< A photo op to round off a rendezvous with rain and snow> I don’t know if it is the gateway to Hari, Vishnu’s abode, but surely Haridwar town is the gateway to the Himalayas. On the way down from Alaknanda river valley, our race against the weather ended with bright sunshine and a ritual visit to the Ganga ghat. Incessant rain during that week brought with it tons of sediment and soil making the water unfit for a dip. BTW, another source of  Saraswati river is being touted, further up the Vasudhara trail (11,500 ft) where a temple to the goddess is being constructed next to glacial melt coming from Satopanth and Swargarohini group of peaks.