Bhimgoda Tank
#3of 7 places to visit in HaridwarHaridwar, Uttarakhand
Also known as Bhim Goda · Bhimgoda Kund
Quick answer
Opening hours: 05:00–20:00. Entry is free. Allow 30 min. Best time: 07:00 – 09:00 AM.
Updated · Compiled by Traveliac, AI-assisted · 4 min read
- Opening hours
- 05:00–20:00
- Entry fee
- Free
- Time needed
- 30 min
- Best time of day
- 07:00 – 09:00 AM
- Best months
- Oct – Mar
- Address
- Bhimgoda Road, near Haridwar Junction Railway Station, Haridwar, Uttarakhand 249401
About Bhimgoda Tank
Bhimgoda Tank sits about 1 km from Har Ki Pauri and takes its name from a Mahabharata legend: Bhima, the second of the five Pandava brothers, is said to have struck the ground with his knee (goda in Hindi) to create the pool when the group, travelling toward the Himalayas, needed water. Ganga water feeds the tank, and its water is popularly believed to carry healing and purifying properties distinct from the open river. The site is one of Haridwar's older, lower-key heritage stops — smaller and far quieter than the hilltop temples or the main ghat, but historically continuous with the same Pandava-pilgrimage mythology that also touches Sapt Rishi Ashram upstream.
Best time of day: 07:00 – 09:00 AM. When the tank is calm and the short walk from Har Ki Pauri is comfortable before the day's heat builds.
Bhimgoda Tank timings
Bhimgoda Tank opens at 05:00 and closes at 20:00. The weekend is no different: Saturday and Sunday follow the same times.
- Opening hours
- 05:00–20:00
Mon–Sun 05:00–20:00 - Closed on
- Open every day
Good to know: The tank draws its largest crowds during Sawan (July–August), when devotees decorate it with flowers, lights, and flags and bathing queues extend well beyond the compound.
Opening hours compiled from uttarakhandtourism.gov.in and public records, last updated . They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides
Bhimgoda Tank ticket price
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Indian visitors | Free |
| Foreign visitors | Free |
| Children | Free |
| Camera | Free |
Entry is free, as of 2026, verify at the counter for any Sawan-month (July–August) crowd-management restrictions.
Prices compiled from uttarakhandtourism.gov.in and public records, last updated . They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides
Best time to visit Bhimgoda Tank
- Quiet
- Moderate
05:00 – 08:00
Early MorningBest time to go
A handful of local devotees; the tank is calm and easy to approach directly.
Quiet08:00 – 13:00
Morning
Modest, steady footfall from pilgrims combining the tank with nearby Maya Devi Temple.
Quiet13:00 – 17:00
Afternoon
Quiet through the afternoon; a comfortable stop between train connections at nearby Haridwar Junction.
Quiet17:00 – 20:00
Evening
A modest rise as visitors pass through en route to the Har Ki Pauri aarti a kilometre away.
Moderate
History of Bhimgoda Tank
The Bhimgoda legend belongs to the same Mahabharata-era travel narrative that places the Pandava brothers passing through Haridwar en route to the high Himalaya — a mythological thread that recurs at Sapt Rishi Ashram, where the brothers are also said to have passed on the same journey. The tank's name, combining Bhim and goda (knee), directly encodes the origin story told at the site: unable to find water for his exhausted companions, Bhima is said to have driven his knee into the rock, and the resulting depression filled with a spring that is still fed today by a diverted Ganga channel.
Bhimgoda has functioned as a minor but continuously used pilgrimage stop for centuries, its proximity to Har Ki Pauri keeping it within the city's core ritual geography even as the main ghat's aarti tradition came to dominate Haridwar's modern pilgrim economy. A barrage further downstream, also named Bhimgoda, regulates the Ganga's flow into the canal system that feeds Har Ki Pauri itself, tying the tank's mythology directly to the engineering that keeps the city's most famous ghat perennially wet even in low-flow winter months.
Rules & etiquette at Bhimgoda Tank
Footwear is removed before approaching the tank's stone steps; there is a small rack at the entrance. During Sawan (July–August), the tank becomes a focal point for elaborate decoration with flowers, lights, and coloured flags, and crowd volume rises sharply — expect queuing for close access to the water during this period.
As a smaller, less commercialised site than Har Ki Pauri, Bhimgoda has fewer touts and vendors, and the general pace is unhurried outside festival dates. Visitors bathing in the tank are expected to do so fully clothed, consistent with practice at Haridwar's other sacred tanks, and loose plastic offerings (bags, wrappers) are discouraged by posted notices asking devotees to use biodegradable flower and leaf offerings instead.
Tips for visiting Bhimgoda Tank
- 1
Bhimgoda Tank is an easy add-on rather than a standalone destination — pair it with Maya Devi Temple, roughly 2 km away, and a walk back toward Har Ki Pauri for the evening aarti, covering three of Haridwar's older, central-city heritage sites in a single unhurried afternoon.
- 2
Because it sits close to Haridwar Junction, it also makes a sensible short stop for travellers with a few hours to spare between trains, without needing to cross the river or climb to a hilltop temple. The tank is small enough that a visit rarely takes more than 20–30 minutes, which makes it easy to underestimate how much of Haridwar's working religious geography — barrage, canal, tank, and ghat — is compressed into this short stretch of riverbank; asking a local priest to point out the Bhimgoda Barrage from the tank steps is a quick way to see that connection firsthand.
How to reach Bhimgoda Tank
We haven't pinned Bhimgoda Tank's exact position yet; the map shows the other places in our Haridwar guide. Use the address below or the directions link.
Bhimgoda Road, near Haridwar Junction Railway Station, Haridwar, Uttarakhand 249401Directions in Google Maps
From Har Ki Pauri
1 km · 5–8 min
Walkable; ₹30–40 cycle-rickshaw
From Haridwar Junction Railway Station
₹70–903 km · 10–12 min
Auto-rickshaw
From Maya Devi Temple
₹50–702 km · 8–10 min
Auto-rickshaw
Nearest airport
From Jolly Grant Airport (DED), Dehradun
approximately 38 km, 60–75 minutes by road.
Nearest railway station
From Haridwar Junction (HW)
approximately 3 km, 10–12 minutes by auto-rickshaw or a 30-minute walk.
Bhimgoda Tank FAQs
Why is Bhimgoda Tank named after Bhima?
According to Mahabharata-linked local legend, Bhima, the second Pandava brother, struck the ground with his knee (goda) to create the pool when the Pandavas needed water while travelling toward the Himalayas through Haridwar.
Is there an entry fee for Bhimgoda Tank?
No, entry is free as of 2026.
How far is Bhimgoda Tank from Har Ki Pauri?
About 1 km, a 5–8 minute walk or short cycle-rickshaw ride, making it an easy add-on to a Har Ki Pauri visit.
When is Bhimgoda Tank most crowded?
During the Hindu month of Sawan, typically July–August, when the tank is elaborately decorated with flowers and lights and large numbers of devotees gather to bathe.
Compiled with AI assistance from official sources and public records, and published only after the checks in How we write these guides. Nobody from Traveliac has visited this place. Last updated . How we rank and check places
