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Mansa Devi Temple, Haridwar

Bilwa Parvat (Bilwa hill), Shivalik range, above Har Ki Pauri, Haridwar · Goddess Mansa Devi, the wish-fulfilling form of Shakti

A hilltop Siddha Peetha above Har Ki Pauri, reached by a steep stair path or a four-seat ropeway.

Mansa Devi temple stands on Bilwa Parvat, a hill of the Shivalik range above Haridwar's Har Ki Pauri. Mansa means wish, and devotees come to ask the goddess to fulfil their wishes. It is one of three Siddha Peethas of Haridwar, with Chandi Devi and Maya Devi, and one of the Panch Tirth (five holy places) of the town. It is not the same as the Mansa Devi temple of Panchkula in Haryana. Pilgrims walk up a stair path of about 3 km or take the ropeway, called Udankhatola.

Timings

• Temple open: Sources conflict. One travel site gives about 5:00 AM to 12 noon and 2:00 to 9:00 PM; another gives shorter hours. Check on the day. Winter hours may be shorter.
• Ropeway: 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM daily (operator's page)

Daily rituals

• Early morning – Morning aarti: Aarti around dawn (a travel guide gives about 5:30 AM).
• Evening – Evening aarti: Aarti around 7 PM in one guide; confirm locally.

Darshan types and costs

• General darshan – Free. No entry fee. Queues are long on Sundays, Navratri and in Sawan.

How to book darshan

Darshan is free and walk-in. The ropeway, run by Usha Breco, sells tickets online at udankhatola.com and at its counter.

1. Decide how to go up: stair path, road, or ropeway.
2. For the ropeway, buy tickets from the ropeway counter at Mansadevi, Railway Road, or from udankhatola.com. Do not buy from touts.
3. A combined ticket for the Mansa Devi and Chandi Devi ropeways is listed at Rs 460 per adult and Rs 235 per child including GST (operator's page, October 2026). Ask the counter for the single-ride Mansa Devi fare.
4. Customer care of the operator: 1800-202-4050.

Booking safely

• The ropeway operator's page advises buying tickets at the counter rather than from touts. A 2024 trip report said a private dealer charged above the counter rate.

Darshan is free. Buy ropeway tickets only on the operator's site or at its counter; customer care 1800-202-4050.

Prasadam and offerings

• Prasad packets – Check at the shops. Sold by shops on the way. Buy coconut and flowers from known shops.

• Coconut, fruit, garlands, incense, a sacred thread: The usual offerings. Tie a thread at the tree for a wish.

Dress code

Modest, comfortable clothes with good footwear for the walk.

Temple etiquette

• Follow the police one-way direction on busy days. Do not stop on the stairs.
• If you hear a rumour of danger, move calmly and do not run.
• Keep monkeys away from food and bags.

Why it matters

Mansa Devi is a form of Shakti said to have come from the mind of Shiva. She is also known as the sister of the serpent king Vasuki. Devotees tie a sacred thread to a tree in the temple when they make a wish and return to untie it when the wish is fulfilled (Wikipedia).

The inner shrine holds two deities: one with eight arms, and one with three heads and five arms (Wikipedia).

The temple is crowded during Navratri and on Sundays, and during the Hindu month of Sawan, when many pilgrims visit Haridwar.

Legends

Mansa, from the mind of Shiva

The folk story says Mansa grew up unaware of her origin and did long sadhana to meet Shiva. When he revealed the truth to her, she gained the power of a goddess who brings welfare. Her name is linked to the word for wish, and she is believed to grant the wishes of sincere devotees.

History

Not documented: Origin

The temple's founding date is not documented in the sources we found.

1981: Ropeway starts

The operator Usha Breco says the Mansa Devi ropeway has run since 1981.

27 July 2025: Stampede

A crush on the stair path during Sawan killed at least six people (some reports say eight) and injured about 28 to 30. Police said a rumour of a current leak caused panic. A magisterial probe was ordered.

Late July 2025: Crowd-control measures

The SSP announced a one-way system and officials discussed limited entry, zig-zag queues and an audit of electrical connections. We could not confirm which measures remain in force in 2026.

Architecture

A modest hilltop temple complex on Bilwa Parvat in the Shivalik hills. Wikipedia lists its architect as unknown.

Two ways reach the top: a stair path of about 3 km from near Har Ki Pauri, and the ropeway, 576 m long with a rise of 171 m, taking about 2 minutes (operator's page). A road for two-wheelers and cars also exists (PTI).

What to see

• Wish-tying tree: Devotees tie threads to the tree's branches and return to untie them.
• The two deities: The inner shrine holds an eight-armed form and a three-headed, five-armed form.
• Ropeway ride: A two-minute cabin ride with a view of Haridwar and the Ganga.
• View of Haridwar: From the hilltop you see the town and the river.

How to cover the temple

The usual route is Har Ki Pauri, then up to the temple by ropeway (or stair path on quiet days), darshan, tying a thread at the wish tree, and back for the evening Ganga Aarti.

1. Har Ki Pauri / Railway Road: Go to the ropeway station at Mansadevi, Railway Road, or to the foot of the stair path.
2. Ropeway or stairs: Take the ropeway (about 2 minutes). On a quiet weekday morning the stair path of about 3 km is possible. Avoid it on Sundays and festivals; follow the one-way direction.
3. Mansa Devi: Have darshan of the two deities in the inner shrine (an eight-armed and a three-headed, five-armed form).
4. The tree: Tie a sacred thread on the tree for your wish.
5. Return: Come down by ropeway or stairs following the one-way system.
6. Ganga Aarti: Many pilgrims end the day at the evening Ganga Aarti at Har Ki Pauri.

