8 Places To Visit In Ghaziabad

Nicknamed as the ‘Gateway to UP’, Ghaziabad is the second-largest industrial city in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The Mughal general Ghazi-ud-din founded the erstwhile city of Ghaziabad in 1740 AD and initially named it as ‘Ghaziuddinnagar’. This urban commercial hub has two rivers, Hindon and Kali, running across it. Moreover, it has many temples, swanky malls, entertainment hubs, and cultural centres to attract tourists of all types. Due to its multi-cultural heritage, many festivals are celebrated here with much fanfare and lavishness. Some of these major festivals are Shivratri, Holi, Dussehra, Diwali, Id-ul-Fitr, Baisakhi, and Janmashtami.

This large and densely-populated city has well-developed infrastructure and offers modern amenities. You can reach this place via extensive rail network, well-maintained roadways, and the nearby Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport.

Featuring below are 8 most-interesting tourist spots in Ghaziabad which you can’t afford to miss:

1. ISKCON Temple

Located in Raj Nagar, a bustling suburb of Ghaziabad city, this charming and expansive temple is a major tourist attraction. It has beautifully-designed interiors and also offers vehicle-parking facility to its visitors. Interestingly, it has an in-house store where you can buy books, CDs, and other merchandise produced by ISKCON. Nearly hundreds of disciples and tourists visit this temple during the Hindu festival of Janmashtami for celebration.

2. Reddot Art Gallery

This contemporary art gallery is located in Indirapuram region. It promotes Visual Fine Arts and organizes art exhibitions on regular basis. It boasts of a 150-feet long wall for displaying paintings of varied sizes.

3. Thakurdwara Mandir

This holy temple is located in the village of Ajrara in Ghaziabad and lies close to the local River Kali. King Ajaipal erected this religious shrine to appease the Hindu deity he worshipped and initially named it as ‘Ajaipara’. According to local legends, the chief deity of this temple causes miracles and fulfills the wishes of its worshippers. Its impressive architecture and multi-colored design attracts both local and foreign tourists, in large numbers. You can also travel to the renowned Bhakra Nangal Dam which is situated only 3 km away from this place. This manmade engineering marvel is famous as the tallest dam in the country.

4. Dudheshwar Nath Mandir

Nearly 5000-year-old this Hindu shrine is one of the major temples in Ghaziabad. According to Hindu Mythology, a cow dug a pit on the ground and filled it up with her own milk. After witnessing this extraordinary event, the local Hindu devotees constructed an attractive temple on that exact spot. They dedicated the temple to Lord Shiva. Presently, this vividly-colored beautiful temple is one of the major tourist hotspots in the city.

5. Sai Upvan

This picturesque monastery is situated on Grand Trunk Road and near the banks of the local river Hindon. This sprawling spiritual sanctuary houses a wonderful life-like idol of the highly-revered saint Sai Baba. Due to its lovely gardens and groves, photogenic surroundings, and peaceful ambience, many spiritual seekers, nature lovers, and holidaymakers frequently visit it.

6. Chandi Mandir

The village of Hapur in Ghaziabad is dotted with many popular Hindu temples. Dedicated to Goddess Chandi, this magnificent shrine is one of the most-visited temples in and around Ghaziabad.

7. Sabli Shiv Mandir

Also situated in the Hapur village, this strikingly-beautiful Hindu shrine has its fair share of devotes and tourists visiting it, all year round. One of the major Hindu gods, Lord Shiva is the presiding deity of this temple.

8. Kaseri Mound

According to Indian History, an ancient civilization thrived here, around 2500 B.C. This pre-historic site lies on the banks of River Hindon. Many archaeologists, researchers, and sightseers visit this place, throughout the year.

Apart from the aforementioned tourist hotspots, you should also travel to the neighboring holy town named ‘Garhmukteshwar’. During the annual Hindu festival of Dussehra, a large-scale bathing fair is held her. Nearly 1 million devotees come to this religious fair to take a holy dip in the water of River Ganga. You can also checkout an old mosque present here. The Muslim ruler Giasuddin Balban built this Islamic shrine in the 13th century AD.