 | This articlecontainsweasel words: vague phrasing that often accompaniesbiased orunverifiable information. Such statements should beclarified or removed.(April 2017) |
Haridwar district Hardwar district | |
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 Interactive map of Haridwar district | |
| Coordinates:29°58′N78°10′E / 29.96°N 78.16°E /29.96; 78.16 | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Uttarakhand |
| Headquarters | Haridwar |
| Government | |
| • Type | Zilla |
| • Body | Zilla Panchayath |
| • District collector | Dhiraj Singh GarbiyalIAS |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,360 km2 (910 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 249.7 m (819 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 1,890,422 |
| • Density | 801/km2 (2,070/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Haridwari |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Hindi[1] |
| • Native | Khariboli[2] |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| Telephone code | 01334 |
| Vehicle registration | UK-08 |
| Website | haridwar |
| [3][4] | |
Haridwar district (Hindi:[ɦəɾɪd̪waːɾ]ⓘ), also spelledHardwar, is part ofUttarakhand,India that lies in theDoab region, where people traditionally speakKhariboli. It is headquartered atHaridwar which is also its largest city. The district is ringed by the districtsDehradun in the north and east,Pauri Garhwal in the east and theUttar Pradesh districts ofMuzaffarnagar andBijnor in the south andSaharanpur in the west.
Haridwar district came into existence on 28 December 1988 as part ofSaharanpur Divisional Commissionary,[5] On 24 September 1998Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly passed the 'Uttar Pradesh Reorganisation Bill', 1998',[6] eventually theParliament also passed theIndian Federal Legislation – 'Uttar Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2000', and thus on 9 November 2000,[7] Haridwar became part of the newly formedUttarakhand (then Uttaranchal), the 27th state of theRepublic of India.
As of 2011 it is the most populous district of Uttarakhand (out of13).[8] Important towns in the district areHaridwar,BHEL Ranipur,Roorkee,Manglaur,Jhabrera,Laksar,Landhaura,Dhandera,Bhagwanpur, andBahadrabad.
Haridwar district, covering an area of about 12.3 km per square, is in the southwestern part of Uttarakhand state of India. Its latitude and longitude are 29.96-degree north and 78.16-degree east respectively.[9]
The river Ganges flows through it in a series of channels separated from each other called aits, most of which are wooded. Other minor seasonal streams are Ranipur Rao, Pathri Rao, Rawii Rao, Harnaui Rao, and Begam Nadi.[10]
Average temperatures are mostly cooler than that of other parts of the country.
The woodedRajaji National Park, a wildlife sanctuary, is located within the bounds of the district and is accessible through different gates; Ranipur and Chilla Gates are just about 9 km from Haridwar.Sureshvari Devi Mandir, a temple of GoddessSureshwari, is situated in Rajaji National Park.Cheela Dam is a picnic spot with a dam and a man-made lake nearby; elephants and other wild animals found here.[citation needed]Neel Dhara Pakshi Vihar is a bird sanctuary, situated on the main Ganges river, or Neel Dhara, at theBhimgoda Barrage; it is visited by bird watchers and home to migratory birds during the winter season.[11]
A discourse ofBhishma in the Vana Parva (Tirtha-yatra Parva) Section XC ofThe Mahabharata notes:[12]
According toHindu literature,DakshaPrajapati, father ofDakshayani, Shiva's first wife, was a ruler here. He performed ayagna, to which he deliberately did not invite Shiva. When he arrived uninvited, he was further insulted by the king, seeing whichSati felt infuriated and self-immolated herself in theyajna-fire. This site is regarded to be at the Sati Kund as it is called now, situated inKankhal. The heart and navel ofSati are believed to have fallen at the place which is the present site of theMaya Devi Temple, Haridwar, dating back to the 11th century.[13] Daksha was later killed byVirabhadra, born out of Shiva's anger. Subsequently, the king was brought to life and given a goat's head byShiva.
