Hello Hivers,
I hope you're all doing well today.
Today let me to take you on a beautiful journey to one of India's most spiritual places, Haridwar.
Haridwar is the most important place in Hindu culture and spirituality, serving as a destination for countless devotees.
It is believed that when someone passes away, their ashes are brought to Haridwar to be immersed in the holy waters of the Ganga, granting their soul liberation from the earthly realm.
Our journey began with a visit to Rishikesh, located around 10 to 15 kilometers from Haridwar.
Rishikesh is also a holy and spiritual place, known for its surroundings and sacrifices of sadhus. Rishikesh originated from the sages who once donated their hair at this spot. "Rishi" means sage or Sadhu, and "kesh" means hair.
I wasn't aware of this fact initially, but my sister shared this interesting piece of history with me on our second day in Rishikesh.
On our first day, we dipped our hands in the holy water and cupped it, then tried to offer it to the sun, a practice known as Surya arg in Hindi or Sanskrit. However, it was sunset, and this ritual is usually done during sunrise. Our intention was to offer prayers to the river Ganga and the sun.
Later, we snapped some photos by the Ganga riverbank as the sun was setting. The view was incredible, as you can see in the photo above.
Afterward, we booked a room for the night in Rishikesh. The room was pretty nice.
The next morning, we woke up early and decided to explore Rishikesh more....
We spotted some boats in Rishikesh. Rishikesh is a popular tourist destination because of its rafting opportunities on the holy river Ganga.
Afterward, we decided to try rafting for an adventure. At first, we were scared, but then we chose to make the journey more exciting. The experience was amazing, with a thrilling adrenaline rush that made the whole trip unforgettable.
If you ever visit Rishikesh, I highly recommend trying river rafting!
Many tourists and foreigners visit here for rafting and also for meditation, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere of this holy place.
As the day went on, we decided to visit Haridwar. After a while, we arrived there, and the vibes and spirituality of the place were indescribable.
We reached Har Ki Pauri, where we bathed in the holy waters of the Ganga River.The experience was refreshing and deeply spiritual. After cleansing ourselves in the sacred river, we decided to explore the bustling bazaars of Haridwar.
The market was filled with various items that hold great importance in Hindu culture.
We came across malas, which are prayer beads used during meditation and prayers. There were also numerous statues of gods and goddesses, each representing different aspects of Hindu mythology and spirituality.
One of the highlights of our visit was discovering different types of bracelets adorned with images of Hindu deities. These bracelets served as both religious symbols and fashionable accessories.
We also found many shells and shanks that has great importance in Hindu culture.
However, one thing in the bazaar caught my attention the most – Pyrite
Initially unaware of what pyrite was, I spotted it outside a random shop and was intrigued by its appearance.
It looked like a stone from the moon or some kind of rare element, and it felt surprisingly heavy to carry. Curious to learn more, I ventured inside the shop and asked the shopkeeper about it.
As I entered the shop, I noticed a small board explaining what pyrite is.
A very powerful stone you must keep for opportunities in business and converting these opportunity into success. Pyrite is also referred to as a stone of wealth.
The shopkeeper showed us various small and unique pieces of pyrite, which could be crafted into finger rings.
He also displayed samples of rings crafted from pyrite and explained that they are believed to bring wealth and good luck.
Additionally, they showed us samples that could be placed at the worship place in homes and he also told us that they are found in Earth crust from there these rare stones are extracted..
Thank you for your visit ....
Hope you like this blog..
All the photographs are captured by me in mobile.