The Cambridge History of India, Vol. I: Ancient India v1.c15.111

v1.c15.111

A hundred miles north-north-east of Delhi is Hardwār on the Ganges, at the point where the river leaves the last foothills of the Himālaya and enters the plain. Hardwār is the rival of Benares as a centre of Hindu pilgrimage for the purpose of ablution in the sacred waters. At the annual fair are gathered hundreds of thousands of worshippers. The great day at Hardwār is near the end of March when the Hindu year begins. Then, according to tradition, the Ganges river first appeared from its source in the mountains. The water at Hardwār is purer than at Benares in the plain. It flows swiftly and is as clear as crystal.