Rishikesh is a city, municipal council and a tehsil in Dehradun district of the Indian state, Uttarakhand. Located in the foothills of the Himalayas in northern India. Rishikesh is surrounded by three districts: Tehri Garhwal, Pauri Garhwal and Haridwar. It is approximately 25 km north of the city Haridwar and 43 km southeast of the state capital Dehradun. It is known as the pilgrimage town and regarded as one of the holiest places to Hindus. Hindu sages and saints have visited Rishikesh since ancient times to meditate in search of higher knowledge.
Rishikesh also known as the ‘Yoga capital
of the World’ and the ‘Gateway to the Garhwal
Himalayas’ has it all, from Temples to Adventure sports.
- White water rafting
After the sangam at Devprayag, Alaknanda
and Bhagirathi confluence together and flow as River Ganga. The stretch from
Kaudiyala to Ram Jhula (Nim Beach) has a lot of rapids ranging from Grade I to
IV making Rishikesh popular as a white water rafting destination. Rafting is
done in the following stretches:
- Brahmpuri to Nim Beach (9 Kms)
- Shivpuri to Nim Beach (16Kms)
- Marine Drive to Nim Beach (24 Kms)
- Kaudiyala to Nim Beach (32 Kms)
Some of the major rapids which you might face are
Cross Fire (Grade 3), Three Blind Mice (Grade 3), The Wall (Grade 4), Roller Coaster
(Grade 3), Golf Course (Grade 3) etc.
Per person cost can vary anything between INR 250-1500
depending on the route and the tour operator.
Tip: Always find out the rates from 3-4 operators
before finalising. The best time to do rafting is starting early morning by 8
as during the day, the queue increases and it gets sunny making it
uncomfortable.
- Bungee Jumping
Recently, India’s highest Bungee Jumping
platform has been built up some 80 Km from Rishikesh. The facility is managed
by fully trained professionals from New Zealand. Jumping Heights is the only
company operating in this domain.
Some Basic Info:
- Age: Minimum 12 yrs
- Weight: Minimum 35 kgs and Maximum 120 kgs
- Reporting Time: 9 AM
- Weekly off: Tuesday Closed
- Bungy Location: Mohanchatti (25 kms from Rishikesh)
The fixed platform extends to the middle of
the valley, the bungee jumping is done from the height of 83 meters which is
roughly 273 feet and equivalent to jumping from a building approx. 22 stories
high. Jump masters from New Zealand brief you about the activity and tie a rubber
cord to your ankle and assist you as you take the leap of faith from the fixed
platform to feel the adrenaline rush.
Bungee Jumping costs INR 3500 per person.
For more info check the website here.
- Ganga arti at Triveni ghat
Ganga arti also happens in Har ki Pauri,
Haridwar, but witnessing arti at the Triveni Ghat during sunsets is a much
better experience as it is not that crowded. Triveni Ghat is the most revered
sacred bathing spot in Rishikesh and is situated on the banks of Ganges
River.
It is of belief that those who take a dip in water at Triveni Ghat washes away all the sins and purifies the soul and will have salvation, a relief from all sins carried out; the water at Triveni Ghat has the power to purify them. Daily in the morning and evening there are thousands who take bath at Triveni Ghat and enjoy the Maha Aarti being performed.
Devotees make many offerings at Triveni ghat, in the early morning at sunrise they offer milk to the river and happily feed the fish in the Triveni Ghat.
The evening aarti, also known as the 'Maha
Aarti', which takes place at this ghat, is the major attraction among
the tourists. This aarti is accompanied by chantings of bhajan, beating drums,
bells and diyas glowing all over the place.
The devotees release small oil lamps placed on leaf boats in the water. These lamps floats down the river and provide a beautiful view. Ceremonies like 'Pindha Shraddha' in the name of ancestors are also done at Triveni Ghat.
The devotees release small oil lamps placed on leaf boats in the water. These lamps floats down the river and provide a beautiful view. Ceremonies like 'Pindha Shraddha' in the name of ancestors are also done at Triveni Ghat.
- A relaxing meal in one of the many cafes in Rishikesh overlooking the Ganges.
Being popular with the hippie crowd and
foreigners, a lot of cafes serving food from all over the globe have opened up.
A lot of these have a terrace overlooking the Ganges, which make the time spent
here relaxing and rejuvenating. Some of the best rated restaurants on
TripAdvisor are:
- The Sitting Elephant
- Bistro Nirvana
- Café Delmar/Beatles café
I have personally been to the Beatles café
and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Read the review here.
- Beatles Ashram
Beatles visited Rishikesh in 1968 to learn
transcendental meditation at Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's Ashram and ended up
staying here for a while. During this time they meditated and wrote a lot of
songs which turned out to be all time favorites. The place where they meditated
is open to tourists now. The ashram also called as Beatles ashram has a lot of
murials and graffiti which takes one to another era all together.
After The Beatles visit to Rishikesh, the
city came into limelight and became a popular destination among the
international tourists. Not only had that but their visit also changed opinion
of the western world about Indian spirituality. Yoga and meditation become new trend and Rishikesh become hub
for the yoga and
meditation internationally.
Later Rishikesh became Yoga Capital of the World,
Rishikesh is constantly inspiring and helping people which are looking for
peace and stress free life.
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Ashram is now also known as
The Beatles Ashram.
- A visit to the temples
The temples of rishikesh are
highly revered. Rishikesh is full of countless small, big, new and very old
temples, spread in the mean streets of the city.
Rishikesh is important not only as
pilgrimage spot closely linked with the Ramayana, but also as home for numerous
important places of Hindu religious thought and spirituality and as a very
great Yoga hub.
Some ancient temples in
Rishikesh attracts people from both far and near due to its significance.
Some of the important temples in Rishikesh are Nilkanth Mahadeo temple,
Kunjapuri temple, Parmarth niketan temple, Bharat mandir, Geeta bhawan, Tera
manzil temple, Rishikund tank and Raghunath temple, and Triveni Ghat temple.
- Lakshman Jhula and Ram Jhula
Laxman
Jhula - The
prominent 450-foot long iron suspension bridge was built in 1939 over
the Ganga River. It is said that Lord Ram's brother Lakshman had crossed the
River on a jute rope from here. This part of town is better known for its busy
bazaars, restaurants and cafés and one can also visit the Lakshman and Raghunath
temples here.
Ram Jhula - Just 2 km ahead downstream, at Muni-ki-Reti, is another suspension bridge built later connecting the areas of Shivanand Ashram on the east bank and Swargashram on the west.
Both of these are pedestrian-only bridges and are used to cross the River Ganga that flows through the town of Rishikesh and divides it into two parts. Both of them also stay true to their name 'Jhula', which means 'swing' in hindi, and sway slightly when you walk on it.
Ram Jhula - Just 2 km ahead downstream, at Muni-ki-Reti, is another suspension bridge built later connecting the areas of Shivanand Ashram on the east bank and Swargashram on the west.
Both of these are pedestrian-only bridges and are used to cross the River Ganga that flows through the town of Rishikesh and divides it into two parts. Both of them also stay true to their name 'Jhula', which means 'swing' in hindi, and sway slightly when you walk on it.
- Learn Yoga
Rishikesh is known as the Yoga capital of
the world and one can see people from all over the globe meditating, doing yoga
and leading a simple life in Rishikesh. There are numerous ashrams, and numerous styles of yoga and
meditation, to choose from. Hence, it's important to investigate which best
meets your needs. Read more here.
So what are you waiting for?
Check out with JustWravel and they will help you plan a
trip to Rishikesh in a budget of your choosing.
Pin It !
Book your stay Now !
