Garhmukteshwar

Instead of Haridwar, many Delhites are heading out towards Garmukteshwar these days. The main attraction is of course that the River Ganga is more cleaner here. Recently our family friend had to perform some religious rituals and instead of Haridwar, he headed out to Garhmukteshwar.
Garhmuketshwar is just 93 kms from Delhi and is easily approachable by road and rail. Besides taxis and cars, there are plenty of comfortabe Roadways buses to take you there. Besides taking a dip in the Ganges, you can also visit the famous Ganga Devi temple and the Jarkandeshwar Temple. Every year a big annual fair is held in the month of Kartik.

I, too, have heard about this place!!

The Garh area is very nice and the river water is quite clean. A few years ago I was researching on the Gangetic Dolphin and we visited the area a couple of times. I hope to visit again soon.

Every year, during the month of Kartik a big mela is held in Garh on the banks of Ganga. The 10 day Mela is said to be one of the largest in North India and attracts pilgrims from all over North India.
The Garh Mela has an interesting story behind it. It is said that Lord Krishna himself offered prayers here for all those killed in battle of Mahabharata. The Garh Mela has been organized every year since then.
Interestingly, like the Pushkar Mela, here too a big cattle fair is organized.. The Garh Mela is famous for the mule and asses fair held on the sidelines of the mela every year. I visited the Mela last year and the whole visit proved to be a nice change from the humdrum of everyday city life.