Located near the Ganges near the Northern state of Uttarakhand in India. It is also known as the gateway to the Himalayas. Rishikesh is the prime spot for starting of the Char Dham Yatra. Rishikesh gained its fame after the beatles came for a visit to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's Ashram and hence the town is known as the world capital of Yoga. On either sides of river Ganga there are Ram Jhula and Lakshman Jhula and are the main Attraction centre for the tourists. As Rishikesh is considered as a holy city non Vegetarian food and Alcohol are banned at this place. During the Savan many people visit to this place.
Major Attractions :
- Gita Bhavan :
This is the land of Shri Ram Sukh Daas ji, the great thinker polpular among the Hindu Bhramin community. People gather at this place to read the Ramayana.
- Swarg Ashram :
Located at the foothills of Himalayas between Rishikesh and Laxman Jhula, this place is situated at the left of the Ganges. This land is lined up with a number of Ashrams and temples. It is
believed that Ancient Yogis and Rishis did their Tapasya at this place.
- Parmarth Niketan :
At this Holy Ashram the kids get the Vedic Education. Ideal time for visit is the time of Aarti 5pm in winter and 6pm in Summer. Trayambakeshwar Temple, Lakshman Jula, is 13 story in height
and each story is ornated with different deities.
- Triveni Ghat :
A bathing Ghat with thousands of devotees taking bath here and enjoy the Maha Aarti every evening. It is believed that the water of River Ganga has healing powers.
- White Water Rafting :
It is one of the most important sports of Rishikesh. The best rafting seasons are September-November and March-April-May. The water rafting is divided into 5 stages from stages 1 to
stage 5, based on the level of difficulties. The rafting packages that are offered by many of the tourism agencies consist of overnight camps at the bank of river Ganga, even the rafting courses are offered here.
Rappelling :
The art of climbing down with a rope is called Rappelling. It starts with a spot from a cliff drop. You just have to use the gears and follow the instructions of the experts and the game is a fun.
- Rock Climbing :
This adventure requires a lot of strength and skills. The group is taken to a cliffside and with safety gears it climbs the cliff side.
- Cliff Jumping :
In cliff jumping one has to Jump from a hieght into the freezing water. The jumpers are provided with a life jacket and a helmet. Its a lot more fun to experience.
- Kayaking :
Kayak is used for moving the across the water. The Kayak has a closed cockpit, with 2 bladed paddle. Whitewater Kayaking is the sport of paddling a Kayak on a moving body of water.
- Shivpuri :
It is another one of the famous place around Rishikesh, about 10 km away. Many adventure sports like river Rafting, Camping and Trekking are Practised here.
How To Reach :
One can reach Rishikesh via the Jolly Grant Airport which is about 15 kms from here. One can board a train to Haridwar and futher take a bus or a taxi or a shared auto Rickshaw. A route by bus takes about 5-7 hours depending on the traffic.