TheSkanda Purana mentions a legend, in whichChanda and Munda, the asuras who fought underSumbha and Nisumbha were killed by goddessChandi. This site, according toregional legend, is regarded to be at the location of theChandi Devi Temple.[14]
SageKapila is regarded to have had anashram here. The legendary KingBhagiratha, the great-grandson of theSuryavamsha KingSagara, (an ancestor ofRama),[15] is said to have brought the riverGanges down fromheaven, through years of penance inSatya Yuga, for the salvation of 60,000 of his ancestors from the curse of the saintKapila.[16][17]
In theVana Parva of theMahabharata, where sage Dhaumya tellsYudhishthira about thetirthas of India, Gangadwara, i.e. Haridwar andKankhal, have been referred to;[18] the text also mentions that the sageAgastya performed a penance here, with the help of his wife,Lopamudra (the princess ofVidharba).[19]
Archaeological findings have proved thatterra cotta culture dating between 1700 BCE and 1200 BCE existed in this region.[20]
Haridwar came under the rule of theMaurya Empire (322–185 BCE), and later under theKushan Empire (c. 1st–3rd centuries).
It is believed that the sacred GhatHar ki Pauri was constructed by KingVikramaditya (1st century BC) in memory of his brotherBharthari, who had come to Haridwar and meditated on the banks of holy Ganges and died here.[citation needed]
First ancient era written evidence of Haridwar is found in the accounts of a Chinese traveller,Huan Tsang, who visited India in 629 CE,[21] during the reign ofKing Harshavardhan (590–647). He records Haridwar as 'Mo-yu-lo', the remains of which still exist at Mayapur, a little to the south of the modern Haridwar town; among the ruins are a fort and three temples, decorated with broken stone sculptures.[22][23][24] He also mentions the presence of a temple, north of Mo-yu-lo called 'Gangadwara', Gateway of the Ganges.[23]
It is believed thatAdi Shankracharya had visited this region and the existing main statue ofChandi Devi Temple was established by him in 8th century A.D.[citation needed]
Haridwar region was a part ofDelhi Sultanate. The armies of EmperorTimur (1336–1405), a Turkic conqueror, had passed through this region on 13 January 1399 to attackDelhi.[25]
During his visit, first Sikh Guru,Guru Nanak (1469–1539) bathed at Haridwar's 'Kushwan Ghat', wherein the famous, 'watering the crops' episode took place.[26][27] His visit is today commemorated by agurudwara (Gurudwara Nanakwara); according to two SikhJanamsakhis, this visit took place on theBaisakhi day in 1504 CE. He later had also visitedKankhal en route toKotdwara inGarhwal.[28] Besides this, third Sikh Guru, SriAmar Das also visited Hardwar twenty two times during his lifetime.[29]
The Mughal period:Ain-e-Akbari, written byAbul Fazal in the 16th century during the reign ofMughal EmperorAkbar, refers to Maya (Mayapur), known as Hardwar on theGanges, as sacred city of Hindus.[30] It also mentions that during his travels, and also while at home,Mughal EmperorAkbar drank water from theGanges river, which he called 'the water of immortality'. Special people were stationed at Sorun and later Haridwar to dispatch water, in sealed jars, to wherever he was stationed.[31]
It is said that Akbar's famous Commander-in-Chief, RajaMan Singh ofAmber, laid the foundation of the present day city of Haridwar and also renovated the ghats at Har-ki-pauri. After his death, his ashes are also said to have been immersed at Brahma Kund by Mughal emperorAkbar himself.Brahma Kund (literally "Brahma's reservoir") atHar ki Pauri, Haridwar is one among the four sites where drops of the elixir of immortality,Amrita, accidentally spilled over fromthe pitcher, in which it was being carried away by the celestial birdGaruda, after theSamudra manthan by theDevas and theAsuras. The famousKumbh Melas are held at these four sites in rotation, to commemorate the event.Thomas Coryat, an English traveller, who visited the city in the reign of EmperorJahangir (1596–1627) mentions it as 'Haridwara', the capital of Shiva.[23]
