We had already visited Haridwar before, but as we had time, we did the usual sightseeing in Haridwar – Har ki Pauri, evening aarti, etc.
Prachin Ganga and Bhagirath Temple at Har Ki Pauri
Ganga Ghat
Lamp about to be floated
Evening Ganga Aarti
Mobile bakery on a road of Haridwar. We enjoyed freshly baked, tasty sugar biscuits/cookies.
Finally, it was time to head back home. We couldn’t complete the yatra, but whatever we got to see was memorable. I was naïve to expect the temples to be quiet, quaint and peaceful because they were in such remote places. But, they do not differ from any other shrines in India, when it comes to crowd, lack of cleanliness and lack of order. It is the region that they are situated in that has a unique charm that is hard to explain in words. Even though facilities have increased manifold, this is still a tough yatra. Still thousands of people go for it with strong faith and devotion. But, the same people who push and shove in the temple to get darshan of goddess, do not hesitate a bit before throwing use-and-throw rain poncho in the physical incarnation of the same goddess – Plastic which may not decompose for hundreds of years. Hinduism is considered the religion that is closest to the nature, as every element of nature is worshipped in it. But, it felt that this very beautiful aspect of the religion itself is causing harm to the elements being worshipped because of wrong practices. Is that why the weather gets so harsh in winter that temples need to be closed and the place becomes quiet and radiates peace so that nature can recuperate?
Random Walk in the World 