDIA
PILGRIMAGE TO HARIDWAR, INDIA: The highway from Dehradun airport to
Haridwar has been in a state of disrepair for over seven years. One has
to drive this treacherous stretch of highway to reach Haridwar. There is
a huge army presence at the Dehradun airport and the entire area has
visible security. Haridwar is the city/town through which the river
Ganges flows. It is believed that a sacred bird (Garuda) dropped some
miraculous water at the key point in this town (Har Ki Pauri)
where thousands; and on some special occasions, millions of Hindus
congregate to perform their pilgrimage and seek salvation.By dipping in
the water of the Ganges, Hindus cleanse their physical bodies off all of
the sins allegedly committed by them and embrace a spirituality in
their lives with the hope that they will follow a path of righteousness
and commit no misdeeds thereafter. It is also through the medium of the
water of the Ganges that Hindus commune with their ancestors and pray
that their souls have attained reincarnated to a higher plane.
Visiting Haridwar is like walking onto a 1960's film set. There is very little sign of modernity and progress. The span of pedestrian bridges across the Ganges serves the purpose of carrying the throngs of pilgrims to the holy sites (ghats) on the Ganges as its turquoise waters rushes from the Himalayas through custom designed concrete river banks that channel the waters through this town. Motor vehicles are barred from the areas of religious significance. One can get around in rickshaws or on foot. The increasing number of motorbikes using the narrow pedestrian lanes through the market area is a scourge that has to be tolerated and represents one other aspect of modernity that has crept into this town. There is just one temple that is built on the banks of the Ganges in the key religious area (Har ki Pauri). Twice a day, every day, at dawn and dusk, thousands of Hindu devotees and visitors gather to view and/or participate in the auspicious aarti, an act of light and song through which the holy deities are serenaded. It is a sight to watch and an unmatched experience to participate in. During this visit one offers a container containing flowers and camphor which is lit and carefully placed in the waters of the Ganges in memory of those (usually some named members of one's family) that have passed on. I visited in Winter. During this time, the mornings are characterised by thick fog and the afternoons and evenings by smog created from the number of fires that are lit for evening cooking and for keeping warm as temperatures plummet at the foothills of the Himalayas.
Visiting Haridwar is like walking onto a 1960's film set. There is very little sign of modernity and progress. The span of pedestrian bridges across the Ganges serves the purpose of carrying the throngs of pilgrims to the holy sites (ghats) on the Ganges as its turquoise waters rushes from the Himalayas through custom designed concrete river banks that channel the waters through this town. Motor vehicles are barred from the areas of religious significance. One can get around in rickshaws or on foot. The increasing number of motorbikes using the narrow pedestrian lanes through the market area is a scourge that has to be tolerated and represents one other aspect of modernity that has crept into this town. There is just one temple that is built on the banks of the Ganges in the key religious area (Har ki Pauri). Twice a day, every day, at dawn and dusk, thousands of Hindu devotees and visitors gather to view and/or participate in the auspicious aarti, an act of light and song through which the holy deities are serenaded. It is a sight to watch and an unmatched experience to participate in. During this visit one offers a container containing flowers and camphor which is lit and carefully placed in the waters of the Ganges in memory of those (usually some named members of one's family) that have passed on. I visited in Winter. During this time, the mornings are characterised by thick fog and the afternoons and evenings by smog created from the number of fires that are lit for evening cooking and for keeping warm as temperatures plummet at the foothills of the Himalayas.
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