Har Ki Pauri, Haridwar. Photo: TirthHaridwar Kumbh 2027 · Ghats
Har Ki Pauri is the best-known ghat on the Ganga in Haridwar and the main bathing place of the Haridwar Kumbh. The district administration describes it as a major and popular ghat, and its Brahmakund section is where, according to tradition, drops of amrit fell.
On an ordinary day pilgrims come here to bathe and to watch the Ganga aarti. On the big Kumbh bathing days the official plan for that day decides who bathes here, and when.
Not published yet. No official source describes the steps, railings or step-free access.
Eleven snan days listed, 14 January to 20 April 2027 (Provisional). Entry routes and timings for the ghat are not announced.9
On a Kumbh day
Uttarakhand Tourism translates the name as “the footsteps of gods”. Haridwar’s district history says Lord Vishnu is believed to have left his footprint on a stone set in the upper wall of Har Ki Pauri, where the Ganga touches it.
According to the same district account, drops of amrit fell into Brahmakund at Har Ki Pauri. That is why a dip in Brahmakund is held to be very auspicious, and why Haridwar holds its Kumbh when Jupiter enters Kumbha (Aquarius). The story of the amrit is told on our mythology and origin page.
The district website says the ghat was built by King Vikramaditya. The Ministry of Tourism’s Incredible India site gives the legend behind this: that he built it in memory of his brother Bharthari, who meditated here. These are traditional accounts, not settled history.
Ganga aarti, Har Ki Pauri. Photo: Swastika Thakur, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsShri Ganga Sabha has organised the Ganga aarti here since 1916, at sunrise and at sunset. People gather on both banks; the evening time shifts with sunset, so ask locally.1
Morning at Har Ki Pauri. Photo: Subhankar Banerjee, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsPilgrims come here to bathe in the Ganga, Uttarakhand Tourism says. On the big Kumbh days, the official plan for that day decides who bathes here, and when.2
Haridwar's district says Lord Vishnu is believed to have left his footprint on a stone set in the upper wall of Har Ki Pauri, where the Ganga touches it.3
The Ganga aarti is held at Har Ki Pauri every day at dusk, with tall lamps, temple bells, conch shells and chanting, while people float small diyas and flowers on the river. The state tourism board says the ghats also have a morning aarti.
Because the evening aarti is held at dusk, its time shifts through the year. Ask locally on the day and arrive early if you want a place to sit.
Outside the Kumbh season, Har Ki Pauri is also very busy in Shravan (July to August), when Kanwar pilgrims gather here.
Read more: the Ganga aarti at Har Ki Pauri, its timings and where to sit.
Photo: Swastika Thakur, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsPhoto: Subhankar Banerjee, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsThis is the general pattern at past Kumbhs. The official plan for each 2027 bathing day will decide the details, including which ghats are open.
The four Amrit Snans of 2027 are in the table above. Haridwar has many other bathing ghats; the Haridwar ghats guide explains the wider holy area.
In a September 2025 review, the Chief Minister directed officials to arrange aarti viewing and seating for pilgrims at Har Ki Pauri, to build new ghats to ease crowd pressure, to repair existing ghats, and to keep lifeguards, safety ropes and motor boats at every ghat. In February 2026, foundation stones were laid for building and redeveloping ghats at several places on both banks of the Upper Ganga Canal. These are plans and works in progress, not finished facilities.
A guide to where places are, not a route plan. During the mela, roads and ghats open and close by the official plan; follow police and mela directions. How to use the official Haridwar map.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Some temple locations from Wikidata (CC0). openstreetmap.org/copyright
Not quite. Brahmakund is a section within Har Ki Pauri. It is the part linked by tradition with the drops of amrit, and the evening aarti is held there, according to the Ministry of Tourism.
The arrangements for 2027 are not announced. At past Kumbhs the akharas bathed first at the main ghat, and other pilgrims bathed at the ghat the police directed them to. The official plan for each day will say which ghats are open, and when.
