Haridwar district

Coordinates: 29°58′N 78°10′E / 29.96°N 78.16°E / 29.96; 78.16
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Haridwar district
Hardwar district
UTC+5:30 (IST)
Telephone code01334
Vehicle registrationUK-08
Websiteharidwar.nic.in
[1][2]

Haridwar district (Hindi: [ɦəɾɪd̪waːɾ] ⓘ), also spelled Hardwar, is part of Uttarakhand, India that lies in the Doab region, where people traditionally speak Khariboli. It is headquartered at Haridwar which is also its largest city. The district is ringed by the districts Dehradun in the north and east, Pauri Garhwal in the east and the Uttar Pradesh districts of Muzaffarnagar and Bijnor in the south and Saharanpur in the west.

Haridwar district came into existence on 28 December 1988 as part of

Republic of India
.

As of 2011 it is the most populous district of Uttarakhand (out of

BHEL Ranipur, Roorkee, Manglaur, Jhabrera, Laksar, Landhaura, Dhandera, Bhagwanpur, and Bahadrabad
.

Geography

Haridwar district, covering an area of about 12.3 km per square, is in the southwestern part of Uttarakhand state of India. Its latitude and longitude are 29.96-degree north and 78.16-degree east respectively.[7]

Neel Dhara Bird Sanctuary at the main Ganges Canal, before Bhimgoda barrage, also showing signs of an ancient port.

The river Ganges flows through it in a series of channels separated from each other called aits, most of which are wooded. Other minor seasonal streams are Ranipur Rao, Pathri Rao, Rawii Rao, Harnaui Rao, and Begam Nadi.[8] A large part of the district is forested.[citation needed]

Climate

Average temperatures are mostly cooler than that of other parts of the country.

Nature and wildlife

The wooded Rajaji National Park, a wildlife sanctuary, is within the bounds of the district and is accessible through different gates; Ranipur and Chilla Gates are just about 9 km from Haridwar. Sureshvari Devi Mandir, a temple of Goddess Sureshwari, is situated in Rajaji National Park. Cheela Dam is a picnic spot with a dam and a man-made lake nearby; elephants and other wild animals could be easily spotted here.[citation needed] Neel Dhara Pakshi Vihar is a bird sanctuary, situated on the main Ganges river, or Neel Dhara, at the Bhimgoda Barrage; it is visited by bird watchers and home to migratory birds during the winter season.[9]

History

Prince Bhagirath in penance for the salvation of 60,000 of his ancestors.
Main article: Haridwar in scriptures
See also: Saharanpur division

Legends

A discourse of

The Mahabharata notes:[10]

O!
Sanatkumara regardeth that spot visited by Brahmarshis, as also the Tirtha Kanakhala
(that is near to it), as sacred.

According to

Sati are believed to have fallen at the place which is the present site of the Maya Devi Temple, Haridwar, dating back to the 11th century.[11] Daksha was later killed by Virabhadra, born out of Shiva's anger. Subsequently, the king was brought to life and given a goat's head by Shiva
.

The

Sumbha and Nisumbha were killed by goddess Chandi. This site, according to regional legend, is regarded to be at the location of the Chandi Devi Temple.[12]

Sage

Sagara, (an ancestor of Rama),[13] is said to have brought the river Ganges down from heaven, through years of penance in Satya Yuga, for the salvation of 60,000 of his ancestors from the curse of the saint Kapila.[14][15]

Vishnu is said to have left his footprint on the stone that is set in the upper wall of Har-Ki-Pauri (literally, "footsteps of the Lord"), where the Ganges touches it at all times. Devout Hindus perform ritualistic bathing here on the banks of the river Ganges, an act considered to be the equivalent of washing away one's sins to attain moksha.

Seven sages or

Bharadvaja and Gautama, are said to have meditated at the site of the Sapt Rishi Ashram and Sapt Rishi Sarovar, a place near Haridwar, where the Ganges split into seven currents, so that the rishis
would not be disturbed by the flow.

