Haridwar, city in northern India, in Uttaranchal state. Haridwar is an ancient city on the Ganges River, located between the Gangetic Plain and the Himalayan foothills. It is one of the seven holy cities of Hindus, and its name means “door of Hari,” one of the names of the Hindu god Vishnu. The city's Hari-ki-Pairi ghat (bathing step), located on the western bank of the Upper Ganges Canal, is revered by Hindus as the site of Vishnu's footprint. Many pilgrims also visit the nearby Daksheshwar Temple. Haridwar hosts the Dikhanti (“birth of the river”) celebration every spring and is one of four sites for the Kumbh Mela, the greatest of the Hindu pilgrimage festivals. The Upper Ganges Canal, which draws water from the Ganges River for irrigation purposes, originates in Haridwar. A hydroelectric plant is near the city. Population (1991) 147,305.
