Haridwar & Rishikesh Trip by Cab
Nestled in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand are the two most spiritual cities of India, Haridwar and Rishikesh. They are famous for its ancient temples, ashrams, the holy water of the Ganges river that flows through them and the spiritual aura that the cities emit. These two cities are hardly at a distance of 20 km from one another which makes most tourists travelling from the capital city opt for a One Day Delhi to Haridwar & Rishikesh Trip by Car.
Delhi being the capital of the country with a rich history, diverse culture, opportunities to shop, experiment with various cuisines, and being a vantage point for various weekend getaways, finds its way to many tourists’ starting point. The duration required to reach Haridwar from Delhi is approximately 4.5 hours via NH334, covering a distance of roughly 220 km.
Nicknamed as the “twin national heritage cities”, Haridwar & Rishikesh are visited by thousands of devotees every day who come here to wash away their sins by taking a dip in the Ganges river, to perform the last rituals of their loved ones, get their wishes fulfilled or simply being close to nature.
Additionally, Rishikesh has a lot of adventure activities to offer that instantly makes it famous among adventure enthusiasts. Be it river rafting, cliff jumping, swimming in a natural pool, bungee jumping and so many more. If time permits, one can always opt for such sports as per their preference during their One Day Delhi to Haridwar & Rishikesh Trip by Car.
The rather narrow lanes of these twin cities are always busy with something or the other happening. These cities are also a paradise for a foodie’s palate with a variety of Indian snacks and sweets available at every nook and corner.
What to Expect
In your One Day Delhi to Haridwar & Rishikesh Trip by Car, explore more about Hindu Mythology and reconnect with your inner self, let the mystical aura of the city dwell into you and take back memories that you can rekindle years later.
Our cars from oneday.travel will be accompanied by professional drivers who will pick you from your place of accommodation in Delhi. We will start our journey early in the morning to cover most places of interest in a convenient fashion. Our cab drivers will also assist you in your local sightseeing in Haridwar & Rishikesh.
We will first visit Haridwar. Here our first stop would be the Har Ki Pauri Ghat which is one of the holiest banks on the banks of the river Ganges. After taking a holy dip here, we will visit the three most important temples of Haridwar, namely, Maya Devi, Mansa Devi and Chandi Devi.
While Maya Devi is on the river banks, both Mansa Devi and Chandi Devi are on a hilltop. All of these temples are ‘Siddh Peeth’, meaning, temples that fulfil one’s wishes and desires. Before we leave for the yoga town of Rishikesh, we will make the last stop to Bharat Mata Mandir that is dedicated to Mother India.
From here we will head to Rishikesh and our first stop in Rishikesh would be the Beatles Ashram. From here we will visit the Laxman Jhula and then take a small boat ride to reach the Parmarth Niketan Ghat where we will also attend the evening aarti.
On our way back, we will walk across the Ganges river via the Ram Jhula and then head back to our cab. We will then depart for Delhi and your car from oneday.travel will drop you to your place of origin.
Places to visit during your One Day Delhi to Haridwar & Rishikesh Trip by Car
1. Har Ki Pauri Ghat
Literally meaning the ‘Footsteps of Lord Vishnu’, Har Ki Pauri Ghat is supposed to be extremely sacred because Lord Vishnu & Lord Shiva themselves visited this place. One can find the place crowded with men, women and children who come here from all across the country to atone themselves of their sins. It is said that every Hindu must visit this place once in their lifetime.
As per legends, Garuda, the vehicle of Lord Vishnu had accidentally spilt ‘Amrit’, (drops of immortality) at a spot in this ghat, which is known as the Brahma Kund. This is also the spot where the morning and the evening aartis take place.
- Things To Do: Take a dip or simply splash water from the Ganges river. You can even take some water back home from the river (Gangajal) in a container to be used for religious ceremonies.
- Timings: Open all-day
- Entry Fee: Free
- Recommended Duration: 1 Hour
2. Maya Devi Temple
This ancient temple is dedicated to Goddess Maya who is known for being three-headed and four-armed. Maya Devi Temple, despite being snuggled in the narrow lanes of Haridwar attracts a lot of crowd for being one of the 51 Shakthi Peeth. The navel of the Goddess Sati fell here, making it one of the most visited temples of Haridwar.
Its complex is yellow and red in colour and within it, one can also find an idol of Goddess Chamunda Devi & a shrine of Goddess Sheetala Devi.
- Things to Do: One must pray to the idol of Goddess Maya adorned with garlands, sindoor and a silver crown. On its sides are two other idols, one of Goddess Kamakhya and the other of Goddess Kali.
- Timings: Open on all days of the week from 6:30 AM – 12:00 PM, 3:00 PM – 9:00 PM
- Entry Fee: Free
- Recommended Duration: 20 Minutes
3. Chandi Devi Temple
In your One Day Delhi to Haridwar & Rishikesh Trip by Car, we will take a ropeway to reach the Chandi Devi Temple which rests on the Neel Parvat. If one is coming for a longer duration, they can even choose to trek for about 3 km to reach the temple.
Dedicated to Goddess Chandi Devi, an incarnation of Goddess Parvathi, this temple has an intriguing story. It is said that two demons, Shumbha and Nishumbha were trying to overthrow the gods. They prayed day and night and Goddess Parvathi upon listening to their prayers, took the form of Goddess Chandi Devi to defeat the demons. She then took rest at this hilltop where the temple has been built. Due to this reason, this temple is also said to fulfil the wishes of those who pray to Goddess Chandi Devi with full devotion.
