HARIDWAR EXPERIENCE
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What started off as a bumpy ride from Delhi to Haridwar turned out to be one of the most relaxing and beautiful vacations that I had in recent times...Folks, reading about the Ganges and Haridwar just does not do the justice to the beauty and tranquility of the place. You have to go and experience it for yourself!!
Haridwar is a completely different experience.... If you go to its markets/temples, it probably comes across like any other market/temple in India....Still, you will see that the narrow and crowded lanes are somewhat different than the other towns ....Streets are overflowing with people, mainly tourists , and yet there is an element of calmness and leisure that you will find missing in other tourist spots in the country ...There seems to be something in the air of Haridwar which soothes the city nerves !!
While in Haridwar, I stayed in a Dharamshaala, as I had heard a lot about them from my friends....And the Dharamshaala that I stayed was the ’’Chaitanya Dev Dharamshaala’’ in Kankhal ....It was the most incredibly beautiful experience !!! I cannot express the beauty in words.... You really have to live in an ashram like this to feel the difference ....I could have stayed there for the rest of my life !!
What makes the Ashram so special ??? - It is situated right on the banks of Ganga, and you can anytime walk into the cold waters for a dip....It has a most incredibly well maintained and beautiful garden inside it .....and the shade of the trees all around the ashram, is perfect place to unwind with your favorite book ....and most importantly, the awesome service of the disciples living in the Ashram ....Some of the most simplest , yet best meals that you can get anywhere in the world !...At the end of the stay you will not feel like leaving without a most generous tip, even though the Ashram folks do not charge a penny ....
Even if you would like to stay in a hotel, the hotel charges are as less as 150 Rs per day for a room .....So, I would recommend that while in Haridwar, stay in one of these beautiful Ashrams and even if you give just 150 or 200 Rupees per day , you will have done a big service to these kind souls who offered you a chance to partake the beautiful experience....Trust me , no 7 star hotel can also offer you the kind of experience that you will get in one of these Dharamshaala’s ..If you folks get a chance, then I would certainly recommend the Ashram that I lived in...
Other folks have written incredibly well about the temples and other general attractions of the town ...so , I will not get into those details....I just wanted to share with you folks the special experience that I had there...If you are a nature freak like me, I would highly recommend a visit to Haridwar...
There is not much for shoppers, unless you love to wear junkets ..I got myself a few copper, iron rings, some ‘Rudrakshara maalas’ etc, some old coins ( a one Anna coin , 5 paisa coins of yester years ....) .... Some of the people who sell these stuff are so poor and old , that you do not mind giving them whatever is in your pockets...maybe you can attribute the feeling generosity and kindness to the air of Haridwar :)....Especially , do buy old coins and get yourself weighed from that dwarfy old dark man who sits with an umbrella on the road to Har ki Paudi .
RAMDEVJEE MAHARAJ EXPERIENCE ( controversial ..Read at ur own risk )
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Awesome country this is !! Where the best and worst just blend together so effortlessly !! During my trip to Haridwar, I also happened to visit the Ramdev Maharaj Ashram there !! And boy, was that an eye opener....Riding on the success of this YOGA fame, the good man has opened a Ayurveda clinic in his ashram !! And as soon as you enter the Ashram you see a picture of the man with the president and other great men of the nation !! I saw people from Tamil Nadu and other far off places who were standing in long lines to have an appointment with the Ayurveda doctors....There was so much hustle bustle in the place, I also got curious to see a doctor for a niggling back ache ...
I was just not ready for what I saw next ...When I went in to meet the ’’doctor’’ , I was stunned to know that these folks do not even ask you what is the problem and how long it has been ...There were 3 ’’doctors ’’ sitting there, who could well have been office boys or rickshaw pullers....They did not understand English and wrote me the prescription of some dozen odd medicines in hindi ....I saw that the other person who had come to see the ’’doctor’’ for a skin problem was also given similar medicines ( they allow 3-4 people in one room ) .....And , if you have not guessed by now, these medicines are ’’proprietary’’ medicines which you can buy only from the Ashram office !! And yes, they cost a fortune !! And , needless to say , I was terribly disgusted...
That just cemented my belief that the Ramdevjee is just taking the nation and its gullible people on a long ride !!! Such ***** should be jailed for playing havoc with innocent uneducated people who come to him with the hope of being healed!!!
Why cannot we do something about the innumerable such quacks in the country.... Can someone please ban these ’’spiritual’’ channels ....It is just leading to a nationwide brainwash !! His yoga is nothing special ...even I can teach all the yoga and the ’’lofty’’ yogic principles that he preaches....But these quaky maharaj’s are deceiving an entire nation !!
Cheers
Shiv