Chandi Devi Temple & Ropeway

Across the Ganga, on Neel Parvat, stands the third of Haridwar's Siddh Peeths (the shrines where prayer is traditionally held to be answered), and with Mansa Devi and Maya Devi it completes the set pilgrims try to cover in a day. Tradition holds that Adi Shankaracharya installed the goddess here in the eighth century, where Chandi is said to have overcome the demons Shumbha and Nishumbha; the present building dates to 1929, paid for by Suchat Singh of Kashmir. The Udankhatola ropeway runs roughly 7:00–18:00, around ₹170 return, or a 3-km forest path climbs from Chandighat. Navratri and Kumbh days are crowded; shoes off at the shrine.

The ropeway is half the reason to go: the Ganga valley opens out underneath it