Meerut is located 70 kilometers from Delhi and is known for the progress in both the agricultural sector as well as the industrial sector. The roots of this place can be traced back to the times of Ramayana and Mahabharata. Meerut during the later years was popular as a seat of British, who during their rule had built Meerut Cantonment, which was the largest Cantonment of the British in India. There are a number of places that one can see and visit around Meerut. From the ancient places of Sardhana and Hastinapur to the amusement parks and gardens this region offers great places of interest for tourists of all age groups. There are a number of places of interest that are situated within a radius of 250 kilometers from Meerut including the capital city of New Delhi, Gurgaon, etc. Here are some of the places that one can visit near Meerut within an ambit of 140 kilometers.
Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary
The Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary is situated 37 kilometres from Meerut and is spread across a total area of 2073 square kilometres. Besides having some of the rare animals and birds, this place is also popular for a whole host of migratory birds; due to which reason, one can spot some of the rarest birds that come here during the seasons of migration. Cheetah, civet, blue bull, leopards are some of the animals that can be spotted living in wilderness.
Garmukhteshwar Ghat
Garhmukhteshwar Ghat is 47 kilometres from Meerut and 5 kilometres from River Ganga, which is from where the upper Ganga stretch begins. It is a home for a number of Hindu temples, chief among which are the ancient Ganga Temple. This temple has around 100 steps that lead to the River Ganges. The Mukhteshwar Mahadev Temple, Meerabai ki Reti and Nahush Koop are some of the popular temples in this area as well.
Brij Ghat
The Brij Ghat is 50 kilometers from Meerut on the NH-24 and is well regarded as the Haridwar of Uttar Pradesh. The Ganga flows by the Brij Ghat and the evening prayers offered here attract many visitors and worshippers at large. The Karthik Purnima Mela is held annually on the day of Karthik Purnima, attracts visitors and tourists from all over. Some of the temples in Brij Ghat are the Hanuman Mandir, Amrit Parisar and the Vedant Mandir.
Barnawa
Barnawa is 37 kilometers from Meerut and is situated in the district of Baghpat. The relics found in this place can be traced to the period of Mahabharata. The Lakshagarh, the famous palace of lac that was believed to be burnt down by the Kauravas, was situated here. This place is also well known for the Jain Mandir, Chandraprabhu Digamber Jain Kshetra.
Sardhana
Sardhana is located 30 kilometeres from Meerut and here, one can get the glimpse of some of the old churches that bear a memory of Begum Sombre, the only Catholic ruler who ruled the place during the latter half of the 18th Century. The Basilica of Our Lady’s Graces, Palace of Begum Sombre are some of the places of interest here. Sardhana is also a host the annual Nauchandi fair that is held for a period of two weeks beginning on the day of Holi. The Boodha Babu Mela also draws a lot of crowd to this town.
Hastinapur
Hastinapur is known to be the ancient town of India, the origins of which can be traced back to the times of Mahabharata. This was once the capital city of the Kauravas and the Pandavas, the relics of which can be found in this place even to this date. Situated 37 kilometres from Meerut, Hastinapur houses some of the renowned Jain temples like Digamber Jain Mandir, Shwethamber Jain Mandir, Jambudweep etc., among others. Most of these temples offer boarding and lodging facilities for pilgrims traveling to these Jain temples.
Rishikesh
For travelers traveling to this part of India, Rishikesh needs little introduction for it is one of the most popular pilgrimage places in the world. Rishikesh is situated on the foothills of the Himalayas and is 161 kilometers from Meerut. Known for a number of Hindu temples and the River Ganga, one of the main attractions in Rishikesh is the Lakshman Jhoola that was built during the latter half of 19th Century, which is a massive hanging bridge is built across the River Ganga. The Kunjapuri Temple, Rishi Kund, Triveni ghat, Vasishta Gufa are some of the other attractions of Rishikesh.
