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Rishikesh : The Yoga Capital of World
Description of Rishikesh:
Rishikesh is surrounded by Shivalik hills of the Himalayas on three sides, Rishikesh the place of sages in the spiritual town on the bank of river Ganga. It is said that when Rishi Raibhya did hard penances, God appeared by the name of Hrishikesh & henceforth the area came to be known as Rishikesh. The Legend of Uttrakhand begins here. In the ancient time, it is believed to be the mediating center of sages & ascetics.
Rishikesh is the base for Char Dham Yatra and gateway to Garhwal Himalayas, Sikh shrine of Hemkund Sahib and Valley of Flowers. The holy Ganga flows through the town and has many Ashrams (hermitages) along its banks pulsating the city life with Spiritualism. These Ashrams seats of spirituals learning, mediations & yoga. Life in Rishikesh Pulsates with spiritual vibrations. The huge majestic ashrams on the slopes of the foothills are the modern mediating. The spiritual instructions like Sivananda Ashram, Swargashram, Gita Mandir, Paramarth Niketan, Kailash Ashram, Maharshi Mahesh Yogi etc. Most of the Ashrams have an arrangement for food & lodging very reasonably priced. The Ganga has two suspension bridges –Lakshman Jhoola on the way to Badrinath & Ram Jhoola between Sivananda Ashram & Swargashram. NE along the Ganga river is somewhat secluded sandy are Muni-ki-Reti (sand of the sages) is the area along the Chandrabhaga river having some temples.
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40 km from the town of Dehradun, this gorge centered town has acquired significance for being the centre for White River Rafting, Trekking & Mountaineering. For the adventurous lot it is the starting point of many expeditions towards. Himalayas peaks and for skiing at Auli. It has recently developed to be an important centre for treatment nature and Ayurved for difficult to treat ailments &stress induced problems.
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| Rafting Picture in Rishikesh |
International Yoga week held here every year on the bank of river Ganga attracts participation from all across the globe.
The nearest airhead is the airport Jolly Grant at Dehradun. Rishikesh is by road from Haridwar (22 km) or Dehradun (42km).
Place of Interest:
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| Treveni Ghat |
Triveni Ghat: Regard as the most important religious spot for rituals in Rishikesh, the place is believed to be the confluence of Ganga , the Yamuna and the legendry Saraswati river. River in India are believed to have great purifying powers, stronger at the source, at their confluence & at the mouse. Trevani Ghat is a scared bathing spot on the bank of river Ganga, where devotees take holy dips & offer prayers. It is interesting to be here at down, when people make offering of milk to the river and feed the fish. After sunset, priest set floating lambs on the water on the Ganga a part of Aarti ceremony.
The view offers a spectacular sight. Barefoot devotees rest on the step on the Ghat, bells and gong rings and the Chanting religious hymns fill the air. This worship ceremony is salutations to Goddess of the river.
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| Lakshman Jhula |
Lakshman Jhula: The Suspension Bridge Lakshman Jhula was built in 1929 to replace the rope bridge, 5km from Rishikesh on the way to Badrinath. Local legend it that Rama’s brother crossed the river here on the jute rope and the old Lakshman temple on the west bank. This is quieter than the town center and it very picturesque. Now another suspension bridge –Ram Jhula has been constructed 2 km downstream of Lakshman Jhula between the Shivanand & The Swargashram.
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| Bharat MAndir |
Bharat Mandir: In Rishikesh majority of God and Goddess are worshipped with Vishnu and Shiva having the maximum numbers of temples. Near the Trivani Ghat is the oldest known temple is Bharat Mandir. The main temple is named after Bharat, Rama’s Loyal brother who mediated here during the Tretayug along with his brother Shatughan. Though the temple is dedicated to lord Vishnu, it houses the number of images normally associated eith the worship of lord Shiva. To life size Statues of the Yaksha and Yashni (demi God and Goddess) where discovered during its renovation possibly dating back to the 2nd century but the oldest statute here is that of the Jain sage, Mahavira. Among others is an ideal of Lord Indra on an Elephant dating back to the Shunga period. A red sandstone Buddha belonging to the Gupta age was also discovered. The present Lakshman temple was built by the Maharaja of Jammu & Kashmir – Gulab Sing in 1885.
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| Neelkanth Mahadev Temple |
Neelkanth Mahadev: Situated at an elevation of 1550m towards the eastern side of Rishikesh. It is 22km by a motorable road and 12 km from Lakshman Jhula on foot. The temple is located is between the hills of Manikoot, Vishnukoot, & Bhramakoot. The temple is believed to be the place where Shiva is consumed the poison churned out of the ocean. It turned his throat blue and hence the name “ Neelkanth”. Here he set for years mediating for the welfare for humanity. To fairs are held every year on Shivratri and Shravan.
Other important temples in Rishikesh include Chandreshwar temple, Shomeshwar temple, Hanuman Mandir, Pushkar & Venkateshwara Temple.
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| Kunjapuri Temple |
Kunjapuri: The Temple of Kunjapuri is one of the three Siddha Peeths dedicated to Sati, the wife of Lord Shiva. The Others two beings Surkanda Devi & Chandrabadni. The legend has it that when Sati, daughter Daksh Prajapati, immolated herself at the sacrificial spot, Lord Shiva took the dead body of his wife and start walking towards the Himalayas. The places where the parts of her body fell are known as Kunjapuri, Surkunda, and Chandrabadni and are thus worshiped as Siddha Peeths.
The temple of Kunjapuri clearly visible from Rishikesh is surrounded by the external Himalayas, at an altitude of1645m & it lends a panoramic view of Himalayas Peak to the North and Rishikesh, Haridwar and the Doon valley to the south. A week-long fair is held here during Durga Ashtami, Navaratras (April-October) every year grand celebration are held.
Well, this is the overview of Rishikesh, but I swear it is more beautiful then what I said. If you’ll planning to come here after reading this post then please mention in the comment section. In Next post, I’ll tell you about my first adventure tour, which is in Rishikesh. If you like this blog post hit the like button and comment your views. If you think this article is useful for others then share with your friends and relatives. And to get the notification for more relative posts don’t forget to subscribe. “Till then Stay Bless and Take Care and JAY HIND. ”
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