24
km from Haridwar, Rishikesh is an ebtry point to the proud Himalayas of
Garhwal and four major Hindu pilgrimage centres of Garhwal, which hold
immense importance in the religious lives of devout followers of the
faith. These four places named as Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and
Yamunotri, together constitute 'Chaar Dhaam' yatra, which is said to be
must for all the Hindus at least once in their lifetime. Rishikesh has
also earned its name as the yoga capital of the world, as it houses a
number of important centres of meditation and physical training,
thronged by the young and the restless from all over the world seeking
renewal. Recently, Rishikesh has also carved its niche as one of the
favorite tourist spots for the adventure lovers as it offers some of the
most exciting moments of adventure sports such as trekking in the rugged
mountains and challenging white water rafting in one of the most
tumultuous and foaming rivers of Himalayas.Rishikesh India Tourism, Rishikesh in India, Rishikesh Travel Guide, Rishikesh Tourism, Rishikesh Tour Packages.
Golden Triangle India » Excursions » Rishikesh Tourism
Rishikesh City
24
km from Haridwar, Rishikesh is an ebtry point to the proud Himalayas of
Garhwal and four major Hindu pilgrimage centres of Garhwal, which hold
immense importance in the religious lives of devout followers of the
faith. These four places named as Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and
Yamunotri, together constitute 'Chaar Dhaam' yatra, which is said to be
must for all the Hindus at least once in their lifetime. Rishikesh has
also earned its name as the yoga capital of the world, as it houses a
number of important centres of meditation and physical training,
thronged by the young and the restless from all over the world seeking
renewal. Recently, Rishikesh has also carved its niche as one of the
favorite tourist spots for the adventure lovers as it offers some of the
most exciting moments of adventure sports such as trekking in the rugged
mountains and challenging white water rafting in one of the most
tumultuous and foaming rivers of Himalayas.| Location: | 238 km from Delhi, Rishikesh is 25 km up the Ganges from Haridwar and is situated at an altitude of 1,160 ft. |
| Significance: | A gateway to famous Hindu pilgrimage or Chaar-dhaam yatra and considered the Yoga Capital of the world. |
| Climate: | Its location in the foothills of Himalayas, Rishikesh is fortunate enough to have pleasant weather throughout the year. Winter stretches itself from November to mid-February but it gets really warm by June. Monsoons that begin in mid-July are welcomed as they bring relief from the heat. |
Shopping Attractions
Rishikesh is the gateway to major Hindu pilgrimage places. Thus, things used for worshipping such as brassware, incense sticks, sweets used for offerings and Rudraksh beads can be easily found in Swarg Ashram Area. Ayurvedic and herbal medicines of Rishikesh are quite popular. Tourists love to shop for variety of handicrafts made of beads, shells, pearls and wood and the woolen rugs and sheets.
Prime Attractions
Lakshman Jhula
This suspended iron bridge built in 1939 is said to be a replacement of the jute rope bridge built by Lakshmana, brother of Rama, to cross the river. Seeing its immense popularity among the tourists, Ram Jhula, another suspended Iron Bridge has been constructed between Shivanand Ashram and Swarg Ashram recently.
Gita Bhavan
Situated just across the Lakshman Jhula, this newly constructed building has earned its name as a tourist attraction because of its attractive paintings and statues that depict scenes from Hindu mythology. It also houses an ayurvedic dispensary and has a branch of the much-famous Gita press of Gorakhpur.
Swarga Ashram
A large number of temples, some of the best eating points that serve only vegetarian food and shops where one can bargain for curios and mementos and buy sweets and flowers to offer in the temples is what marks the Swarga Ashram stretching across a vast area. It attracts tourists because of its mesmerizing statues studding the area.
Neelkanth Mahadeo
Situated at an altitude of 1675 m above the sea level, on a hill above Swarg Ashram, Neelkanth Mahadev is one of the most venerated temples of Rishikesh. According to Hindu mythology, it is the place where Lord Shiva drank the venom that came out of the ocean when it was churned by the 'Devatas' and 'Daityas' in search of 'amrit' (potion for immortality) to save the world from its ill effects. With the immense power of control over his body, which came with several years of strict rituals observed by Him, Lord Shiva was able to stop it in his throat forever, which though could not harm him but manifested itself in changing the color of his throat to murky blue color, thus giving Him the name of Nilkanth (one with blue throat). 12 km from Rishikesh, it is surrounded by tranquil forests.
Triveni Ghat
A popular bathing ghat, the best time to visit the place is at the sunset time when thousands of people throng to the place to take a dip in the river and take part in the Maha Aarti of the River Ganges. The cool breeze from the river and serenity of the aarti ceremony is a divine experience.