In the

Vidharba).[17]

It is said that while

Pandavas were going to Himalayas through Haridwar, prince Bhima
drew water from the rocks here, by thrusting his knee (goda) into the ground at the present site of 'Bhimagoda' situated at a distance of about 1 km from Har-ki-Pauri.

Ancient period

Archaeological findings have proved that

terra cotta culture dating between 1700 BCE and 1200 BCE existed in this region.[18]

Haridwar came under the rule of the Maurya Empire (322–185 BCE), and later under the Kushan Empire (c. 1st–3rd centuries).

It is believed that the sacred Ghat

Har ki Pauri was constructed by King Vikramaditya (1st century BC) in memory of his brother Bharthari
, who had come to Haridwar and meditated on the banks of holy Ganges and died here.

First ancient era written evidence of Haridwar is found in the accounts of a Chinese traveller, Huan Tsang, who visited India in 629 CE,[19] during the reign of King Harshavardhan (590–647). He records Haridwar as 'Mo-yu-lo', the remains of which still exist at Mayapur, a little to the south of the modern Haridwar town; among the ruins are a fort and three temples, decorated with broken stone sculptures.[20][21][22] He also mentions the presence of a temple, north of Mo-yu-lo called 'Gangadwara', Gateway of the Ganges.[21]

It is believed that Adi Shankracharya had visited this region and the existing main statue of Chandi Devi Temple was established by him in 8th century A.D.

Medieval period

Haridwar region was a part of Delhi Sultanate. The armies of Emperor Timur (1336–1405), a Turkic conqueror, had passed through this region on 13 January 1399 to attack Delhi.[23]

During his visit, first Sikh Guru,

Amar Das also visited Hardwar twenty two times during his lifetime.[27]

Mughal Emperor Akbar drank water from the Ganges river, which he called 'the water of immortality'. Special people were stationed at Sorun and later Haridwar to dispatch water, in sealed jars, to wherever he was stationed.[29]

It is said that Akbar's famous Commander-in-Chief, Raja

Asuras. The famous Kumbh Melas are held at these four sites in rotation, to commemorate the event. Thomas Coryat, an English traveller, who visited the city in the reign of Emperor Jahangir (1596–1627) mentions it as 'Haridwara', the capital of Shiva.[21]

British Raj

Head of Ganges Canal, Haridwar, ca 1894–1898.

The Ganges Canal was opened in 1854 after the work began in April 1842,[30] prompted by the famine of 1837–38.[30] The unique feature of the canal is the half-kilometre-long aqueduct over Solani river at Roorkee, which raises the canal 25 metres above the original river.

Haridwar as a part of the United Province, 1903

Post Independence period

In 1947, when India achieved independence from the

Republic of India
.

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1901329,839—    
1911311,436−0.57%
1921296,103−0.50%
1931329,914+1.09%
1941373,042+1.24%
1951427,574+1.37%
1961504,582+1.67%
1971670,764+2.89%
1981890,260+2.87%
19911,124,488+2.36%
20011,447,187+2.56%
20111,890,422+2.71%
source:[31]

Social groups

Haridwar has a multiethnic population spread across two geocultural regions: Khadar, and Bangar. A large portion of the population is

Chauhans including Van Gurjars and Khadi Chauhans classified as Other Backward Classes(OBCs).[32][33][34][35] Gurjars have villages in Jhabrera, Manglaur, Laksar, Khanpur, Roorkee, Bhagwanpur.[36] Other the Sainis have villages in Roorkee, Laksar, Bhagwanpur, and Haridwar Rural.[37] While Chauhans have villages in BHEL Ranipur, Haridwar Rural, Jwalapur and Laksar.[38]

rest of the groups are

Upper caste. Other the Scheduled Castes also have population in Haridwar.[39] jats, Punjabis, Yadavs, Gadarias are also found here in small population.[40][41]

