Lakshmi - Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India - Statues of Religious Figures on Waymarking.com

Haridwar is an ancient city and municipality in the Haridwar district of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Haridwar is said to be one of the seven most holy Hindu places in India, with Varanasi usually considered the holiest.

Har Ki Pauri was constructed by King Vikramaditya (1st century BC) in memory of his brother Bharthari. It is believed that Bharthari came to Haridwar and meditated on the banks of the holy Ganges. When he died, his brother constructed a Ghat in his name, which later came to be known as Har Ki Pauri.

Lakshmi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, fortune, and prosperity (both material and spiritual). She is the wife and active energy of Lord Vishnu. Her four hands represent the four goals of human life considered important to the Hindu way of life – dharma, kama, artha, and moksha. Representations of Lakshmi are also found in Jain monuments.

Archaeological discoveries and ancient coins suggest the recognition and reverence for goddess Lakshmi in the Scytho-Parthian kingdom and throughout India by the 1st millennium BC. Lakshmi's iconography and statues have also been found in Hindu temples throughout southeast Asia, estimated to be from second half of 1st millennium AD.

In modern times, Lakshmi is worshiped as the goddess of wealth. She is also worshipped as the consort of Vishnu in many temples. The festivals of Diwali and Sharad Purnima (Kojagiri Purnima) are celebrated in her honor. We were in India on November 2015 during the Diwali Festival of Lights and we participited to the celebrations at our hotel.

Lakshmi's statue depicts the goddess seated in the Padmasana pose on a lotus flower resting on the back of a crocodile in the middle of the river Ganges.

The coordinates were taken on the bank of the Ganges at the closest point from the statue.

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Associated Religion(s): Hinduism Statue Location: Har Ki Pauri Ghat in Haridwar Entrance Fee: Free Artist: Unknown Website: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Take a picture of the statue. A waymarker and/or GPSr is not required to be in the image but it doesn't hurt.

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