Haridwar Off The Beaten Path

These are two hillocks bordering the east and west of Haridwar.
Its worthwhile to visit them and can be covered in a day trip. Apart from the religious angle and pujas or offerings to the Temples, these offer fine sights of the Adi Ganga as it was, and how its path has been altered to touch the city that it now does.
They offer nice Panoramic swcenarios too for photography.

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Halfway between Delhi and Haridwar , on the highway , we discovered this amazing place.It is actually a "dhaba" or rest-stop , and has a great indoor and outdoor restuarant , modern toilet facilties and THE most beautiful gardens, ablaze with colour. We saw rose gardens, and wide, manicured lawns, fountains. What should have been just a rest-stop turned out to be a 2 hour stop. We had lunch, and wondered around , admiring the garden. Beautiful gardens are not rare in India, but finding one in such an unlikely place is rare. There are also rows of exotic birds in cages- (I do not like birds being caged, but they were interesting to look at)
Have your camera ready- there are lovely photos to be had.
The place is very popular with travellers- car-loads of people were arriving, and the restuarant was packed. The food was pretty good too.It made the drive to Haridwar a pleasure and gave a good opportunity for a meal & rest break

Just after you pass Khatauli, stop at Cheetal Grand. Don't stop at Cheetal, which is just before it.

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Rajaji and Corbett creates in fact one, joined formation so the animals migrate free between these parks. In Rajaji you have the highest chance to see wild elephants, the scenery is beautifull and the park is less touristy than Corbett. In 02/2008 it was not posible any more to hire an elephant but even with a jeep the visit is definitely recommended!