Kankhal
Encyclopedia
Kankhal is a small colony in Haridwar
in the Haridwar district
of Uttarakhand
state
in India
.
Mentioned in the Vayu Purana
and the Mahabharata
as Kanakhala , Kankhal is one of 'Panch Tirth
' (Five Pilgrimages) within Haridwar, with other spots being Gangadwara (Har ki Pauri
), Kushwart (Ghat in Kankhal), Bilwa Teerth (Mansa Devi Temple
) and Neel Parvat (Chandi Devi Temple
).
It is most known for the Daksheswara Mahadev Temple
, Maa Anandamoyi Ashram and numerous other ashrams and old houses with exquisite wall paintings built by Hindu pilgrims in the 19th century.
Traditionally, Kankhal is considered to be the summer capital and Kurukshetra
the winter capital of Shiva
. Shiva after ascending to the throne visited plain areas, the present Haridwar
. To give a warm welcome to Shiva the site of Haridwar was made a welcome-gate hence called Haridwar.
In the Vanaparva of the Mahabharat, where sage Dhaumya tells Yudhisthira
about the tirtha
s of India, Gangadwar, i.e., Haridwar
and Kankhal, have been referred to. Kankhal also finds mention in the poem Meghaduta
(Cloud messenger), of the 3rd century AD, classical Sanskrit
poet and dramatist, Kalidas .
When the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak (1469–1539), visited Haridwar in 1504 AD, on the Baisakhi day, he went on to visit Kankhal, en route to Kotdwara
in Garhwal
. Kankhal also finds mention in the travel accounts of Sister Nivedita
(1867–1911), a disciple of Swami Vivekananda
, wherein she mentions that long before Haridwar became popular, Kankhal had been a center for education and pilgrimage
As late as early 19th century it used to be a separate town, from Haridwar and Mayapur in the areas, though due to urban development it now falls within the city limits of Haridwar
.
Work on the Upper Ganga canal
, commenced in April 1842, between Haridwar
and Kankhal. Apart from being home various temples and ashrams of various sects, Kankhal also has numerous old havelis, mansion, now visitors attraction, especially heritage tours. Mostly built in previous century, they are known for their frescoes and haveli architecture, and were built by princely states, and zamindars for their stay in the pilgrimage town during summer months.
, between Delhi
and Manapass. Nearest railway stations are at Jwalapur and Haridwar
. The nearest airport is Jolly Grant Airport
, Dehradun
, though Indira Gandhi International Airport
in New Delhi
is preferred.
Its neighbouring towns are Jwalapur, Haridwar
, and Laksar
.
Haridwar
Haridwar is an important pilgrimage city and municipality in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India...
in the Haridwar district
Haridwar District
Haridwar district is a district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is headquartered at Haridwar which is also its largest city. The district is ringed by the districts Dehradun in the north and east, Pauri Garhwal in the east and the Uttar Pradesh districts of Muzaffarnagar and Bijnor in the...
of Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand , formerly Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Land of Gods due to the many holy Hindu temples and cities found throughout the state, some of which are among Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship...
state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Mentioned in the Vayu Purana
Vayu Purana
The Vayu Purana is a Shaiva Purana, a Hindu religious text, dedicated to the god Vayu , containing about 24,000 shlokas.-Date:Banabhatta refers to this work in his Kadambari and Harshacharita...
and the Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
as Kanakhala , Kankhal is one of 'Panch Tirth
Tirtha and Kshetra
In Hinduism, Tirtha and Kshetra are two terms denoting sites of pilgrimage.-Tirtha:A tīrtha , which literally means "a ford, a shallow part of a body of water that may be easily crossed" has come to connote places of pilgrimage associated with sacred water.-Kshetra:A Kṣētra denotes a holy precinct...