Religions in Haridwar district (2011)[42]
Religion Percent
Hinduism
 
 64.27%
Islam
 
 34.28%
Sikhism
 
 0.92%
Other or not stated
 
 0.53%
Distribution of religions

According to the

640).[6] The district has a population density of 817 inhabitants per square kilometre (2,120/sq mi) .[6] Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 30.63%.[6] Haridwar has a sex ratio of 880 females for every 1000 males.[6]

Languages of Haridwar district (2011)[45]
  1. Hindi (87.26%)
  2. Urdu (9.66%)
  3. Others (3.08%)

The main language of Haridwar is Hindi (87.3%), Urdu at 9.7%. Khariboli and Garhwali are also spoken by small minorities.[45]

Hardwar district: mother-tongue of population, according to the
2011 Indian Census.[45]
Mother tongue code Mother tongue People Percentage
002007 Bengali 3,708 0.2%
006102 Bhojpuri 3,201 0.2%
006195 Garhwali 14,638 0.8%
006207
Gojri/Gujjari/Gujar
 2,329 0.1%
006240 Hindi 1,649,529 87.3%
006340
Kumauni
 1,805 0.1%
013071 Marathi 964 0.1%
014011 Nepali 1,055 0.1%
016038 Punjabi 15,570 0.8%
019014 Sindhi 1,094 0.1%
022015
Urdu
 182,536 9.7%
053005 Gujari 6,270 0.3%
– Others 7,723 0.4%
Total 1,890,422 100.0%

Administrative background

The Haridwar district is ringed by

Pauri Garhwal in the east, Muzaffarnagar in south and Bijnor
in the south-east. Prior to its inclusion in the newly created state of Uttarakhand in 2000, this district was a part of Saharanpur Divisional Commissionary.

The district is administratively subdivided into four

Bhagwanpur, Roorkee, Narsan, Bahadrabad, Laksar, and Khanpur.[3][46]

The district headquarters is in Roshnabad, at a distance of about 12 km from Haridwar railway station. The office of Chief Development Officer is in Vikas Bhawan, Roshnabad. The Collectorate, Vikas Bhawan, District Judiciary, S.S.P. Office, Police line, District Jail, District sports stadium, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya etc. are the prime establishments of this area. Many other administration offices like Lok Seva Ayog and Sanskrit Academy are established here.

Assembly Constituencies

  1. Haridwar
  2. BHEL Ranipur
  3. Jwalapur (SC)
  4. Bhagwanpur (SC)
  5. Jhabreda (SC)
  6. Piran Kaliyar
  7. Roorkee
  8. Khanpur
  9. Manglaur
  10. Laksar
  11. Haridwar Rural

Public representatives

The district has a single

Laksar.[3][46][47]

Current Member of Parliament (MP) from

Haridwar (Lok Sabha constituency) is Nishank Pokhriyal, and Member of Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly from Haridwar City is 'Madan Kaushik'.[47][48]

Economy

Agriculture is the mainstay of this well irrigated district. Industrialisation had commenced with the establishment of Central Government owned Public Sector plants (PSUs) of [Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Ltd (IDPL)] and

Shivalik Nagar
near Haridwar, to encourage industrialisation; with industrial giants like Hindustan Lever, Patanjali Group of companies, Dabur, Mahendra & Mahendra and Havells having moved in, it is making the desired progress. Not insignificant to the district's economy is the contribution of Hindu pilgrims who visit the holy places and attend the religious fairs in large numbers.

Education

Haridwar district has several academic institutions, covering studies in sciences, engineering, technology and advanced research in the city of Roorkee.

