Rishikesh

Rishikesh

You cannot leave Haridwar without visiting Rishikesh.It is just 21 Kms away from Haridwar.

Rishikesh is a sacred town at the convergence of river Ganga and river Chandrabhaga in the northern state of Uttarakhand in India.Rishikesh literally means 'Lord of Senses', stands for Lord Vishnu. Rishikesh is renowned for various Yoga centers, and perfectly temed as World capital of  Yoga, offering training of Yoga and many other spiritual activities.Rishikesh is also the gateway to Himalayas. The Char Dham Yatra ideally begins from Rishikesh.

Places you must visit:

Lakshman Jhula is one of the most prominent mark of Rishikesh. It is a 450 ft iron bridge suspended over mighty  river Ganga. It was constructed in 1939.According to the legends, Lakshman, the brother of Lord Ram, crossed Ganga river on a jute rope from this point.There is a 13 storied Lakshman temple situated near the Jhula.

Triveni Ghat is the confluence of three important rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati.It is the most revered sacred bathing spot on the banks of river Ganga. It is believed that those who take a dip  in Triveni Ghat will  have salvation, a relief from all sins carried out and purify your mind and body.A large number of pilgrims throng into this place every evening to attend the Ganga Aarti that takes place at this Ghat.

Geeta Bhavan  is one of the oldest temple complexes in Rishikesh. It is dedicated as a museum for pauranic and mythological awareness to the public.The Bhavan encloses many paintings and statues of characters from Hindu mythology.The paintings include the renowned Gita sandesh depicting Lord Krishna and the great Pandava warrior Arjuna in a Chariot in the Kurukshetra war field. Building consists of more than 1000 rooms available free of charge to stay of the devotees.

Bharat Mandir is an ancient temple founded by Adiguru  Shankaracharya during the 12th century. The main deity of this temple is Lord Vishnu, whose idol has been carved out from a single piece of Saligram.A sacred spectacular Shree Yantra is placed at the inner canopy of the temple.The details of this temple are recorded in a very old record of Kearkhand. Present temple is the renovated one  reconstructed on the ruins of original temple destroyed by Tamur.Recent excavations brought out many old statues, coins and pots from this site.

Rishikund literally means the sage's pond. It is believed that the waters of the river Yamuna  drenched this pond on the request of Kubz saint.A Shani mandir is situated at this Kund.

Swarg Ashram (Heavenly Abode) as the name connotes is a beautiful place situated in a picturesque surroundings at the foot of Himalayas on the left bank of river Ganga between Rishikesh and Lakshman Jhula. It is the spiritual 'ground zero' of Rishikesh, filled with the concentration of Ashrams and temples.The area is known for its healthy and satvik living environment.

Neelkanth Mahadev Temple is perfectly placed at a confluence of  Pankaja and Madhumati rivers, is assumed to be the most respected  temple in Rishikesh. It is placed at an altitude of 1330 meters and its main deity is Lord Shiva.According to mythology, this is the place where Lord Shiva drank the poison produced during 'Sagar Manthan' which turned his throat blue and thus the place was named Neelkanth. The panoramic view of the surrounding hills Brahmakoot, Vishnukoot and Manikoot is very attractive.

Shri Tryambakeshwar Temple means the abode of the three eyed one i.e Lord Shiva. It is considered as one of the Jyotirlingas (self emanated lingas). This temple is well placed at the banks of river Ganga and the natural beauty around the temple is amazing.

 Ram Jhula connects Swarg Ashram with Shivanand Ashram. It is bigger than Lakshman Jhula and is even more picturesque.

Parmarth Niketan is a true spiritual haven on the banks of river Ganga. It is the largest Ashram in Rishikesh providing clean, pure and sacred environment and beautiful gardens to the thousands of devotees who visit from the different parts of the world.The ashram was founded in 1942 by a great saint Pujya Swami Sukhdevnandji Maharaj . It is one of the few ashrams in India where kids get the Vedas education.