Mesmerizing Rishikesh!

What excites a traveler the most is to discover and explore a new destination each time. Travelling is such a learning that once it was quoted by someone that “Life is like a book if you have not traveled you have not even read a page from it”. The beauty about traveling is that you are in an encounter with nature, knowledge, and life. It’s a saga of your spiritual growth and personal happiness.

Now, Imagine a place where nature instantly connects with you and charges you up with a new drive to feel, re-live and re-conquer. An environment that triggers you to pray, do Yoga and get a direction to a simple holistic living.Rishikesh combines religion and fun both for you, it’s a mix of a western way of lifestyle, spiritual and cultural way of living, the choice is yours. Whether you wish to stay 5-10 nights in an ashram or you wish to take a cottage or a hotel, you have all the choices from Rupees 200 a night in any guest house, to Rupees 25000 a night at places like Ananda Spa. Rishikesh has everything for everyone.

Visiting Rishikesh in the heart of Uttarakhand would be to discover the aura of the blissful abode on this land of Holy India. It’s one of the most revered pilgrimage sites in India. A unique place to experience Love and devotion resonating through the vibes of the pious city. It’s just an altogether a different you in the so different Rishikesh.The most favorable time to visit Rishikesh will be September to March. A stay by the banks of the holy Ganges could add more life to your planned stay. Adventures like River Rafting and Trekking are the prime sports one cannot miss exploring.

FOOD CHOICES:

The place is a treat for Veggie Lovers as Non-Vegetarian food is not encouraged in Rishikesh. Liquor and Wine lovers will have a tough time as the place has nothing to offer for them in that capacity.The place is a natural tranquilizer by its intense spiritual impact and holistic environment. You need to make a choice here. Affordable meals are all over Rishikesh, Indian spices are in abundance to taste.

Chotiwala Restaurants

It is an age-old restaurant across the Ganges, a tradition that we all have been observing since we were toddlers and kids.

Imagine a desi ghee poori plate in Rs. 18? A full meal at a local restaurant by famous Geeta Press

 A Lunch in Rs. 50 for 3 with sweets is not bad at all? Yes, you just have to walk to Ram Jhulla area and walk into Geeta Press restaurant.

For people who love continental food and wish to combine that with some western trans music and stay, can walk to Swiss Bhandari cottage area, which has over 10 guest houses and cottages, that are creatively lit up and the entire area is exclusively covered by the jack fruit trees (katahal). This area has small, colorfully lit up open area cafes, where you may get Indian, Lebanese, Israeli, English, French and many other food cuisines, these are very affordable and hygienic meals. Stay in this area would range from Rs 400 to 2000. Each guest house has a Yoga Studio, an inbuilt Spa, Internet Cafes, bike renting facility, and a lot more adventure arrangements like rafting, rappelling, ziplining, trekking.

From Relaxing Spa’s to organic delights and delicacies you have a lot to make your day full of excitement and feel the energy. Read a book or write a piece, attend the evening aarti’s, sit by the walls of the Ganges, watch the rafters pass under the Jhulaas, be at a temple and enchant the shlokas, eat an organic delight at a local restaurant, many choices but less time to make them.

Apart from hundreds of budget hotels and ashrams, one of the most comfortable stays is the Hotel Ganga Resorts run by Uttrakhand Tourism. A scintillating view of the Ganges from the balcony of your room at Ganga Resorts is something to breathe forever. You can get a decent room at Ganga Resorts between Rs 2200 to 3000 per night.

SPIRITUAL PLACES:

Another not to miss is the pious and most beautiful Sivananda Ashram, an Ashram setup by the most respected Master Saint of all times, Sivananda. With a prior request and arrangement, one can stay there as well. There is a huge Campus of Divine Life Society at Rishikesh. A very personal experience would be to visit the Gurudev’s Kutir a the Ashram, It gives us great insight, peace and also knowledge about the contributions made by Guru Sivananda towards human society. Stay at Sivananda Ashram.

Age-old & mighty man made bridges, Lakshman Jhoola and the Ram Jhoola have an altogether different feel when you walk pass them across. Markets spread around the small streets by the Lakshman Jhoola give you enticing fragrance coming from the locally made incense. Instrumental Raga music is a common feature you will enjoy as you swirl and rattle between the small and well-lit marketplace.

Many unwary tourists are caught off guard by the monkey’s who will snatch any packet presuming it to be food. The local residents are quite immuned to this monkey menace and run their small business including eateries with aplomb as the ‘enlightened’ monkey’s are monkey’s are more interested in the tourists. So a word of caution for the visitors.

PLACES TO SEE:

CAFÉ’s

Tapovan area- this a unique spot for Indian and foreign tourists, with ancient cafés. One of the old-time cafés is 60’s Café or popularly known as “Delmar Café”, this café is famous for Beatles band, they used to visit this café, jam music and write lyrics, one can see rare old time pictures of them at this café, there are pictures of great Yogi Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, if you may know he was the yoga guru for Beatles group. Many handicrafts and gift shops can be seen in this area.

Other Cafés are: Little Buddha Cafe, Moon Dance Café, Pyramid Café.

YOGA SCHOOLS

Nada Yoga School, Isha Hata Yoga, Sivananda Yoga centre, Tattva Yoga Shala and any more…most of them offer 200 hours of Yoga training courses, you can explore more on the internet.

NEERGARH WATERFALLS

Superbly clean, just 4 kilometers from the main town, this waterfall has a separate area to swim and has options of eating by sitting in water with dining chairs, table, and a big Umbrella. There is a small government fee per person to drive or walk to this waterfall, driving is better or you can hire a scooter @ Rs. 300 full day.

BEATLES ASHRAM

BEATLES Group comprising of John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Star and Paul McCartney have sung many songs of Love and Peace. There were very much inclined to spiritual discovery and understanding the cause of human birth and existence, to explore their quest they, In February 1968, they traveled to the Indian town of Rishikesh to attend a session of Transcendental Meditation at the ashram of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. This trip was this visit that changed the westerner's outlook and viewpoint on Indian spirituality and its essence. This was considered to be the Beatles’ most productive time, they wrote various songs during this visit most of which gained huge media attention and higher success in their careers.

SWARG ASHRAM

A perfect place to seek solitude in this holy city, Swarg Ashram area is huge, ranging from Ram jhula to Lakshman jhula. It was built in the memory of Saint Swami Vishudhanand. A must visit place for peace and meditation.

NARENDRA NAGAR

Located 20 kilometers away from Rishikesh, this town was built in 1919 by Maharaja Narendra Shah, there is the famous SPA resort at Narendranagar - ANANDA by the Ganges, a Royal Family venture and a frequent destination for the rich and famous.

SHIVPURI

A place, 11-12 kilometres from Rishikesh and most frequently visited by adventure lovers for rafting. You can do rafting at Rs 300-400 per person for a 10-12 km of a stretch, be careful and put on your life jackets, avoid children below 8-10 years.

The Beauty of Rishikesh is the Ganges and its banks by which the holy city is resting in spiritual vibrancy. It’s not only the local administration and residents but also each and every tourist’s moral duty to keep this beautiful spiritual Dham clean and eco-friendly. Out of all the destinations, I have traveled or you must have traveled, trust me Rishikesh gives you time to discover yourself, remain simple, remain healthy and experience the love of the Divine. 

Happy Travelling!