Haridwar is a holy Hindu city in Uttaranchal, where the Ganga emerges from the Himalaya. Here, Vishnu is said to have dropped some heavenly nectar and left a footprint behind on the Har-ki-Pairi (The Footprint of God) Ghat. This is a very sacred spot and the place for thousands of pilgrims to wash away their sins every day. Each evening hundreds, sometimes thousands, of worshippers gather for the ganga aarti (river worship ceremony). Torches are lit, bells are rung and leaf baskets filled with fresh flowers and topped with a lit candle are ceremoniously sent down the fast flowing Ganga. I felt the spirituality more intensely here than in Varanasi and relished the almost hassle free and tourist free environment.