Next the Gurjars of khubar clan established thereLandaura state to rule in Gujarat region of theSaharanpur district.[32]
In the southern part of Uttarakhand in Haridwar district (earlier part ofSaharanpur till 1988) the dominance and kingship was exercises byGurjars, the area was under control of Panwar Gurjar chief in easternSaharanpur including Haridwar in kingship of Raja Sabha Chandra ofJabarhera (Jhabrera). Gurjar of the Khubar (Panwar) gotra held more than 500 villages there in upper Doab, and that situation was confirmed in 1759 in a grant by a Rohilla governor of 505 villages and 31 hamlets to one Manohar Singh Gurjar (written in some records as Raja Nahar Singh son of Sabha Chandra). In 1792Ram Dayal and his son Sawai Singh were ruling the area but due to some family reasons Ramdayal left Jhabrera and went to Landhaura village, now some villages were under the control of Raja Ramdayal Singh atLandhaura, and some under his son Sawai Singh at Jhabrera. Hence, there were two branches of Jhabrera State (riyasat) main branch atJhabrera and the second one atLandhaura, both father and son were ruling simultaneously without any conflicts till the death of Raja Sawai Singh ofJabarhera in 1803. After the death of Sawai Singh total control of powers transferred to Ram Dayal Singh at Landhaura, but some villages were given to descendants of Sawai Singh and her widow to collect revenue.[33][34]
By 1803 the Landhaura villages numbered 794 underRaja Ram Dayal Singh. Raja Ram Dayal Singh died on 29 March 1813.[35] These holdings, at least those in the original grant made by the Rohilla governor, were initially recognized by theBritish in land settlements concluded with Ram Dayal and his heirs. As the years passed, more and more settlements appear to have been made with the village communities, however, and by 1850 little remained of the once vast estate of the Landhaura Gurjars.[36]
Later a Gurjar king from Kunja village namedRaja Vijay SinghGurjar started a rebellion against the Britisher. He killed many Britisher with the help of Gurjars but a large army of the Britisher killed him and his commander Kalyan Singh Gurjar and set fire to Kunja village.[37][38][39][40][41]
The Ganges Canal was opened in 1854 after the work began in April 1842,[42] prompted by the famine of 1837–38.[42] The unique feature of the canal is the half-kilometre-longaqueduct overSolani river atRoorkee, which raises the canal 25 metres above the original river.
In 1947, when India achieved independence from theBritish colonial subjugation, the region of present Haridwar district was a part of the thenSaharanpur district, in theUnited Province of theBritish Raj; the province was renamed asUttar Pradesh state of India. The Haridwar district came into existence on 28 December 1988 as part ofSaharanpur Divisional Commissionary.[5] On 24 September 1998Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly passed the 'Uttar Pradesh Reorganisation Bill', 1998';[6] eventually theParliament also passed theIndian Federal Legislation – 'Uttar Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2000' – and thus on 9 November 2000,[7] Haridwar district became part of the newly formedUttarakhand (then Uttaranchal), the 27th state in theRepublic of India.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 329,839 | — |
| 1911 | 311,436 | −0.57% |
| 1921 | 296,103 | −0.50% |
| 1931 | 329,914 | +1.09% |
| 1941 | 373,042 | +1.24% |
| 1951 | 427,574 | +1.37% |
| 1961 | 504,582 | +1.67% |
| 1971 | 670,764 | +2.89% |
| 1981 | 890,260 | +2.87% |
| 1991 | 1,124,488 | +2.36% |
| 2001 | 1,447,187 | +2.56% |
| 2011 | 1,890,422 | +2.71% |
| source:[43] | ||
Haridwar has a multiethnic population spread across two geocultural regions: Khadar, and Bangar. A large portion of the population isGurjars,Sainis, andChauhans includingVan Gurjars and Khadi Chauhans classified asOther Backward Classes(OBCs).[44][45][46][47] Gurjars have villages inJhabrera,Manglaur,Laksar,Khanpur,Roorkee,Bhagwanpur.[48] Other the Sainis have villages inRoorkee,Laksar,Bhagwanpur, andHaridwar Rural.[49] While Chauhans have villages inBHEL Ranipur,Haridwar Rural,Jwalapur andLaksar.[50]
