Haridwar, situated on the right bank of the holy Ganga, is regarded among the seven sacred cities of India. Legend has it that this was one of the four sites across India where a drop of Amrit, carried by Garuda, the celestial fell.
It is therefore one of the four venues where the Kumbh Mela – said to the largest congregation of humanity anywhere in the world – is held once every 12 years. Haridwar is also the place where the river Ganga enters the Indo-Gangetic plains for the first time. Haridwar is also home to several ashrams which specialize in teaching meditation and yoga.