' (Five Pilgrimages) within Haridwar, with other spots being Gangadwara (Har ki Pauri
Har ki Pauri
Har Ki Pauri is a famous ghat on the banks of the Ganges in Haridwar in Uttarakhand state in India. This revered place is the major landmark of the holy city of Haridwar. Literally, "Har" means "Lord Shiva", "ki" means "of" and "paudi" means "steps". Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu are believed to...
), Kushwart (Ghat in Kankhal), Bilwa Teerth (Mansa Devi Temple
Mansa Devi Temple, Haridwar
Mansa Devi Temple, Haridwar is a Hindu temple dedicated to goddess Mansa in the holy city of Haridwar in the Uttarakhand state of India. The temple is located atop the Bilwa Parvat on the Sivalik Hills, the southernmost mountain chain of the Himalayas...
) and Neel Parvat (Chandi Devi Temple
Chandi Devi Temple, Haridwar
Chandi Devi Temple, Haridwar is a Hindu temple dedicated to Goddess Chandi Devi in the holy city of Haridwar in the Uttarakhand state of India. The temple is situated atop the Neel Parvat on the Eastern summit of the Sivalik Hills, the southernmost mountain chain of the Himalayas...
).
It is most known for the Daksheswara Mahadev Temple
Daksheswara Mahadev Temple
- External links :*...
, Maa Anandamoyi Ashram and numerous other ashrams and old houses with exquisite wall paintings built by Hindu pilgrims in the 19th century.
Kankhal in scriptures
Kankhal is mentioned in Mahabharata as follows,
"Here, O king, before thee is the Kanakhala range, the favourite resort of sages. 'And yonder is the mighty river Ganga. Here, in ancient times, the holy sage SanatkumaraSanatkumaraSage Sanatkumara was one of the Four Kumaras, the four Manasputras or spiritual sons of Brahma according to Puranic texts of Hinduism, including the Bhagavata Purana, whose other sons were Sanaka, Sanatana, and Sanandana . Sanatkumara in Sanskrit means "eternal youth"....
attained ascetic success. O scion of the Ajamidha race, by performing thy ablutions here in this river, thou wilt be freed from all thy sins.
- The Mahabharata, Book 3: Vana Parva: Tirtha-yatra Parva: Section CXXXV.
"Bathing in Gangadwara (Haridwar) and Kusavarta...as also in Kankhala, one is sure to become cleansed of all one's sins and then ascend to heaven."
-- The MahabharataMahabharataThe Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
, Book 13: Anusasanika Parva: Section XXV, p. 130.
History
Kurukshetra
Kurukshetra is a land of historical and religious importance. Historically the land belonged to Punjab now a district in Haryana state of India. It is a holy place and is also known as Dharmakshetra . According to the Puranas, Kurukshetra is named after King Kuru, the ancestor of Kauravas and...
the winter capital of Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
. Shiva after ascending to the throne visited plain areas, the present Haridwar
Haridwar
Haridwar is an important pilgrimage city and municipality in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India...
. To give a warm welcome to Shiva the site of Haridwar was made a welcome-gate hence called Haridwar.
In the Vanaparva of the Mahabharat, where sage Dhaumya tells Yudhisthira
Yudhisthira
In the great Hindu epic Mahabharata, Yudhisthira , the eldest son of King Pandu and Queen Kunti, was king of Indraprastha and later of Hastinapura. He was the leader of the Pandava side in the Kurukshetra War...
about the tirtha
Tirtha
In Jainism, a tīrtha |ford]], a shallow part of a body of water that may be easily crossed") is used to refer both to pilgrimage sites as well as to the four sections of the sangha...
s of India, Gangadwar, i.e., Haridwar
Haridwar
Haridwar is an important pilgrimage city and municipality in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India...
and Kankhal, have been referred to. Kankhal also finds mention in the poem Meghaduta
Meghaduta
Meghadūta is a lyric poem written by Kālidāsa, considered to be one of the greatest Sanskrit poets.A short poem of 111 stanzas, it is one of Kālidāsa's most famous works...