Other ethnic communities in the district areBrahmins,Rajputs, andGarhwalis are Classified asForward caste andScheduled Castes (SC) also have small population in Haridwar.[51]Jats,Punjabis,Yadavs,Gadarias are also found here in small population.[52][53]
| Religion | Percent | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hinduism | 64.27% | |||
| Islam | 34.28% | |||
| Sikhism | 0.92% | |||
| Other or not stated | 0.53% | |||
| Distribution of religions | ||||
According to the2011 census Haridwar district has apopulation of 1,890,422,[8] roughly equal to the nation ofLesotho[55] or the US state ofWest Virginia.[56] This gives it a ranking of 244th in India (out of a total of640).[8] The district has a population density of 817 inhabitants per square kilometre (2,120/sq mi) .[8] Itspopulation growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 30.63%.[8] Haridwar has asex ratio of 880females for every 1000 males.[8]
The main language of Haridwar isHindi (87.3%),Urdu at 9.7%.Khariboli andGarhwali are also spoken by small minorities.[57]
| Hardwar district: mother-tongue of population, according to the2011 Indian Census.[57] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Mother tongue code | Mother tongue | People | Percentage |
| 002007 | Bengali | 3,708 | 0.2% |
| 006102 | Bhojpuri | 3,201 | 0.2% |
| 006195 | Garhwali | 14,638 | 0.8% |
| 006207 | Gojri/Gujjari/Gujar | 2,329 | 0.1% |
| 006240 | Hindi | 1,649,529 | 87.3% |
| 006340 | Kumauni | 1,805 | 0.1% |
| 013071 | Marathi | 964 | 0.1% |
| 014011 | Nepali | 1,055 | 0.1% |
| 016038 | Punjabi | 15,570 | 0.8% |
| 019014 | Sindhi | 1,094 | 0.1% |
| 022015 | Urdu | 182,536 | 9.7% |
| 053005 | Gujari | 6,270 | 0.3% |
| – | Others | 7,723 | 0.4% |
| Total | 1,890,422 | 100.0% | |
The Haridwar district is ringed bySaharanpur in the west,Dehradun in the north west and north,Pauri Garhwal in the east,Muzaffarnagar in south andBijnor in the south-east. Prior to its inclusion in the newly created state of Uttarakhand in 2000, this district was a part of Saharanpur Divisional Commissionary.
The district is administratively subdivided into fourtehsils: Haridwar,Roorkee,Bhagwanpur andLaksar. It is further divided into six development blocks:Bhagwanpur,Roorkee,Narsan,Bahadrabad,Laksar, andKhanpur.[5][58]
The district headquarters is in Roshnabad, at a distance of about 12 km from Haridwar railway station. The office of Chief Development Officer is in Vikas Bhawan, Roshnabad. The Collectorate, Vikas Bhawan, District Judiciary, S.S.P. Office, Police line, District Jail, District sports stadium, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya etc. are the prime establishments of this area. Many other administration offices like Lok Seva Ayog and Sanskrit Academy are established here.
The district has a singleParliamentary Constituency, and 11Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly constituencies including,Haridwar,Haridwar Rural,BHEL Ranipur,Jwalapur,Bhagwanpur,Roorkee,Piran Kaliyar,Khanpur,Manglaur,Jhabrera andLaksar.[5][58][59]
Current Member of Parliament (MP) fromHaridwar (Lok Sabha constituency) isNishank Pokhriyal, and Member ofUttarakhand Legislative Assembly from Haridwar City is 'Madan Kaushik'.[59][60]
Agriculture is the mainstay of this well irrigated district. Industrialisation had commenced with the establishment of Central Government owned Public Sector plants (PSUs) of [Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Ltd (IDPL)] andBharat Heavy Electricals Limited, in pre-Uttarakhand 1960s period. TheState Industrial Development Corporation of Uttarakhand (SIDCUL) has now established one new 'industrial development zone' in the district, adjacent toShivalik Nagar near Haridwar, to encourage industrialisation; with industrial giants like Hindustan Lever, Patanjali Group of companies, Dabur, Mahendra & Mahendra and Havells having moved in, it is making the desired progress. Not insignificant to the district's economy is the contribution of Hindu pilgrims who visit the holy places and attend the religious fairs in large numbers.
