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             RISHIKESH TRAVEL GUIDE

Rishikesh is a city  of Uttarakhand. Rishikesh, literally: "Hair (kesh) of the sage"
(rishi), is a holy city for Hindus located in the foothills of the Himalaya in northern
India. Legend states that Lord Rama did penance here for killing Rava?a, the
demon king of Lanka. It is also known as the gateway to the Himalayas and is
located about 25 kilometers away from another holy city, Haridwar. Rishikesh is the
starting point for traveling to the sites that form the Char Dham pilgrimage —
Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri. Rishikesh translates to mean He
who has conquered his senses (Sanskrit: Rishik {senses} + Ish {master}).

The sacred river Ganga flows through Rishikesh. In fact, it is here that the river
leaves the Shivalik mountains Himalayas, and flows out into the plains of northern
India. Several temples, ancient as well as new, can be found along the banks of the
Ganges in Rishikesh. The city attracts thousands of pilgrims and tourists each year,
from within India, as well as from other countries. Rishikesh, sometimes nicknamed
"the world-capital of Yoga", has several yoga centres that also attract tourists. It is
believed that meditation in Rishikesh brings one closer to attainment of moksha, as
does a dip in the holy river that flows through it. It is also becoming a popular spot for
white water rafting enthusiasts, both from India and abroad, as it offers medium to
rough rapids in the course of river Ganges.

The name Rishikesh is loosely applied to an association of five distinct sections
encompassing not only the town but also hamlets and settlements on both sides of
the river Ganges. These include Rishikesh itself, the commercial and
communication hub; the sprawling suburb Muni-ki-Reti or the "sands of the sages";
Shivananda Nagar the home of Sivananda Ashram and the Divine Life Society
founded by Swami Sivananda, north of Hrishikesh; the temple section of Lakshman
Jhula, a little further north; and the assorted Ashrams around Swarg Ashram on the
east bank. One can reach the famous Neelakanta Maha Deva Temple from here.
The Ganga Arati performed at dusk at the Triveni Ghat is popular with visitors.

Rishikesh is home to the 120 year old Kailas Ashram Brahmavidyapeetham, an
institution dedicated to preserve and promote the traditional Vedantic Studies.
Prominent personalities such as Swami Vivekananda, Swami Ramatirtha and
Swami Shivananda have studied in this institution.

During the mid-1960s, The Beatles visited the now closed Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's
ashram. Several other artists, including Mike Love of The Beach Boys, Donovan and
Gyp Mills, visited the site to contemplate and meditate. More recently, the place has
been of interest to celebrities including Hollywood star Kate Winslet.


PLACE TO VISIT

Trayambakeshwar Temple - Lakshman Jhula, is 13 stories high, with
different deities throughout.

Lakshman Jhula

Gita Bhavan

Swarga Ashram

Neelkanth Mahadev Mela

Triveni Ghat - This is a bathing ghat. Daily in the morning and evening there are
thousands who take bath here and enjoy the Maha Aarti being performed. It very
soothing to sit on the banks of the river and enjoy the cool breeze from the river.


HOW TO REACH

By plane - Rishikesh is in close proximity of Dehradun's Jolly Grant Airport
(about 15 kms) - a small, quiet airport handling 1-2 commercial flights a day, and a
few chartered flights.

By train - A quiet branch line connects Rishikesh to Haridwar, but there are only
about three slow trains daily. It's best to take the train to Haridwar and continue by
bus (45 min, INR 17) or by taxi(30 mins, INR 400) available from taxi union office
outside Bus stand and Railway Station.

Travel agents in Swarg Ashram and Lakshman Jhula can book train tickets for
onward journeys, much easier than going to Haridwar to buy a ticket. Some may sell
you a ticket from Raiwala, a small stop between Rishikesh and Haridwar, but this
station, while closer, is tiny and trains only stop for a few seconds - better to board
the train in Haridwar.  

By bus - From Delhi the city is about 230 km away and is well connected with
buses. A Bus journey may take about 5-7 hours - depending on the traffic - and costs
you about 130-350 INR. An AC Bus will cost about 200-500 INR.

In Rishikesh, there are several travel agencies scattered around Swarg Ashram and
Lakshman Jhula that can book luxury buses to common destinations like Delhi (250
- 500 INR), Jaipur, Pushkar and Varanasi.