(Cloud messenger), of the 3rd century AD, classical Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
poet and dramatist, Kalidas .
When the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak (1469–1539), visited Haridwar in 1504 AD, on the Baisakhi day, he went on to visit Kankhal, en route to Kotdwara
Kotdwara
Kotdwara is a town and district headquarter in the Indian state of Uttarakhand.-Geography:Kotdwara is one of the district of Uttarakhand, situated at the border of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, on the foothills of the Shivalik Range of Himalayan Mountains. It is locked in by hills from three sides...
in Garhwal
Garhwal Kingdom
Garhwal Kingdom was a princely state in north-western Uttarakhand, India, ruled by the Panwar dynasty. It was founded in 888 AD and existed until it was annexed by the Gorkhas in 1803...
. Kankhal also finds mention in the travel accounts of Sister Nivedita
Sister Nivedita
- A benediction to Sister Nivedita by Swami Vivekananda Sister Nivedita ; ; , born as Margaret Elizabeth Noble, was a Scots-Irish social worker, author, teacher and disciple of Swami Vivekananda. She met Vivekananda in 1895 in London and travelled to Calcutta, India in 1898...
(1867–1911), a disciple of Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda , born Narendranath Dutta , was the chief disciple of the 19th century mystic Ramakrishna Paramahansa and the founder of the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission...
, wherein she mentions that long before Haridwar became popular, Kankhal had been a center for education and pilgrimage
As late as early 19th century it used to be a separate town, from Haridwar and Mayapur in the areas, though due to urban development it now falls within the city limits of Haridwar
Haridwar
Haridwar is an important pilgrimage city and municipality in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India...
.
Work on the Upper Ganga canal
Ganga canal
The Ganges or Ganga Canal is a canal system that irrigates the Doab region between the Ganges River and the Yamuna River in India.The canal is primarily an irrigation canal, although parts of it were also used for navigation, primarily for its construction materials. Separate navigation channels...
, commenced in April 1842, between Haridwar
Haridwar
Haridwar is an important pilgrimage city and municipality in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India...
and Kankhal. Apart from being home various temples and ashrams of various sects, Kankhal also has numerous old havelis, mansion, now visitors attraction, especially heritage tours. Mostly built in previous century, they are known for their frescoes and haveli architecture, and were built by princely states, and zamindars for their stay in the pilgrimage town during summer months.
Geography
Kankhal is located at 29.93°N 78.15°E. It has an average elevation of 260 metres (853 feet).Important places in Kankhal
- Daksheswara Mahadev TempleDaksheswara Mahadev Temple- External links :*...
- Kankhal is most known for the ancient temple of Daksheswara Mahadev temple, situated in the south Kankhal town. The present temple was built by Queen Dhankaur in 1810 AD and rebuilt in 1962. The mythological story about this place is that King DakshaDakshaIn Hinduism, Daksha, "the skilled one", is an ancient creator god, one of the Prajapatis, the Rishis and the Adityas. Daksha is said to be the son of Aditi and Brahma...
PrajapatiPrajapatiIn Hinduism, Prajapati "lord of creatures" is a Hindu deity presiding over procreation, and protector of life. He appears as a creator deity or supreme God Viswakarma Vedic deities in RV 10 and in Brahmana literature...
, the father of SatiDakshayaniDākshāyani or Satī is a Hindu Goddess of marital felicity and longevity. She is worshipped particularly by Hindu women to seek the long life of their husbands...
, Lord Shiva 's first wife, performed yagya at this place. Daksha Prajapati did not invite Lord Shiva, and Sati felt insulted. Therefore she burnt herself in the yagya kund. Shiva burned with anger, sent the terrible demi-god VīrabhadraVirabhadraAccording to Hindu mythology, Virabhadra or Veerabhadra was a super being created by the wrath of Rudra , when he stepped in to destroy the Yagna of Daksha, after his daughter Dakshayani - consort of Shiva, self-immolated in yagna fire...