Education in Sanskrit based classics and Hindu religious/cultural disciplines is an age-old tradition in the district, mainly centred in and around Haridwar city. Some of the important institutions of this genre are:

  • Kumbh mela.[52][53]
  • Vishwa Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya, Haridwar. A Sanskrit University, set up by Govt. of Uttarakhand,[54] it is the only university in the world dedicated to studies of ancient Sanskrit scriptures and books. Its curriculum also covers ancient Hindu rituals, traditions and culture, and it boasts of a building inspired by ancient Hindu architecture style.
  • State Ayuevedic College & Hospital Rishikul, Haridwar, is the oldest Ayurvedic Medical College of India. It is situated near Devpura in Haridwar on the banks of Upper Ganges Canal. It is also providing postgraduate education for Ayurveda. Soon it will be transformed as the first Ayuevedic University of Uttarakhand.
  • Ayurvedic
    medical colleges in India. It is situated in Gurukul Kangri University Campus.
  • Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya: established in 2002 by the act of the Uttarnchal Government is a fully residential university. Run by Sri Vedmata Gayatri Trust, Shantikunj Haridwar (headquarters of All World Gayatri Pariwar), it provides various degree, diploma and certificate courses in areas like Yogic Science, Alternative Therapy, Indian Culture, Tourism, Rural Management, Theology (Dharm Vigyan), Spiritual Counseling etc. It also provides distance learning courses.
  • Shivalik Nagar
    , 10 km (6.2 mi) from Haridwar city. one of the Best Computer Institute in Haridwar.

Modern Ashrams are also being established in the district for imparting training in yoga and meditation to people coming now from near and far, including foreign countries of the West :

  • Shantikunj Ashram provides a 9 days camp and one month / three months courses covering yoga, meditation, art of living, scientific spirituality etc.

Religious festivals and fairs

Ganga Dashara, at Haridwar

Being a place of intense religious significance, Haridwar also hosts several religious festivals throughout the year; popular among them are the Kavad Mela, Somvati Amavasya Mela, Ganga Dashara, Gughal Mela, in which around 2–2.5 million people take part.[55]

Apart from these, there is the mammoth

holy river Ganges.[57]

Places of pilgrimage

Aarti
' at Har-ki-Pauri

Har ki Pauri: One of the holiest spots on earth for the Hindus, this ancient bathing ghat (Steps) is of prime importance. A majority of the present ghats were largely developed in the 1800s.[58]

Sati Kund: It is the well-known mythological

Sati immolation heritage situated in Kankhal
.

Daksheswara Mahadev Temple, is situated in the south of Kankhal
town and is a tribute to the legends of Sati's self-immolated and king Daksha's death and later life with a goat's head.

Sati had fallen. It is one of the few ancient temples still standing in Haridwar, along with Narayani Shila Temple and Bhairav Temple.[59]

Sapt Rishi Ashram and Sapt Rishi Sarovar, where the Ganges split herself into seven currents so that seven great sages on its bank would not be disturbed by the flow.

Bhimgoda Tank: This tank, where Bhima is said to have drawn water from the rocks by thrusting his knee into the ground, is situated at a distance of about 1 km from Har-ki-Pauri.

Chandi Devi Temple: The present temple, commemorating the ancient Chandi legend, was constructed in 1929 CE by the Dogra King of Kashmir, Suchat Singh; it can also be reached through a ropeway.

Mansa Devi Temple: The temple dedicated to Mansa Devi, a form of Shakti draws many pilgrims. There are two ways to reach the temple – trekking or it can also be reached through a ropeway.

Sarkar Sabir Pak, it is located in Kaliyar village, 7 km from Roorkee,[61][62] and is a living example of religious harmony in India; it is visited by devotees from all over the world, during the annual 'Urs
' festival, which is celebrated from 1st day (of sighting the new moon) to 16th day of Rabee-ul-awwal month of Islamic calendar.

Rama Mandir: This Rama temple is under construction at Bhupatwala and would be the biggest in size in India.

freedom fightor. He spent last twenty years of his life here, writing literature and directing activities of the organisation. Shantikunj is considered as a place of pilgrimage by millions of devotees of this global organisation
.

Transportation

Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun, 45 kilometres from Haridwar, though Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi
is preferred.

References

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Further reading

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Haridwar district.
  • Chapter XVII: Himalayas, Hardwar. India, Past and Present, by Charles Harcourt Ainslie Forbes-Lindsay. Published by J.C. Winston, 1903.
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