Rishikesh, Uttarakhand

Rishikesh the ‘place of sages’ is a celebrated spiritual town on the bank of Ganga and is surrounded by the Shivalik range of the Himalayas on the three sides. It is an ideal destination for pilgrims and people who want to delve deeper into meditation, yoga and other aspects of Hinduism. Rishikesh is also known as the ‘Yoga capital of the world’. The International Yoga week attracts a huge participation from all across the world. Rishikesh marks the beginning for the Char Dham pilgrimage of Hindus in which Pilgrims go to Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath to seek spiritual salvation. One passes Rishikesh on his way to Garhwal Himalayas and the Sikh shrine at Hemkund Sahib. Rishikesh is a home to 133-year-old Kailash Ashram Brahmavidyapitham, an institution dedicated to preserving the traditional Vedantic Studies.

There are several temples in Rishikesh.

Temples	Description
Bharat Mandir	It is the oldest temple of Rishikesh. It is situated near Jhanda Chowk. Rabya Rishi did ‘Tapasya’ at this place.
Kailash Niketan Temple	This is a thirty storey mansion. There are sculptures of several gods and goddesses. It is the main temple at Laxman Jhoola.
Satya Narayan Temple	This temple is dedicated to Lord Satyanarayana. It is 10kms away from Haridwar. Tourist halts here for a casual worship.
Shatrughan Temple	This temple is dedicated to Lord Ram’s brother, Shatrughan. This is situated around 5km away from Rishikesh.
Neelkanth Mahadev	Situated on top of a hill across the Ganga river. According to mythology, Lord Shiva drank all the effluent venom here, which turned his throat blue, therefore, the place was named Neelkanth.

Rishikesh, Uttarakhand

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Rishikesh has been a part of the legendary Kedarkhand now known as Garhwal. It is believed that when Raibhya Rishi did hard penances, God appeared by the name of Hrishikesh and this area henceforth came to be known as Rishikesh. Also, that Lord Rama did his penance here for killing Ravana. The Lakshman Jhoola is the place where Lakshman crossed river Ganga using a jute rope bridge. In Skanda Purana, this area is known as Kubjamraka as Lord Shiva appeared under a mango tree. Another legend says that the fierce fire broke out here. Lord Shiva was angry with Lord Agni and cursed him. Then Lord Agni prayed here expiation of his sins. Hence, it is also known as Agni Tirtha.

The international yoga week is celebrated every year from 2^nd to 7^th February. The Ganga aarti is performed every day at dusk at the Triveni Ghat. Rishikesh is now a popular site for white water rafting enthusiasts. It is also a centre for hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, rappelling, and kayaking. Bungee jumping and mountain biking at Mohanchatti near Lakshman Jhoola can be enjoyed.

By Road

By road, almost all parts of North India are connected. The local transport services are Taxis, Rickshaws and Tongas.

By Rail

The nearest railhead is the Rishikesh Railway Station.

By Air

The nearest airport is the Jolly Grant Airport at a distance of 18 km from Rishikesh.