emulating the life of a home with parents and
siblings. The orphanage now houses more than
35 children. His Hanuman Fellowship sponsors
weekly gatherings, or satsangs, and periodic
retreats at their centers. Sri Rama Foundation/
Publishing, established in 1971, publishes the
writings of Hari Dass.
Hari Dass presides at weekly sessions on the
YOGA SUTRA, the BHAGAVAD GITA, Ashtanga Yoga,
and related subjects. He also writes commentar-
ies on the principal yoga scriptures and teaches
classes on yoga. Each Sunday he leads community
gatherings that include singing, meditation, and
yoga.
Further reading: Baba Hari Dass, Ashtanga Yoga Primer
(Santa Cruz, Calif.: Sri Rama: Hanuman Fellowship,
1981); ———, Between Pleasure and Pain: The Way of
Conscious Living (Sumas, Wash.: Dharma Sara, 1976);
———, Fire without Fuel: The Aphorisms of Baba Hari
Dass (Santa Cruz, Calif.: Sri Rama, 1986); ———,
Hariakhan Baba: Known, Unknown (Davis, Calif.: Sri
Rama Foundation, 1975); ———, Silence Speaks:
From the Chalkboard of Baba Hari Dass (Santa Cruz,
Calif.: Sri Rama Foundation, 1977); ———, Sweeper
to Saint: Stories of Holy India (Santa Cruz, Calif.: Sri
Rama, 1980).
Haridvar (Haridwar; Hardvar; Hardwar)
Haridvar (dvar, doorway, to Hari, a name for
VISHNU) is one of the seven sacred cities of Hindu
India. SHIVA followers call the city Hardvar (Har, a
name for Shiva).
Haridvar is located in the northern state of
Uttaranchal, in the Himalayan foothills. The city
has been called Mayapur, Gangadwar, and Kapila
at different times in its history. It has been men-
tioned in scripture and other writings from the
time of the BUDDHA (600 B.C.E.).
The city is considered the starting point for a
PILGRIMAGE path that includes BADRINATH, KEDAR-
NATH, Gangotri, and Yamanotri. It is the place
where Bhagiratha is said to have taken the GANGES
down to Earth in order to bless the ashes of his
ancestors; pilgrims annually honor the descent of
the Ganges. They also perform the special shrad-
dha FUNERAL RITES for deceased loved ones. Pil-
grims visit a stone footprint of Vishnu and bathe
nearby. The three major gods, BRAHMA, Shiva; and
Vishnu, have been said to visit the city.
Numerous temples to both Shiva and Vishnu
grace the city. There are also temples to the god-
dess, including the Mayadevi temple, considered
one of the SHAKTI PITHAS where the heart (or
navel) of the goddess is said to have fallen. Nota-
ble also is the temple to DAKSHA, father-in-law
of Shiva; Daksha performed his famous sacrifice
here without inviting Shiva, thus provoking a
quarrel and eventually the death of his daughter
SAT I. Haridvar/Hardvar is one of the sites for the
KUMBHA MELA and the larger Maha Kumbhamela
festivals.Further reading: Reeta and Rupinder Khullar, Gateway
to the Gods, Haridwar-Rishikesh: Yamunotri-Gangotri-
Kedarnath-Badrinath (Dehradun: Uttaranchal Tourism,
2004); Survey of India, Haridwar Guide Map (New
Delhi: Author, 1978).Harihara
Harihara is an iconic deity who combines the
forms of VISHNU (Hari) and SHIVA (Hara). He is
revered by a syncretic cult based mostly in South
India. There is a Harihara image in BADAMI in Kar-
nataka that is dated to the sixth century.
The South Indian kings of the VIJAYANAGARA
(1336–1565) patronized Harihara’s temples. Some
of their kings even took his name. A number of
Harihara temples still exist in the Indian state of
Karnataka today.
Harihara also appears in the iconography
of Nepal. Though a minority cult, the Harihara
phenomenon demonstrates the elasticity and syn-
cretic character of Hinduism.K 180 Haridvar