Customs and traditions

Tying a thread for a wish

A sacred thread is tied to a branch of the tree in the temple when you make a wish.

Mansa means wish; the goddess is believed to fulfil the wishes of sincere devotees.

Tie a thread, and when the wish is fulfilled return to untie it (Wikipedia).

For elders and differently-abled visitors

Access: Hard. The stair path is about 3 km of steep steps and was the site of the July 2025 stampede, so elders should not use it. The ropeway makes the visit possible, though queues can be long on Sundays and festivals.

• About 3 km of stairs on foot. The ropeway is 576 m long and takes about 2 minutes (operator's page).
• Take the ropeway. A road also reaches the temple for cars and two-wheelers (PTI). We found no published wheelchair service.

Waiting time

Not published. Weekday mornings are the shortest.

Sundays, Sawan and Navratri. The 2025 stampede happened on a Sunday in Sawan.

Best time to visit

October to March. Avoid Sundays, Navratri and Sawan unless needed.

Festivals

Navratri (Chaitra (March to April) and Ashwin (September to October))

The main festival, with heavy crowds.

Sawan (July to August)

Large crowds in Haridwar. The 2025 stampede happened on a Sunday of Sawan.

How to reach Mansa Devi Temple, Haridwar

• By air: Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun, then road to Haridwar.
• By rail: Haridwar Junction, then auto or taxi towards Har Ki Pauri.
• By road: The stair path and ropeway are near Har Ki Pauri and Railway Road in Haridwar. A road for cars and two-wheelers also exists.

Road safety

The drive into Haridwar is easy, but the climb to the temple has a record of crowd crush. On 27 July 2025 at least six people died on the stair path. Use the ropeway or the road on busy days, and avoid Sundays and festival days.

From Har Ki Pauri and Railway Road, a stair path of about 3 km climbs Bilwa Parvat, shared by people going up and coming down. The ropeway (576 m) is the alternative, and a road also exists for two-wheelers and cars (PTI).

Full road-safety guide

Where to stay

Many hotels and dharamshalas near Har Ki Pauri and Railway Road.

• Dharamshalas and hotels in Haridwar – Varies. Book directly. We did not find an official room booking for the temple.

Suggested plan

Half day

• Start early in the morning.
• Go up by the ropeway or stair path.
• Have darshan and tie a thread if you wish.
• Come down and bathe at Har Ki Pauri; stay for the evening Ganga Aarti.

Tips

• Avoid Sundays and holidays.
• Take the ropeway with elders, but expect a queue.
• Keep your belongings secure on the stairs.

Frequently asked questions

Is this the same as Mansa Devi in Panchkula?

No. This is the Haridwar temple on Bilwa Parvat in Uttarakhand. The Panchkula temple is in Haryana.

How long is the walk?

About 3 km by the stair path, according to the ropeway operator.

Temples nearby

• Neelkanth Mahadev Temple – Near Rishikesh, in the forested hills of Pauri Garhwal district (about 50 km by road)
• Brahma Sarovar and Jyotisar, Kurukshetra – Thanesar / Kurukshetra, Haryana (about 164 km by road)
• Yamunotri Temple (Shri Yamuna Mata Mandir) – Yamunotri, Uttarkashi district, below the Bandarpunch massif, approx. 6 km above Janki Chatti (about 214 km by road)
• Swaminarayan Akshardham, New Delhi – NH 24, Pramukh Swami Maharaj Marg, near Akshardham Metro, New Delhi (about 222 km by road)
• Shri Mata Mansa Devi Mandir, Panchkula – Bilaspur village, Mansa Devi Complex, Panchkula (on the edge of Chandigarh) (about 224 km by road)
• Shri Omkareshwar Temple, Ukhimath – Ukhimath, Rudraprayag district (about 41 km from Rudraprayag) (about 234 km by road)

More Devi (Durga & Shakti) temples

• Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam (Kanaka Durga Temple) – Indrakeeladri hill, Vijayawada, NTR district
• Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple – Madurai, Madurai district
• Sri Chamundeshwari Temple – Chamundi Hills, Mysuru, Mysuru district
• Gangotri Temple (Shri Ganga Mata Mandir) – Gangotri, Uttarkashi district, on the Bhagirathi river (approx. 99–100 km from Uttarkashi)
• Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine (Holy Cave), Trikuta Hills – Trikuta hills above Katra, Reasi district, Jammu & Kashmir
• Maa Kamakhya Temple – Nilachal Hill, Guwahati, Kamrup Metropolitan district, Assam

All Devi (Durga & Shakti) temples

No official website: We could not find a website of the temple's own management that we could confirm. The ropeway operator's site, udankhatola.com, only sells ropeway tickets.

Sources

• Udan Khatola (Usha Breco) – Mansa Devi ropeway
• Wikipedia – Mansa Devi Temple, Haridwar
• The Week/PTI – Mansa Devi stampede (27 July 2025)
• The Week/PTI – One-way traffic, limited entry under consideration (29 July 2025)

Last checked: 2026-10. Timings and fees change – confirm with the temple before you travel.