Haridwar, a sleepy city on the shores of the Indian holy river, the Ganges, is regarded as one of the seven holiest places in the country. In Hindi, Haridwar... 16.01.2010, Sputnik International
Haridwar, a sleepy city on the shores of the Indian holy river, the Ganges, is regarded as one of the seven holiest places in the country. In Hindi, Haridwar means Gateway to God, ‘Hari’ meaning God and ‘dwar’ meaning gate.
Haridwar, a sleepy city on the shores of the Indian holy river, the Ganges, is regarded as one of the seven holiest places in the country. In Hindi, Haridwar means Gateway to God, ‘Hari’ meaning God and ‘dwar’ meaning gate.
Haridwar, a sleepy city on the shores of the Indian holy river, the Ganges, is regarded as one of the seven holiest places in the country. In Hindi, Haridwar means Gateway to God, ‘Hari’ meaning God and ‘dwar’ meaning gate.
The world’s largest festival, Purna (complete) Kumbh Mela is a mass Hindu pilgrimage held every 12 years at one of four specified locations in India. This year it is held in Haridwar on the Ganges, where millions of pilgrims have come despite the cold.
At night temperatures drop to 5 degrees Celsius (41 degrees Fahrenheit), and the pilgrims are glad for any chance to get warm before dipping into the river.
The Hindus believe that going in the river during the holy festival will help them understand the spiritual essence of Man and receive redemption. The festival, which began on January 14, will run through April 28.
Many view the holy ritual as a tribute to the Great River, which starts in the Himalayan glaciers and is never more than several degrees Celsius warm. But this does not intimidate the true believers.
Meadows around the city become multicolored when Indian women hang their traditional clothing, sari (or shari), out to dry.
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Pilgrims set up camp to get warm, rest, cook and dry their clothes. Many of them will return here several more times until the festival ends in late April.
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