5 2 HARD Wile
named Kapilā, after the sage of that name, who is said to have lived
here. In the seventh century Hiuen Tsiang described a town named
Mo-yu-lo, which was probably Mayf ra or Mąyapur, a suburb south of
Hardwar. The Chinese pilgrim also mentions that there was a Brdh-
manical temple north of Mo-yu-lo which the Hindus called `the gate
of the Ganges,' and this name Gangadwara is regularly used by the
Muhammadan historians for Hardwar. The meaning of the present
name is disputed. Worshippers of Siva derive it from Hara, a name
of Siva, while the Vaishnavas claim that the correct origin is from Hari,
a name of Vishnu. Abul Fazl, in the reign of Akbar, refers to Maya,
known as Handwara, and Tom Coryat, who visited the place in
Jahangir's reign, called it ` Hart-dwara, the capital of Siva.'
The town is beautifully situated on the right bank of the Ganges,
at the foot of the Siwaliks, close by the gorge through which the river
debouches on the plains. On the opposite shore rises the hill of
Chandi Pahar, whose summit is crowned by a temple. The Ganges
here divides into many shallow channels, with wooded islands between.
One channel commences about 2 miles above Hardwar, and flows past
the main town and its suburbs, Mayapur and Kankhal, rejoining the
parent river a little below the last-mentioned place. The head-works
of the UPrmi GANGES CANA1, are situated on this branch, between
Mayapur and Kankhal. The town has grown considerably since the
early part of the nineteenth century. At the present day the great
object of attraction is the bathing ghat, called Harļ-ka-charan or Hari-
ki-pain (`Vishnu's footprint'), with the adjoining temple of Gangd-
dwara. A stone on the wall of the hdt bears the footmark, which is
an object of special reverence. Pilgrims struggle to be the first to
plunge into the pool on great occasions, and stringent police regulations
are required to prevent the crowd from trampling one another to death.
In 1819, 430 persons, including some sepoys on guard, lost their lives
in this manner, and the glzāt was enlarged. The great assemblage of
pilgrims is held annually on the first day of the month of Baisakh, the
commencement of the Hindu solar year, when the sun enters Aries.
Every twelfth year the planet Jupiter is in the sign Aquarius (Kumbh)
at this time, and the occasion is considered one of special sanctity,
the fair being called the Kumbh mela. In. 1796 the attendance was
estimated at 22 millions, and in 18o8 at 2 millions. These were
probably exaggerations, as the number at ordinary fairs was later found
to be only about roo,ooo, and at the Kumbh meld about 300,000. In
1892 the fair was broken up on account of an outbreak of cholera, and
the vast concourse of people sent off by rail before the great bathing
day. The result of this action was the formation of the Hardwar
Improvement Society, supported by contributions from Hindus all over
India, which has introduced various sanitary reforms. The bottom
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