View of Har Ki Pauri (Haridwar, 2006)

Haridwar, situated in the foothills of the Himalayas is the first major town on the River Ganges at the point where the river flows onto the plains. Blessed by the trinity of Lord Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma, Haridwar has always been a major pilgrimage site for Hindus. The Ganges here is quite calm and clear and the many bathing ghats are always full of people performing their ablutions. The main bathing ghat at Haridwar is “Har Ki Pauri” which reputedly contains a footprint of Lord Vishnu embedded in a stone.

Har Ki Pauri in 1880s (Haridwar, India)

According to the Hindu mythology, King Vikramaditya have built “Har Ki Pauri” in 1st century BC in the memory of his brother Bharthari who had come to meditate here on the bank of the Ganges.