Pilgrimage Tours
Photo: Ekabhishek · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 · cropped
Mansa Devi Temple sits on Bilwa Parvat, a spur of the Shivalik hills above Haridwar, and is dedicated to Mansa Devi — a form of Shakti whom tradition describes as having arisen from the mind of Shiva, and who is also revered as a goddess associated with serpents. "Mansa" means wish, and the shrine is counted a Siddh Peeth, one of three in Haridwar along with Chandi Devi and Maya Devi; it is also one of the town's Panch Tirth. The inner sanctum holds two images of the goddess, one with eight arms and the other with three heads and five arms. The present temple is generally credited to Maharaja Gopal Singh of Manimajra in the early nineteenth century, and its best-known custom is the tying of a thread on the temple tree when a wish is made, to be untied on a later visit once it is fulfilled.
October to March is the most comfortable stretch, with cool, dry weather for the climb and clear views over the Ganga and Har ki Pauri. Chaitra Navratri (March–April) and Sharad Navratri (September–October) are the main festival periods and draw very large crowds; the Shravan month (roughly July–August), when kanwar pilgrims fill Haridwar, is the most punishing of all and the hill route is genuinely congested then. Avoid peak summer if elders are travelling — May and June are hot on an open, largely unshaded stairway.
The nearest airport is Jolly Grant (Dehradun), roughly 35–45 km away depending on the route taken, with Delhi's Indira Gandhi International about 220 km for international arrivals. Haridwar Junction is the railhead and is only about 3 km from the base of the hill, so an auto or e-rickshaw covers it in minutes. By road, Haridwar is around 210–220 km from Delhi on NH-334/NH-58; vehicles stop at the base station near Upper Road and the ascent is on foot or by ropeway.
The temple is on a hilltop and there is no road to the door. You either walk up a paved stepped path of roughly 1.5 km with several hundred steps, or take the Mansa Devi Udankhatola ropeway (about 540 m long, rising some 178 m). Elders, and anyone with knee or heart trouble, should plan on the ropeway both ways. The stairway is narrow and has seen dangerous crowd surges during Shravan and Navratri, so keep small children close and avoid the busiest evening hours. Ropeway operations can be suspended in high wind or heavy rain, and darshan hours vary by season — confirm both with the temple before you travel.
Planned around you, not a fixed departure. Holiday Vibez arranges pilgrimages to Mansa Devi Temple in Haridwar for families, elders and temple groups travelling from Chennai, Coimbatore, Kochi and Madurai. Tell us your dates and how many are coming — we build the route around that. 100% customisable.
- Stays near the shrine — so elders aren't driven back and forth at 4am.
- Private transfers — pick-up from your door, not a meeting point.
- Meals that suit the group — including pure-veg and fasting requirements.
- Group travel — 4 people or 40, one coordinator, one itinerary.
- Someone on the phone — when you're in a queue three states from home.
Temple boards run their own darshan queues and quotas. No travel agent can sell you a special one, and agencies that promise "VIP darshan" are either misleading you or breaking the trust's rules. We help you book the official slots and we get everything else right.
Most of the people we send on yatra are over 55, or booking for parents who are. We plan shorter driving days, stays within walking distance where the shrine allows it, and we'll tell you honestly if a site involves a long climb or a trek before you pay — not after.
Is there a ropeway to Mansa Devi Temple, and can we avoid the climb entirely?
Yes. The Mansa Devi Udankhatola cable car runs from a base station in Haridwar to near the shrine, which lets elderly pilgrims skip the stepped path almost completely — there is still a short walk at the top. Service can stop in bad weather or high wind, so keep a buffer in your day and check on arrival.
Can Mansa Devi and Chandi Devi be done on the same day?
Most pilgrims do exactly that. Both are hilltop Siddh Peeths in Haridwar with their own ropeways, on opposite sides of the town, and a half-day each is realistic if you start early. Many families add Maya Devi and an evening Ganga Aarti at Har ki Pauri to complete the local circuit.
What is the thread-tying custom at the temple?
Devotees tie a sacred thread on the tree within the temple precincts while making a wish, and return to untie it after the wish is granted. It is a devotional practice, not a paid ritual, and nobody needs to be engaged to perform it on your behalf.
Do we need to book darshan in advance?
No booking system should be assumed, and no travel agent can reserve, shorten or upgrade your darshan — the temple board manages its own queue and everyone stands in it. Ropeway tickets are bought at the base station on the day. Confirm current arrangements with the temple before you travel.
Plan your Mansa Devi Temple yatra
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