THOUGH I AM NOT A RELIGIOUS PERSON, BUT I VISITED HARIDWAR OFFICIALLY FOR SOME PROJECT DISCUSSIONS & NEGOTIATIONS.
HARIDWAR IS WELL CONNECTED WITH DELHI ( AROUND 5-6 HR. JOURNEY BY BUS, CAR & TRAIN) & REST OF INDIA IT IS CONNECTED BY AIR TRAIN & ROAD.
YOU CAN VISIT HAR KI PODI, SWARGASHRAM, MANSA DEVI TEMPLE & RISHIKESH IS JUST ABOUT 30 MIN. DRIVE, OFFCOURSE YOU ARE NOT FAR OFF FROM NAINITAL, ALMORA, GARWAL ETC.
FIRST OF ALL LET ME TELL YOU THERE WILL BE NO LUXIROUS HOTELS, DISCOS & OTHER STUFF WHICH CITY PEOPLES HABITUAL OFF.
I VISITED HARIDWAR LAST YEAR(2001 DECEMBER)THE WEATHER WAS QUITE PLEASENT, CHECKED IN A HOTEL (SURYA PALACE), A NICE HOTEL WARM POEPLE & NICE WEATHER.
AFTER FINISHING MY WORK (TWO DAYS)IN THE EVENING WHILE LEAVING HARIDWAR NEXT MORNING SHATABDI, I VISITED HAR KI PODI & TAKE PART IN GANGA UPASANA ( A DAILY CEREMONY WHERE MOTHER GANGA IS WORSHIPPED BY THE POEPLES, A THANKSGIVING FOR WHAT SHE HAD GIVEN TO MANKIND & STILL GIVING), AFTER FINISHING THE RITUAL I SAT NEAR GANGA’S BANK & I CAN NOT EXPRESS MY FEELING, SUDDENLY THE WORLD HAD STOPPED FOR ME, THOUGH I AM QUITE A RESTLESS CREATURE (GEMINI) BUT I FEEL LIKE A SENSE OF CALMNESS, SO MUCH PIECE, I FELT LIKE LIKE I AM IN HEAVEN, I THOUGHT WHY MAN IS RUNNING, WHAT FOR, WHAT HE WANTS TO GET, ALL PHYSICAL ACHIEVEMENTS, NOTHING SPIRITUAL. ( I AM SURE YOU PEOPLE MUST BE THINKING I AM NUTS, BUT IT WAS WHAT I THOUGHT).
I STAYED IN HARIDWAR ANOTHER COUPLE OF DAYS & IN THOSE TWO DAYS, I THINK ABOUT MYSELF, GOD, MY LIFE. CAREER & I FIND, I SHOULD GIVE TIME TO EVERYBODY, INCLUDING MY FAMILY ( MY JOB IS SO DEMANDING THAT EARLIER IT DOESN’T JUST DOESN’T MATTER TO ME AT ALL )BUT NOW I AM CHANGED MAN & BELEVE IT OR NOT HARIDWAR MADE ME LIKE THAT.
I MADE A PROMISE TO MYSELF, I AM GOING TO SETTLE IN HARIDWAR WHEN I AM OLD IN THE MEAN TIME I AM VISITING HARIDWAR 3-4 TIME IN A YEAR.
SO IF YOU WANT PIECE OF MIND, PL. PL. PL. VISIT HARIDWAR.