Behind the wheel & Contributor

Vinod Kumar...know more about me

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Weekend trip Haridwar

Haridwar is the gateway to the Char Dham Yatra of Uttarakhand (Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath. It is regarded as one of the seven holiest places to Hindus. Located on the banks of the holy river Ganga, the place exudes positivity, vibrance and peace. Much than a spiritual tour, a dip in the holy river itself is invigorating and refreshing. So like most of us, we too frequent the holy city every now and then, as a weekend trip and our stay is mostly in UP Tourism Hotel Alaknanda, as it has a private ghat, and bathing, changing clothes are easier. The ghats give you the chance to walk along till Har-ki-Pauri with the glimpse of life along the ghats and the blaring bollywood inspired bhajans.

Route map Delhi to Haridwar

Delhi - Haridwar

Total distance - 209 kms

Time taken - 3 - 4 hours as we started at 5:30am.

Route taken - NH 58

Started early by 5:30 am and being a sunday the roads were empty. We quickly reached NH-24 in just 30 minutes. Just after crossing the Hindon river there is a NH-58 by pass which goes via Raj Nagar Extension. The road is 4 laned and in good condition. This road merges with NH58 13 kms ahead. The road then till Meerut bypass has patches of bad road and of course big pot holes. Traffic in this section was slow with a fair amount of cars & trucks.

Once we hit Meerut bypass, things changed, the roads were 4 laned and we could mantain a consistent speed of 100+. Meerut to Muzaffarnagar may be around 55 odd kms with a toll of Rs 45, took hardly 40 minutes to cross. Just after Muzaffarnagar again back to single lane undivided road. By 08:45 we reached Roorkee.

Took our breakfast break at Radision Dhaba. Hot Alu paratha and tea was refreshing. After a break of 45 mins resumed the journey by 10am we are at Hotel Alaknanda. Had to wait for 30 mins as the rooms were not ready - the check in time was 12:00 hrs. It was cloudy with a slight drizzle now and then. The mighty Ganges was in its mighty form, muddy and ofcourse icy. It was not a deterrent for our water enthusiastic kids as they changed and plunged in the water, pulling us in too.

Hotel Alaknanada


The ghats


The view from the ghats




View from the rooms


After the bath we had a walk along the ghats to reach Chotiwala restaurant in the market. The roads were crowded which signalled that there is quite a downpour of tourists this weekend. The food as usual was enjoyable, and the menu as in any case was fixed - deluxe thali. The ropeway to Mansa devi was choked and it had to be stopped said a friend of ours whom we co-incidently met in the market waiting for some black tickets to be arranged by the guide. We didnt venture much into the market as again it was crowded and humid.

View from bridge


Kids having fun time




An idol beneath a tree


Markets




Ganga devi temple


Chotiwala


Mansa devi temple


Queue for ropeway


Back had a nap and decided not to make it to the Ganga arti at Har ki pauri instead have a visit to the nearest ghat (Makarvahini Ganga Devi Mandir) and attended the arti. After the arti we walked to Har ki Pauri assuming the rush would have cooled down by now. Had our dinner at Mohanji puriwale. Their Puri - chole, malpua - halwa are simply awesome. Had a cycle rikshaw back to the hotel room. The next day morning it was raining, hence we thought it wise to leave as soon as possible. After breakfast at around 10.00 we started our return journey and the entire stretch was raining. Reached Delhi at 02:20 pm.

Glimpses of the evening walk








Ganga arti










Har ki pauri