White Water Rafting
The adventure lovers love to venture white water rafting in the River Ganges here and brave the challenge of mighty, violent river that rush from the icy heights of the Himalayas and run across meandering boulder-strewn beds, cutting deep gorges and breaking into silvery-white rapids.
Trekking
Trekking into the Garhwal Himalayas is another popular activity of Rishikesh. One can chose from a number of options of religious, scenic, botanical and altitude treks, the two most popular being - a) To Neelkanth from Swarg Ashram, and b) To Kunjapuri Temple from Tapovan. Both the temples are perched on a hilltop.
Accommodation
Hotels in Rishikesh : Ananda Spa Resort, Himalayan Hideaway, 3 Star Hotels in Rishikesh
How To Reach
Rishikesh is the gateway to major Hindu pilgrimage places. Thus, things used for worshipping such as brassware, incense sticks, sweets used for offerings and Rudraksh beads can be easily found in Swarg Ashram Area. Ayurvedic and herbal medicines of Rishikesh are quite popular. Tourists love to shop for variety of handicrafts made of beads, shells, pearls and wood and the woolen rugs and sheets.
Prime Attractions
Lakshman Jhula
This suspended iron bridge built in 1939 is said to be a replacement of the jute rope bridge built by Lakshmana, brother of Rama, to cross the river. Seeing its immense popularity among the tourists, Ram Jhula, another suspended Iron Bridge has been constructed between Shivanand Ashram and Swarg Ashram recently.
Gita Bhavan
Situated just across the Lakshman Jhula, this newly constructed building has earned its name as a tourist attraction because of its attractive paintings and statues that depict scenes from Hindu mythology. It also houses an ayurvedic dispensary and has a branch of the much-famous Gita press of Gorakhpur.
Swarga Ashram
A large number of temples, some of the best eating points that serve only vegetarian food and shops where one can bargain for curios and mementos and buy sweets and flowers to offer in the temples is what marks the Swarga Ashram stretching across a vast area. It attracts tourists because of its mesmerizing statues studding the area.
Neelkanth Mahadeo
Situated at an altitude of 1675 m above the sea level, on a hill above Swarg Ashram, Neelkanth Mahadev is one of the most venerated temples of Rishikesh. According to Hindu mythology, it is the place where Lord Shiva drank the venom that came out of the ocean when it was churned by the 'Devatas' and 'Daityas' in search of 'amrit' (potion for immortality) to save the world from its ill effects. With the immense power of control over his body, which came with several years of strict rituals observed by Him, Lord Shiva was able to stop it in his throat forever, which though could not harm him but manifested itself in changing the color of his throat to murky blue color, thus giving Him the name of Nilkanth (one with blue throat). 12 km from Rishikesh, it is surrounded by tranquil forests.
Triveni Ghat
A popular bathing ghat, the best time to visit the place is at the sunset time when thousands of people throng to the place to take a dip in the river and take part in the Maha Aarti of the River Ganges. The cool breeze from the river and serenity of the aarti ceremony is a divine experience.
White Water Rafting
The adventure lovers love to venture white water rafting in the River Ganges here and brave the challenge of mighty, violent river that rush from the icy heights of the Himalayas and run across meandering boulder-strewn beds, cutting deep gorges and breaking into silvery-white rapids.
Trekking
Trekking into the Garhwal Himalayas is another popular activity of Rishikesh. One can chose from a number of options of religious, scenic, botanical and altitude treks, the two most popular being - a) To Neelkanth from Swarg Ashram, and b) To Kunjapuri Temple from Tapovan. Both the temples are perched on a hilltop.
Accommodation
Hotels in Rishikesh : Ananda Spa Resort, Himalayan Hideaway, 3 Star Hotels in Rishikesh
How To Reach
| By Air: | The nearest airport is 17 km away and that too doesn't have daily flights. Indian Airlines has five flights a week from Delhi to the Jolly Grant Airport. |
| By Train: | Rishikesh has a railway station but it is mainly connected to Haridwar by a regular shuttle service, which is rather slow. Haridwar, in turn is well connected to all the major cities of India. The DehraDun Shatabdi Express is the most suitable way to get to Haridwar from Delhi. The DehraDun Mumbai Express and DehraDun Varanasi Express also serve Haridwar. The Doon Express and DehraDun - Allahabad Link Express connect Calcutta and Allahabad to Haridwar. |
| By Road: | Well linked to Haridwar, Chandigarh, Agra, Dehra Dun, Delhi and Nainital and other places by a network of roads and bus services, Rishikesh has two bus stands - UP Roadways Bus Stand and Yatra Bus Stand. |