- Things To Do: Do take Darshan of the presiding deity and enjoy the spectacular views of Haridwar with the Ganges river flowing through the city from the hilltop.
- Timings: Open on all days of the week from 6 am to 8 pm.
- Entry Fee: Free
- Recommended Duration: 30 Minutes
4. Mansa Devi Temple
Next, we will be visiting the third and last ‘Siddh Peeth’ temple of Haridwar, Mansa Devi Temple which is on the Bilwa Parvat.
Dedicated to Goddess Mansa Devi, most tourists visiting the temple tie a thread around a tree in the temple symbolising the making of a wish. When their wishes are fulfilled, they return to the temple to untie the thread.
- Things To Do: Take darshan of the two unique idols of Mansa Devi. One has eight arms while the other has three heads and five arms.
- Timings: Open on all days of the week from 5 am to 8 pm.
- Entry Fee: Free
- Recommended Duration: 10 Minutes
5. Bharat Mata Mandir
This eight-storey temple is dedicated to Mother India and was inaugurated in 1983 by the then Prime Minister of the country, Late Indira Gandhi. Each of these eight floors has a different theme and in totality, the temple takes you through the various significant mythological episodes and historical scenes of the Indian Independence Movement.
The first floor has a 3D map of India. It also boasts of a statue of a Hindu Goddess with four arms. The statue is a personification of the country.
The second floor which is known as the ‘Shoor Temple’ is dedicated to the freedom fighters of India such as Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, Subhash Chandra Bose, Rani Laxmi Bai etc. The third floor which is termed as the ‘Matra Mandir’ is dedicated to all motherly women figures who contributed during the national struggle like Meera Bai, Savitri etc.
The fourth floor is named as the ‘Sant Mandir’ which is a tribute to saints such as Kabir, Tulsi Das, Gautam Buddha, Sai Baba etc and the fifth-floor has scenes from the two epics, namely, Ramayana and Mahabharata.
The sixth floor which is known as the ‘Shakti Temple’ is dedicated to the various female goddesses like Goddess Laxmi, Goddess Saraswati, Goddess Durga, Goddess Parvathi, etc.
The seventh floor is constructed in honour of Lord Vishnu and his ten incarnations while the eighth floor boasts of a Lord Shiva temple. From the top one can also view the great Himalayas.
- Things To Do: Go through each of the floors and see India unite as one at the Bharat Mata Mandir during your One Day Delhi to Haridwar & Rishikesh Trip by Car.
- Timings: Open on all days of the week from 5:00 AM – 9:00 PM
- Entry Fee: Free
- Recommended Duration: 30 Minutes
6. The Beatles Ashram
After completing our Haridwar Sightseeing Tour, we will head to Rishikesh, where our first stop would be The Beatles Ashram. The ashram is amidst Rajaji National Park and is surrounded by natural flora and fauna which adds to the aesthetics of this place.
Earlier known for being a centre of silent meditation, this place gained fame when three members of the rock band ‘Beatles’ came here to compose their songs. This ashram was abandoned since the 1990s and was only reopened as a gallery as an ode to the Beatles in 2015.
- Things To Do: This place is a must-visit even if one is not a Beatles fan, one can still opt for taking a beautiful nature walk.
- Timing: Open on all days of the week from 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Entry Fee: Rs.150 for Indians and Rs.650 for foreigners
- Recommended Duration: 30 Minutes
7. Laxman Jhula
As opposed to popular perception, Laxman Jhula is not a swing but a suspension bridge that acts as a crossover across the river Ganges and connects the two villages of Tapovan and Jonk.
Despite being temporarily closed, this temple is worth a visit owing to the story associated with it. It is said that Lord Laxman had crossed the river using 2 jute ropes and as a tribute, this bridge was built in 1924.
- Things To Do: There is a temple dedicated to Lord Laxman, located at the base of Laxman Jhula which one can visit to pay him their respects.
- Timing: Open all-day
- Entry Fee: Free
- Recommended Duration: 10 Minutes
8. Parmarth Niketan Temple
Next in our One Day Delhi to Haridwar & Rishikesh Trip itinerary is the Parmarth Niketan Temple which is on the western ghats of the Ganges river. We will take a small boat ride to cross the river which in itself is a mesmerising experience.
The ghat boasts of a stunning big white statue of Lord Shiva in a meditating position, that’s built on the river. We will reach here by early sunset to be able to view the changing colours of the sky as the sun goes down and the evening aarti preparations are about to begin.
- Things To Do: Join the few hundred people who gather around the ghat during the aarti that happens in front of the statue of Lord Shiva and join them in the prayer recital
- Timing: Open on all days of the week from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM
- Entry Fee: Free
- Recommended Duration: 30 Minutes
9. Ram Jhula
After attending the evening aarti, we will walk down the narrow lanes of Rishikesh through various temples, shops selling prasad, snacks, religious items and walk to reach the west base side of the Ram Jhula that was built in 1986.
Much Like Laxman Jhula, Ram Jhula is also an iron bridge that connects the two sides of Rishikesh, the Sivananda Nagar area of Muni Ki Reti in the west to the Swargashram in the east. This bridge is bigger than Laxman Jhula and has recently been painted using the tri-colours.
- Things To Do: Take an evening walk here that will give you the vibe and essence that the town of Rishikesh has to offer.
- Timing: Open all-day
- Entry Fee: Free
- Recommended Duration: 30 Minutes