Haridwar: An unforgettable trip

As we ambled on a footbridge over the Ganga, an elderly couple requested us to shoot their photo. This reminded me of the time before selfies when we let strangers into our worlds for a brief moment of time, allowing them to document our precious memories. The couple posed and smiled, and I admired the orange-red sun on the horizon, lending a vivid rosy hue to the waters of the Ganga as it bid adieu.

The Ghats on the other side of the river were tranquil. Har ki Pauri is a revered pilgrim site for Hindus and a holy landmark in Haridwar. The legend goes that two of the Holy Trinity – Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu visited this site in the Vedic era. This also marks the spot where the Ganga enters the plains. – with their trinkets and wondrous toys which played such a big part in my growing up, now forgotten and not-to-be-found in the shiny malls of metropolitan India.

At sunrise and sunset, Hindu priests pay obeisance to the holy river, holding and rotating heavy fire lamps as they chant to the tune of the prayer-song playing on the loudspeaker behind them. We sat there on the Ghats, in an all-encompassing sea of humanity, the calm broken only by the collective chants of ‘Har Har Gange’!

Shopping in Hardiwar

Making our way back from the Ghats to the Gullies (by lanes), we crossed a number of hole-in-the-wall shops selling empty canisters in all shapes and sizes (to carry Ganga water back home), trinkets, religious paraphernalia, and idols of the divine. Shopping in Haridwar was not really on our agenda, but we could not help pick up a number of tiny Shivlings (a representation of Lord Shiva) cast in stone for family members.

Hoshiyarpuri: For the tasty Haridwar food

With a lot of self-control, we had resisted the many, incredible aromas of food which hit you on Haridwar’s streets. And by the time we reached the Hoshiyarpuri restaurant on the Upper Street, our hunger had scaled Himalayan heights. One tip that I advocate strongly to fellow travellers is to judge a restaurant by the number of locals you see there. And Hoshiyarpuri aced that point. A number of families were enjoying their meal and we grabbed a table. We ordered a number of dishes, not applying any discretion for our appetites or any consideration for the calories. Naans, hot pooris, creamy dal, spicy aloo sabzi, frothy lassi, and sweet kheer – this was a feast alright!