Haridwar

The second most popular place in Haridwar is the Mansa Devi temple. Mansa is derived from the word 'Mansha' which means 'wish'. Hence, the Goddess is supposed to fulfill all the wishes of her devotees. People come with a wish and tie a thread to the branches of the tree in the complex. After fulfillment of the wish they come back again to thank the Goddess and untie the thread. It is propitiously located atop the Bilwa Parvat on the Shivali hills (southernmost Himalayan range). One can hike up 1.5 km or take a cable car to the main shrine. The inner shrine has two deities installed, one with eight arms and the other one three headed with five arms.

4 km from Har ki Pairi, this is another Siddhapeeth in Haridwar as it is believed that Goddess Chandi fulfills the wishes of her devotees. Legend has it that once the demon kings Shumbh and Nishumbh expropriated the kingdom of God king of Heaven - Indra. To save heaven, Goddess Parvati assumed the form of Chandi and killed the demons – Chand and Munda (army chiefs of Shumbh and Nishumbh) and thereafter rested on the Neel Parvat where the king of Kashmir Suchat Singh got constructed a temple in 1929. The pilgrims can either take a 5 minutes ropeway ride or a 45 min (3 km) trek to reach the main temple at an altitude of 2900 m. The main idol of Goddess Chanda Devi is said to have been established in the 8th century by Adi Shankaracharya, the greatest priest of Hindu religion.

Bharat Mata is the personification of India in the form of a mother goddess. She is represented as a woman dressed in a saffron-colored sari and holding the flag in one of her hands. Bharat Mata temple is built in reverence to various personalities who have contributed to the building of the nation India. Each of its eight floors has a different theme. There is a huge map of India on a raised platform. One floor houses figures of legendry heroes of India; the other floor has honorary women from India and so on.

Rajaji National Park has been named after C Rajgopalachari, a prominent freedom fighter and also second and last Governor General of Independent India. It lies in the foothills of Himalayas and represents Shivalik eco system. Combining three sanctuaries, namely Chilla, Motichur and Rajaji - the Park is spread over the Pauri Garwal, Dehradun and Saharanpur districts of Uttaranchal. It has 23 species of mammals and 315 species of Birds. The park is home of Asian Elephants, Tiger and King Cobra, Panther, Bear, Chital, Sambar, Wild Boar, Kakar, Python, Monitor Lizard, Wild Cats and many more. The park has the largest population of Elephants in Uttarakhand.

The National Park remains open from 15th Nov. to 15th June every year.

Entry Permits are available at each of the gates to the park, and cost INR 40 for Indians and INR 350 for foreigners.

Road Fee for vehicle (Light, Heavy): INR 100/500

Elephant ride per person per trip (2.5 hrs.): INR 200
at sunrise and 3 pm only

Yoga Capital of the World, Yog City, Teerth Nagri, City of Temples and Ashrams are few of the sobriquets that have now become synonymous with Rishikesh. The short stint of The Beatles in Feb 1968, during which they composed nearly 48 songs (White Album), at now closed Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s ashram at Rishikesh shot the town to instant fame. The annual International Yoga Festival organized by Parmarth Niketan ashram has catapulted it to the pinnacle of popularity. The possibility of adventure activities add to the versatility of Rishikesh as a tourist destination. The major attractions at Rishikesh include:

• Ram Jhula and Laxman Jhula, both of which are suspension bridges spanning the river Ganges. Majority of the temples and ashrams lie in their vicinity.
• Several ancient and new temples and ashrams, like Tryambkeshvar, Swarg Niwas and Swarg Ashram along the bank of Ganges
• Staying at ashrams, following their schedule and learning Yoga
• Evening Ganga Aarti at Triveni Ghat or Parmarth Niketan ashram
• River rafting, kayaking, rock climbing, rappelling, hiking, bungee jumping etc

 The capital of Uttrakhand, Dehradun, too, has many places to flaunt. The major ones are Indian Forest Research Institute Museum, Sahastradhara, Tapkeshwar temple and the great Stupa and Buddha statute.