5 Best Pilgrimage sites near Chandigarh

Haridwar, or Hardwar is an ancient religious city in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand. About 192 km from Chandigarh, and 208 km from Delhi, it is one of the must include places in Uttarakhand tour packages, and among the prominent pilgrimage sites near Delhi.

Situated on the banks of the River Ganges, Haridwar, literally translated as Gateway to God, is one of the seven holiest places for Hindus. It is the place where the river Ganga descends to the plains. It serves as a gateway to the Char Dham destinations of Uttarakhand which are Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri. Haridwar is also one of the well known places to visit near Chandigarh.

Har-ki-Pauri is one of the most important Haridwar places to visit where thousands of people take a dip in the holy waters of the Ganges. Chandi Devi Temple, Mansa Devi Temple at Bilwa Parvat, Vaishno Devi Temple, Bharat Mata Temple, Maya Devi Temple, Bhimgoda, Shanti Kunj, Sapt Sarovar, Triveni Ghat, Kanva Rishi Ashram, Chila Wildlife Sanctuary are the other placesto visit as part of Haridwar packages.

Haridwar is one of the venues for the famous Kumbh Mela which takes place once every 12 ...

Distance from Chandigarh: 210 Kms

Located at the foothills of the Himalayas, Rishikesh is a holy city on the banks of the River Ganges in Uttarakhand. It is one of the top pilgrimage sites near Delhi, and among the prominent places to visit in Uttarakhand. It is about 42 km from Dehradun, 201 km from Chandigarh, and 233 km from Delhi.

Rishikesh is the gateway to the upper Garhwal region and the starting point for the Char Dham pilgrimage (Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath, and Kedarnath). Rishikesh is one of the the best places to visit near Chandigarh. Rishikesh has several famous ashrams and temples. Triveni Ghat, Neel Kanth Mahadev Temple, Swarganiwas Temple, and Bharat Mandir are the important Rishikesh places to visit.

Rishikesh is now famous as the Yoga Capital of the World. Every year during the February month one-week-long International Yoga Festival is hosted here. One can also try several activities like mountain biking, bungee jumping, and white water rafting as part of Rishikesh packages. It is also the base for several trekking trails in Uttarakhand state. Rishikesh can also be visited along with Haridwar tour packages.

Distance from Chandigarh: 217 Kms

At a distance of 82 km from Jalandhar, 140 km from Ludhiana, 240 km from Chandigarh, 207 km from Dalhousie, 244 km from Patiala, 366 km from Shimla, 443 km from Srinagar and 466 km from New Delhi Amritsar is an ancient pilgrimage town and headquarters of Amritsar district in Punjab state. It is the most popular Sikh shrine in Punjab and also one of the top places of pilgrimage in India.

Amritsar literally means 'the pool of nectar'. The name Amritsar is derived from Amrit Sarovar, the holy tank that surrounds the marvelous Golden Temple. The town of Amritsar was founded in 1577 CE by Guru Ram Das, the 4th Sikh guru and the village was named as Ram Das Pura after him. Amritsar is the place where the tragic episode of the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre took place under the British rule. It also witnessed Operation Blue Star in 1984 under the late prime minister of India, Smt. Indira Gandhi.

Amritsar is world famous for its Golden Temple, the seat of Sikh religion. Also known as Harmandir Sahib, the Golden Temple in Amritsar is famous for its full golden dome and is one of the most popular places of pilgrimage in Punjab. Jallianwallah Bagh, Durgiana Temple, Gobindgarh Fort, Central Sikh Museum, Maharaja Ranjith Singh Museum, and Wagah Border are the other popular places to visit in Amritsar.
 
There are many fairs and festivals celebrated in Amritsar. One of the most famous festivals of Amritsar is Guru Nanak Jayanti held in the month of October/November. Lohri ...

Distance from Chandigarh: 228 Kms

At a distance of 42 km from Kullu, 61 km from Naggar and 80 km from Manali, Manikaran is located in Parvati Valley between the rivers Beas and Parvati in the Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh. It lies at an altitude of 1760 m. Manikaran is famous for hot water springs, Ramchandra Temple and a Gurudwara. It is a top pilgrimage site and among the best Kullu & Manali tourist places.

According to legend, Manikaran is associated with Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Once while roaming through the valley, Shiva and Parvati came across the place called Manikaran and they decided to stay for some time. During their stay here, Goddess Parvati lost her Mani (precious stones) in the waters of a stream. Upset over the loss, she asked Shiva to retrieve it. Lord Shiva commanded his attendant to find the Mani for Parvati. However, when they failed he was extremely angry. He opened his third eye. An appeal was made before the serpent god, Sheshnag, to pacify Lord Shiva. Sheshnag hissed thereby giving rise to a flow of boiling water. The water spread over the entire area resulting in the emergence of precious stones of the type Goddess Parvati had lost. Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati were happy at the outcome. The water of hot springs here is considered auspicious.

Manikaran is also a pilgrimage centre for Sikhs. The Guru Nanak Devji Gurudwara also known as Manikaran ...

Distance from Chandigarh: 274 Kms

At a distance of 97 km from Shimla & 84 km from Kufri, Hatkoti Temples are located in Hatkoti village of Jubbal. The Hatkoti temples are a group of temples located on the scenic banks of River Jabbar. Hatkoti is one of the popular pilgrimage places in Himachal Pradesh.

The Hatkoti Temple is an abode of goddess Mahishasurmardini, an incarnation of Goddess Durga. The statue of the goddess is 1.2 m in height and made of eight precious metals. The idol depicts the goddess with ten arms, riding a lion, carrying weapons and slaying the demon Mahishasura. There is an inscription on both sides of the idol that no one has been able to decode so far.

The complex also has a separate temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temples also boast of five idols, which ideally represent the five Pandava brothers of the Mahabharata period. These idols are arranged in accordance to their size with the first one being the largest.

According to the history, Hatkoti temples date back to the period between the sixth to the ninth century, the Gupta period in Indian history. The temples reflect the beautiful architecture of that era. The architecture and design of Hatkoti Temple was originally in the classical Shikhara or tower style. The Shikhara style represents ancient structures that are conical or narrow at the top and have a wide base at the bottom. The walls of the temples are carved with ornate sculptures and speak volumes of the architectural ...

Distance from Chandigarh: 208 Kms