, BhadrakaliBhadrakaliBhadrakāli , is one of the forms of the Great Goddess mentioned in the Devi Mahatmyam. In Sanskrit, the word Bhadra means "blessed", "auspicious", "fair", "beautiful", "good", "fortunate", "prosperous"....
and also his ganaGanaThe word ' , in Sanskrit, means "flock, troop, multitude, number, tribe, series, class" . It can also be used to refer to a "body of attendants" and can refer to "a company, any assemblage or association of men formed for the attainment of the same aims".In Hinduism, the s are attendants of Shiva...
s . On the direction of Shiva, Virabhadra appeared with Shiva's ganasGanasGanas is an intentional community founded in 1979 in Tompkinsville, Staten Island.Ganas has non-egalitarian, tiered membership groups, and is thus a partial member at the Federation of Egalitarian Communities. The community uses a group problem-solving process called "Feedback Learning", which was...
in the midst of Daksha's assembly like a storm wind and waged a fierce war on the gods and mortals present culminating in the beheading of Daksha, and later being bestow the head of a goat. Next to the temple is the 'Daksha Ghat' on the Ganga, and close by is the Nileshwar Mahadev Temple. Much of the details of the famous AshvamedhaAshvamedhaThe Ashvamedha was one of the most important royal rituals of Vedic religion, described in detail in the Yajurveda...
Yagna (Horse SacrificeHorse sacrificeMany Indo-European religious branches show evidence for horse sacrifice, and comparative mythology suggests that they derive from a Proto-Indo-European ritual.-Context:...
) of DakshaDakshaIn Hinduism, Daksha, "the skilled one", is an ancient creator god, one of the Prajapatis, the Rishis and the Adityas. Daksha is said to be the son of Aditi and Brahma...
are available in the Vayu PuranaVayu PuranaThe Vayu Purana is a Shaiva Purana, a Hindu religious text, dedicated to the god Vayu , containing about 24,000 shlokas.-Date:Banabhatta refers to this work in his Kadambari and Harshacharita...
- Sati Kund, another well-known mythological heritage worth visit is situated in the Kankhal region. Legend has it that Sati laid down her life in this kund Pilgrims from all over India visit this place and feel blessed.
- Ramakrishna Mission - This branch of the Ramakrishna MissionRamakrishna MissionRamakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission are twin organizations which form the core of a worldwide spiritual movement known as Ramakrishna Movement or Vedanta Movement. The Ramakrishna Mission is a philanthropic, volunteer organization founded by Ramakrishna's chief disciple Swami Vivekananda on...
was built in 1910 at behest of Swami VivekanandaSwami VivekanandaSwami Vivekananda , born Narendranath Dutta , was the chief disciple of the 19th century mystic Ramakrishna Paramahansa and the founder of the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission...
.
- Anandamoyi Ma Ashram - This quaint ashram was the residence of this Hindu saint Sri Anandamoyi MaSri Anandamoyi MaSri Anandamayi Ma was a Hindu spiritual teacher and guru from Bengal, considered a saint by many and hailed as one of the prominent mystics of the 20th century. Anandamayi means "bliss-permeated mother", a name given by her disciples in the 1920s to describe what they saw as her habitual state of...
(1896–1982), and also houses her samādhiSamadhiSamadhi in Hinduism, Buddhism,Jainism, Sikhism and yogic schools is a higher level of concentrated meditation, or dhyāna. In the yoga tradition, it is the eighth and final limb identified in the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali....
shrine and a museum dedicated to her, in the vicinity.
- Dera Baba Dargah Singh ji, Gurudwara - Situated near Sati Ghat, this Gurudwara is dedicated to the third Sikh Guru, Guru Amar DasGuru Amar DasGuru Amar Das was the third of the Ten Gurus of Sikhism and was given the title of Sikh Guru on 26 March 1552.-His life:...
