or HARIDWARA, a town of Hindustan, in the British district of Saharanpore; under the lieutenant-governorship of the N.W. provinces; a great mart of commerce, and a celebrated place of Hindu pilgrimage, situated on the W. side of the Ganges, where it issues from the northern hills. The town is not large, having only one street about 15 feet in breadth, and one furlong and a half in length. Pilgrims of both sexes resort annually thither from all parts of India to perform their ablutions in the sacred Ganges. The month of April is the time appointed for this concourse of pilgrims; and great numbers of merchants also attending, one of the largest fairs known in Hindustan is held here. It is calculated that, in general, about 300,000 persons are collected on this occasion; but, once in twelve years, when particular ceremonies are observed, the number is increased to a million. In April 1809, it was computed that two millions of strangers were assembled. The chief articles brought thither for sale are horses, mules, camels, tobacco, antimony, assafoetida; dried fruits from Kabul, Candahar, Moulton, and the Punjab; shawls, cloaks, &c., from Cashmere and Amritsar; spotted turbans, looking-glasses, toys, with various manufactures in brass and ivory, from Jeypoor; shields from Rohilcund, Lucknow, and Silhet; bows and arrows from Moulton and the Doab; rock-salt from Lahore; buffas and piece-goods from Rahn, a large city in the Punjab; many camels, and a species of flannel, from the Marwar country; and from the Company's provinces, Kharwa muslins, sarsnet, cocoa-nuts, and woollen cloths of a coarse quality. The merchants who frequent this fair travel in large caravans, and are frequently infested on the roads by freebooters, who watch their opportunity, and cut off stragglers. During the Mahraota dominion, a poll tax and heavy duties were imposed on all the cattle. But these have all been repealed by the British, and every encouragement is now held out to merchants. In such a vast concourse of people from all quarters, disputes were formerly very frequent. But owing to the strict police maintained by the British, these fairs have lately ended without bloodshed, to the surprise and satisfaction of the vast multitudes, who were accustomed to see bloody quarrels at the Hurdwar fair. The stream divides itself into three channels at Hurdwar, the principal of which is on the western side, running along a bank named Chandnee Ghaut. The travelling distance from Calcutta by Moorshedabad is 1080 miles, by Birbhum 975 miles, from Delhi 117 miles, and from Lucknow 311 miles. E. Long. 78. 14., N. Lat. 29. 57.