The holy town of Rishikesh has the eminence of being the international capital of Yoga and meditation. Located in the foothills of the Himalayas on the banks of the River Ganges, Rishikesh is dotted with a number of ancient temples, ashrams and world-renowned yoga and meditation centres. Not only devotees, but travellers from all parts of the world flock to the sacred town for a deeper understanding of meditation.
Evenings in Rishikesh are for sitting by the Ganges and whiling away your time. Later in the evening, you head towards Parmarth Niketan Ashram to witness the daily evening ritual of Ganga Aarti — a pleasant ritual of worshipping the Ganga. Around 50-100 people visit the aarti on any given day.
Laxman Jhula in Rishikesh is one of the major tourist attractions for those who visit Rishikesh. Basically, it is a hanging bridge across river Ganga, around 450 ft long and 70 ft above the river. In early times, the jhula was a hanging jute bridge, but later it was transformed into an iron suspension bridge.
The bridge is known to be of mythological importance and is connected with the great Hindu epic, Ramayana. If legends are to be believed, the bridge is named after Lakshman, the brother of Lord Rama.
Ram Jhula is an iron suspension bridge over the river Ganga in Rishikesh. Ram Jhula connects Muni Ki Reti with Swargashram. The bridge is a pedestrian bridge, though people also ride bicycles on it. There are two similar bridges in Rishikesh.
Ram Jhula is a total of 230 meters in length and is one of the two most celebrated tourist areas in Rishikesh (the other being Lakshman Jhula). Most of the famous ashrams are found near Ram Jhula — Sivananda Ashram, Parmarth Niketan, Gita Bhawan, Yog Niketan and many others are situated close by.
Parmarth Niketan is an ashram located next to the holy Ganges and in the lap of the Himalayas. The ashram is just next to the Ganges — you can reach the Ganges by walk as it has its own private ghat. The ashram provides all its pilgrims a sacred and peaceful atmosphere for guests who come from all over the world.
The inspiring beauty of the ashram, the clear flowing Ganga, the majestic mountains, and the green forests will embrace and rejuvenate your entire being. Parmarth Niketan offers comfort, inspiration and upliftment for your body, mind and spirit as well as a deeper connection with the Divine.
Located in the heart of the city, Bharat Mandir is an ancient temple sacred to Lord Hrishikesh Narayan, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu in Kaliyuga. The temple sanctum houses a well-crafted idol of Lord Vishnu, carved out of a single black stone known as Saligram.
Every year, the Saligram is taken out for a bath in Mayakund, and a grand procession marches through the streets to the temple for reinstallation. Locals also say that whoever completes 108 parikramas (circumambulations) of Lord Hrishikesh Narayan on Akshaya Tritiya will be blessed with their heart's desire.
Triveni is a spot where three rivers meet. Triveni Ghat in Rishikesh is the holy confluence of river Ganga, river Yamuna and river Saraswati. Devotees take a dip at the holy confluence to be rid of all sins committed and to achieve salvation.
Evening Aarti at Triveni Ghat is popular among the people of Dehradun, Haridwar, all of Uttarakhand, all of India and Hindu devotees outside India. You'll be enchanted by the floating diyas, flowers and the singing of sacred mantras and bhajans. The huge statue of Lord Shiva sitting on a bull and the statue of Krishna-Arjun in a chariot depicting the initiation of the Mahabharata war will captivate you.
Geeta Bhawan can, at once, accommodate more than 1,000 devotees and provide them free stay. Although the Bhawan remains crowded round the year, the best time to visit is during summer for the day-long Satsang programmes organized by devotees.
Geeta Bhawan provides pure vegetarian food, grocery items and Indian sweets, a free ferry ride and a dispensary. Other amenities include a Geeta Press book store, an apparel shop and an Ayurvedic department selling pure herbal products. Inside the Bhawan stands a sacred Banyan tree, once the place where many saints, like Swami Ramtirth, performed penance.
Neelkanth Mahadev Temple is one of the most popular temples of Lord Shiva. A famous pilgrimage near Rishikesh, the temple lies above Swargashram, adjacent to the Nar Narayan mountain range.
As per mythology, Neelkanth Mahadev Temple is a holy place where Lord Shiva consumed the poison that originated from the ocean (Samudra Manthan) and held it in his throat, turning it blue in colour — hence the name Neelkanth. Maha Shivratri is celebrated here with full rejoice, and a large number of devotees visit on this auspicious day.