Getting Rid of Stress at Har-ki-Pauri Ghat, Haridwar

I am sure I have taken dip in much colder and lesser polluted waters (streams mush closer to the Himalayan glaciers), but I wonder what is so special about the dip in the Ganges in Haridwar. Is it the peace of mind or the belief that all your misdoings will be washed off by dunking yourselves in the gushing waters of one of the holiest rivers in India that makes it so different?

I am one of those persons who hate going to religious institutions in pursuit of god. I am also the person who, by sheer chance, gets to go to such institutions a lot. My first trip to Haridwar was never motivated to appease anyone for my misdoings, nor was I encouraged at the thought of getting up at early morning hours just to go to one of the ghats and immerse myself in the gelid waters. I merely wanted to see how many people gather to do just that.

I was more inclined to do white river rafting at Rishikesh and Haridwar was on the way. When I got to know that Ganga Aarti, performed everyday at sunrise and sunset, at the Har-ki-Pauri ghat can give me a sense of people’s faith & belief in god, I decided to make a halt at Haridwar and witness it once. Although the morning aarti mayn’t exactly replicate the impression that evening aarti creates but I had to make do with the morning one as I was reaching Haridwar at odd morning hours.

I reached Haridwar at about 3 a.m. with another friend, found a place to sleep for the next couple of hours, just to get up again to experience the chill of taking a dip in the holy Ganges. We took our clothes with us and reached the Har-ki-Pauri ghat before sunrise. While the weather was gentle in May, water in the Ganges, which originates from the Gangotri glacier, at 5: 30 a.m., was understandably extremely cold. Only courage or faith can make you plunge that time. At that moment, courage helped me make the dive and boy, wasn’t it invigorating!

It was an experience I would not ever forget all my life. Neither the extreme pace of the mighty river ready to take one along nor the low temperature making it harder to breathe would make me come out. I remained in the river holding the supporting chains as long as I could. But coming out, I was at peace with myself. I felt overwhelmed. It was surely not cold. But even after taking the dip twice now, I am still scratching my head to understand what is it that makes you so relieved and unburdened after the dip. It made me feel alive and excitedly I joined the crowd for the Ganga Aarti. I can’t really say that I started believing in god from that day but now I do enjoy coming to Haridwar just to be part of the mass that show their trust for god.

Buses to Rishikesh keep departing from Haridwar. We left at around 9 a.m and reached within an hour. Go on to read White River Rafting at Rishikesh to get a glimpse of my experience of river rafting at Rishikesh.