Haridwar is the gateway to the four pilgrimages of Uttaranchal. It’s also your starting point on the journey to the sacred sources of the rivers Ganga and the Yamuna. According to legend, Prince Bhagirath performed penance here to salvage the souls of his ancestors who had perished due to sage Kapil’s curse. The penance was answered and the river Ganga trickled forth from Lord Shiva's locks and its bountiful water revived the sons of King Sagara. In the tradition of Bhagirath, devout Hindus stand in the sacred waters here, praying for salvation of their ancestors.

General Information

Population: 14,44,213 (2001 census).

Area: 12,302 sq km.

Altitude: 294.7 m.

Accessibility

Air        : The nearest airport is Jolly Grant, Bhaniawala, Dehradun, 41 km. Deccan Airlines services from Delhi. Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi (220 km)

Rail    : Connected with all important cities of India viz., Bombay, Delhi, Agra, Howrah, Varanasi, Allahabad, Ujjain, Amritsar, Dehradun, Lucknow, etc..

Major trains are:
4309 / 4310 Ujjain-Haridwar-Dehradun.
2019 / 2020 Bombay-Haridwar-Dehradun.
4041 / 4042 Delhi-Haridwar-Dehradun.
4265 / 4266 Varanasi-Haridwar-Dehradun.
3009 / 3010 Howrah-Haridwar-Dehradun.
2017 / 2018 Delhi-Haridwar-Dehradun.

Road: Haridwar on National Highway no. 45 is well connected to all major cities and other parts of the state viz. Delhi (214 km), Agra (386 km), Ambala (168 km), Badrinath (325 km), Dehradun (52 km), Kedarnath (250 km), Saharanpur (81 km), Nainital (286 km).

Local Transport Services: Private bus services, tempos (vikrams), auto rickshaws, tongas, cycle-rickshaws and taxis.