Kankhal
Kankhal is a small colony in Haridwar in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand state in India. Mentioned in the Vayu Purana and the Mahabharata as "Kanakhala", Kankhal is one of 'Panch Tirth' (Five Pilgrimages) within Haridwar, with other spots being "Gangadwara "(Har ki Pauri), "Kushwart" (Ghat in Kankhal), "Bilwa Teerth" (Mansa Devi Temple) and "Neel Parvat" (Chandi Devi Temple). It is most known for the Daksheswara Mahadev Temple, Maa Anandamoyi Ashram and numerous other ashrams and old houses with exquisite wall paintings built by Hindu pilgrims in the 19th century. Kankhal in scriptures. Kankhal is mentioned in Mahabharata as  follows, History. Traditionally, Kankhal is considered to be the summer capital and Kurukshetra the winter capital of Shiva. God Shiva after ascending to the throne visited plain areas, the present Haridwar. In the "Vanaparva" of the Mahabharat, where sage Dhaumya tells Yudhishthira about the tirthas of India, Gangadwar, i.e., Haridwar and Kankhal, have been referred to. Kankhal also finds mention in the poem Meghaduta (Cloud messenger), of the 3rd century AD, classical Sanskrit poet and dramatist, Kalidas. When the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak (1469–1539), visited Haridwar in 1504 AD, on the Baisakhi day, he went on to visit Kankhal , en route to Kotdwara in Garhwal. Kankhal also finds mention in the travel accounts of Sister Nivedita (1867–1911), a disciple of Swami Vivekananda, wherein she mentions that long before Haridwar became popular, Kankhal had been a center for education and pilgrimage As late as early 19th century it used to be a separate town, from Haridwar and Mayapur in the areas, though due to urban development it now falls within the city limits of Haridwar. Work on the Upper Ganges canal commenced in April 1842, between Haridwar and Kankhal. Apart from being home various temples and ashrams of various sects , Kankhal also has numerous old "havelis", mansion, now visitors attraction, especially heritage tours. Mostly built in previous century, they are known for their frescoes and haveli architecture, and were built by princely states, and zamindars for their stay in the pilgrimage town during summer months. Geography. Kankhal is located at . It has an average elevation of 260 metres (853 feet). Transport. Kankhal is well connected by road to National Highway 58, between Delhi and Manapass. Nearest railway stations are at Jwalapur and Haridwar. The nearest airport is Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun, though Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi is  preferred. Its neighbouring towns are Jwalapur, Haridwar, and Laksar.