Rishikesh is a pleasing and a relaxing destination located in the Dehradun district in the state of Uttarakhand. Rishikesh is situated on the banks of river Ganga and is known as the World Capital of Yoga and Meditation. Lakshman Jhula is one of the very famous jute rope bridge hanging on the top of the Ganga river. Rishikesh is very popular for Yoga, meditation and Adventure lovers. Adventure lovers can enjoy river rafting, back packing, hiking, cliff jumping, bungee jumping and many more other sports. The climate in Rishikesh is hot during summers and pleasant during winters, so the best time to visit is from August to April.

Rishikesh is where most pilgrims begin their Char Dham pilgrimage of going to Badrinath, Kedarnath, Yamunotri and Gangotri. Rishikesh is at the meeting point of the Ganges and Chandrabhaga Rivers.

Places to visit in Rishikesh

Bharat Temple

Despite the name, the presiding deity in this temple is Lord Narayana (Lord Vishnu), not Bharata, Lord Rama’s brother. It is very old temple with a wall around it. It is located in the heart of Rishikesh, about a half-km from Triveni Ghat. There is an incription on the temple that says Adi Sankaracharya renovated the temple.

Lakshman Jhula

Lakshman Jhula is about 3km north of downtown Rishikesh. At this place Lakshman, Rama’s younger brother, is said to have performed penance. There is a Lakshman Temple here on the west bank of the river, by the bridge. It is said that near this temple, at Rishi Kund, Lord Rama and Lakshman took bath to atone for the sin incurred for killing Ravana, who was a Brahmin. There is also a seven-storey temple housing diorama figures depiciting spiritual subject matters.

There is a nice peaceful area with a small beach where you can bathe in the Ganges. It is just south of the bridge, on the other side of the river from the main part of the town.

Triveni Ghat

The main bathing ghat, is where the Ganges and the subterranean Yamuna and Saraswati are said to flow together. Dawn is a good time to come here, during which time people make offerings to the Ganges and feed the large fish here.

Neel Kantha Mahadev Temple

It is situated on a hill, 17,00m (5,500ft) above the sea level, and is about 11km from the Lakshman Jhula. This is an important Siva Temple. Siva received the name Neela Kantha after he drank the poison produced from the churning of the Milk Ocean. After drinking poison his throat turned blue. Neela means blue and Kantha means throat.

Kunjapuri

It is a 10km walk to this Shakti Temple, which is located on a hill north of Rishikesh. From this temple there are great views of the surrounding Himalayan countryside. To get here you can take a bus to Hindola Khal on the road to Tehri, and then from there it is a 3km walk. It is a 45 minutes bus ride from Rishikesh.

Yoga Ashrams

Sivananda Ashram was founded by Swami Sivananda (1887 – 1963), who is one of the most famous yogis of the century. There are free yoga classes at the Shivananda Ashram. There are other famous ashrams where you can join Yoga and Meditation classes such as Saccha Dham Ashram, Mahesh Yogi Ashram, Omkarananda Ashram, Ved Niketan.