Mansa Devi Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the wishgranting goddess Mansa Devi. It’s located on the top of a hill in Haridwar, which is one of seven holy pilgrimage centers in India known as Sapta Puri.
Mansa Devi Temple is a hugely popular site, with hundreds of pilgrims flocking to it daily with their prasad (food offerings) for the goddess in the hopes of getting their wishes granted.
Visitors can either walk the one and a half kilometers up the hill to the temple, or take a cable car ride up instead. Along the way there’s always a large number of people selling everything from food and flowers to music and jewelry.
Once inside the temple, devotees offer some of their prasad to the Hindu priests and receive a blessing in return. Visitors are then encouraged into the inner sanctum where the idol of the Mansa Devi resides. It is here that the rest of the prasad is offered, pieces of coconut are received, and wishes are finally uttered.
Practical Info
Walking the 1.5 kilometers uphill to the Mansa Devi Temple can prove challenging in the hotter months. Many therefore take the cable car up and walk back down. Visitors should be wary of the monkeys on the walk up, as they are well-known for stealing food and other items!
Address: Bilwa Parvat, Haridwar, Uttarakhand 249401, India
Hours: Cable car opens: 7am April-October / 8am November-March
