If Kashi or Beneras is regarded as the capital of worldwide Hindu religion, Rishikesh, situated at the Garhwal region of north India, is its base. In fact, this entire region is blessed with the presence of lots of holiest Hindu pilgrimage sites; Rishikesh is one of the major attractions both to holy people and commoners. It’s completely futile to ask what you can get in Rishikesh; it’s better to ask what you cannot. A single visit to this place will make you realize what the true significance of religion is and how can a religion like Hinduism, devoid of any central authority unlike the Abrahamic religions, can go for thousands of years.
Rishikesh is also the origin of yoga and is visited by sages and pilgrims from across the globe. It is better to say at the outset that there is no special season in Rishikesh when you can visit. It does exert a pull on thousands of tourists on almost every month and these people visit here so as to find mental peace amid the monotonous modern life. A glance of the bathing ghats along with
temples will make you identify this truth. The town is also attractive to people who do remain in quest of adventure and excitement.
Let’s have a few words on the exact location of Rishikesh. Rishikesh, in a nutshell, is situated in the northern part of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and at 238 km northeast of the Indian capital of Delhi. It is also at 24 km north of Haridwar (another globally celebrated Hindu religious center) and extends on the right banks of the Ganges, at its convergence with the Chandrabhaga watercourse. Rishikesh is enclosed by hills on three sides and is balanced at an elevation of 356 meters over sea level. The name of Rishikesh has been prominent from the days of Vedas and hence, we need not get into those details. But it is rally amazing Rishikesh continues to attract people in the same fashion.
If you want to know of the major attractions of Rishikesh, it has to be said that nothing exists outside the dominion of Hindu Dharma. Rishikesh pullulates with temples. The majority of
pilgrims going through Rishikesh on their way to the Himalayan shrines of the Char Dham take a breather here for a holy dip and puja at Triveni Ghat. Perhaps you have heard of the aarti (evening worship) in Rishikesh when on earth oil lamps float on the water. It is one of the most spectacular experiences and do not dare to give it a miss.
A number of famous temples are in Rishikesh. One of these is the Bharat Manidr, oldest temple in the town and it is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. There is also the Chandreshwar temple, standing at the convergence of the Chandrabhaga and the Ganges. Some of the well-known places around Rishikesh include the Vilas Vinay Palace, which is almost 10 km from the main township, is a garden palace. The others are historical township of Narendra Nagar, Rajaji National Park at Chilla, Nilkanth Mahadev, east of Rishikesh, one of the most sanctified shrines.
Rishikesh can be reached through air, rail and road. Nowadays an extensive array of accommodation facilities is available in the city.
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