, who visited this place many times during his lifetime, is situated near Sati Ghat in Kankhal; it is managed by the Nirmala Sikhs , a scholarly sect of the Sikhs, who came here in 1705, after evacuating from AnandpurAnandpur SahibAnandpur Sahib is a city in Rupnagar district in the state of Punjab, India. Known as "the holy City of Bliss," it is a holy city of the Sikhs and is one of their most important sacred places, closely linked with their religious traditions and history...
, Punjab and made it their headquarters
- Gurukul Kangri University - Situated in Kankhal, on the banks of river Ganga, on Haridwar-Jwalapur bypass road, Gurukul Kangri is one of the oldest Universities of India, founded in 1902 by Swami Shraddhananda (1856–1926), according to the tenets of Swami Dayananda SaraswatiSwami Dayananda SaraswatiMaharishi Dayanand Saraswati was an important Hindu religious scholar, reformer, and founder of the Arya Samaj, a Hindu reform movement. He was the first to give the call for Swarajya – "India for Indians" – in 1876, later taken up by Lokmanya Tilak...
, the founder of Arya SamajArya SamajArya Samaj is a Hindu reform movement founded by Swami Dayananda on 10 April 1875. He was a sannyasi who believed in the infallible authority of the Vedas. Dayananda emphasized the ideals of brahmacharya...
. It was visited by British Trade Union leader Charles Freer AndrewsCharles Freer AndrewsCharles Freer Andrews was an English priest of the Church of England. He was an educator and participant in the campaign for Indian independence, and became Mahatma Gandhi's closest friend and associate....
and British Prime Minister, Ramsay MacDonaldRamsay MacDonaldJames Ramsay MacDonald, PC, FRS was a British politician who was the first ever Labour Prime Minister, leading a minority government for two terms....
, to study the unique GurukulGurukulA gurukul is a type of school in India, residential in nature, with shishyas living in proximity to the guru, often within the same house...
based education system. Mahatma GandhiMahatma GandhiMohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
visited its campus three times, and stayed in its sprawling and serene campus for extended periods of time, most notably in 1916, when on March 20, he spoke at Gurukul Anniversary.
Transport
Kankhal is well connected by road to National Highway 58National Highway 58 (India)
National Highway 58 is a National Highway in Northern India. It links Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh with Badrinath in Uttarakhand. This Highway passes through Badrinath, Joshimath, Chamoli, Nandaprayag, Rudraprayag, Srinagar, Devprayag, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Muzaffarnagar, Purquazi, Meerut,...
, between Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
and Manapass. Nearest railway stations are at Jwalapur and Haridwar
Haridwar
Haridwar is an important pilgrimage city and municipality in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India...
. The nearest airport is Jolly Grant Airport
Jolly Grant Airport
Jolly Grant Airport , also known as Dehradun Airport, is an airport serving Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India.-Overview:The airport is located about southeast of the city of Dehradun. Nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas, the airport, after a runway extension to accommodate larger aircraft,...
, Dehradun
Dehradun
- Geography :The Dehradun district has various types of physical geography from Himalayan mountains to Plains. Raiwala is the lowest point at 315 meters above sea level, and the highest points are within the Tiuni hills, rising to 3700 m above sea level...
, though Indira Gandhi International Airport
Indira Gandhi International Airport
Indira Gandhi International Airport is the primary international airport of the National Capital Region of Delhi, India, situated in West Delhi, 16 km southwest of New Delhi city centre. Named after Indira Gandhi, the former Prime Minister of India, it is the busiest airport in India in...
in New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
is preferred.
Its neighbouring towns are Jwalapur, Haridwar
Haridwar
Haridwar is an important pilgrimage city and municipality in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India...
, and Laksar
Laksar
Laksar is a town and a panchayat in Haridwar district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand.It is an important sugar manufacturing destination in the state and also known for the Laksar Junction Railway station , which the largest Railway Junction in the state, built in 1866.-Geography:Laksar is...
.