Haridwar district has several academic institutions, covering studies in sciences, engineering, technology and advanced research in the city ofRoorkee.
Education inSanskrit based classics and Hindu religious/cultural disciplines is an age-old tradition in the district, mainly centred in and aroundHaridwar city. Some of the important institutions of this genre are:
ModernAshrams are also being established in the district for imparting training inyoga andmeditation to people coming now from near and far, including foreign countries of the West :
Being a place of intense religious significance, Haridwar also hosts several religious festivals throughout the year; popular among them are the Kavad Mela, Somvati Amavasya Mela, Ganga Dashara, Gughal Mela, in which around 2–2.5 million people take part.[67]
Apart from these, there is the mammothKumbh Mela which takes place once in every twelve years, when the planetJupiter (Brihaspati) comes into the signAquarius (Kumbha). First written evidence of the Kumbha Mela can be found in the accounts of Chinese traveller Huan Tsang orXuanzang (602 – 664 A.D.), who visited India in 629 CE.[21][68] The 1998 MahaKumbh Mela saw over 80 million pilgrims visiting this city, to take a dip in theholy river Ganges.[69]
Har ki Pauri: Is a holiest spots on earth for the Hindus, this ancient bathing ghat (Steps) is of prime importance. A majority of the present ghats were largely developed in the 1800s.[70]
Sati Kund: It is the well-known mythologicalSati immolation heritage situated inKankhal.
Daksheswara Mahadev Temple: The ancient temple ofDaksha, is situated in the south ofKankhal town and is a tribute to the legends of Sati's self-immolated and king Daksha's death and later life with a goat's head.
Maya Devi Temple: This temple of the Adhisthatri deity of Haridwar is considered one of theSiddhapeethas and is said to be the place where the heart and navel of GoddessSati had fallen. It is one of the few ancient temples still standing in Haridwar, along withNarayani Shila Temple andBhairav Temple.[71]
Sapt Rishi Ashram and Sapt Rishi Sarovar, where the Ganges split herself into seven currents so that seven great sages on its bank would not be disturbed by the flow.
Bhimgoda Tank: This tank, whereBhima is said to have drawn water from the rocks by thrusting his knee into the ground, is situated at a distance of about 1 km from Har-ki-Pauri.
Chandi Devi Temple: The present temple, commemorating the ancient Chandi legend, was constructed in 1929 CE by the Dogra king ofKashmir, Suchat Singh; it can also be reached through a ropeway.
Mansa Devi Temple: The temple dedicated toManasa devi, a form of Shakti draws many pilgrims.
Piran Kaliyar Sharif: This famous 'Dargah' (Shrine) of HazratAlauddin Sabir Kaliyari was built byIbrahim Lodhi, aDelhi Sultanate ruler.[72] Also known asSarkar Sabir Pak, it is located in Kaliyar village, 7 km from Roorkee.[73][74] It is visited by devotees from all over the world, during the annual 'Urs' festival, which is celebrated from 1st day (of sighting the new moon) to 16th day ofRabee-ul-awwal month ofIslamic calendar.
Shantikunj: Shantikunj is headquarters of spiritual and social organisation All World Gayatri Pariwar (AWGP).
National Highway 58, betweenDelhi andMana Pass, passes through Haridwar.Indian Railways linksHaridwar Railway Station to all parts of India. The nearest airport isJolly Grant Airport,Dehradun, 45 kilometres fromHaridwar, thoughIndira Gandhi International Airport inNew Delhi is preferred.
2011lang was invoked but never defined (see thehelp page).Lesotho 1,924,886
West Virginia 1,852,994
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