Located on the right bank of the Ganga and surrounded by hills on three sides is Rishikesh. It is situated at the confluence of Ganga and the Chandrabhaga stream. Considered one of the holiest places on the upward pilgrimages to Himalayas, Rishikesh is where Raibhya Rishi did penance to please God, who appeared as Hrishikesh, hence the name Rishikesh. Millions of Hindus come here every year to absolve themselves of their sins in the holy Ganga.

Rishikesh has become famous as one of the main centres for learning Yoga and Meditation. It abounds in stories of renunciation, meditation, penance and salvation. Rishikesh is also significant as the trekking base, to the Himalayan shrines of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath.

History of Rishikesh
Legend has it that the sage Raibhya Rishi did severe penance and, as a reward, God appeared to him in the form of Hrishikesh. Rishikesh also represents the site where Lord Vishnu vanquished the demon Madhu. The place is known as the Tapo Bhumi or the place for meditation of the Gods. Tapovan, on the other bank of the Ganges, houses a temple to Lakshmana. It is believed that Lakshmana, the younger brother of Lord Rama, carried out penances here.

The Neelkanth Mahadev temple is believed to be the site where Lord Shiva had drunk the venom that came out during the churning of the ocean. In the 1960s, the place came into limelight as the place where the pop group Beatles met their guru, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

Prime Attractions of Rishikesh

» Neel Kanth Mahadev
The temple, situated at a height of 5,500 ft. above sea level, is about 2 kms from Laxman Jhoola. The trek up to the temple, gives a fantastic wide - angled view of the Himalayan peaks, Babhar forests and the plains below.

» Swarga Ashram
One can find numerous temples here. This place has the eating joints and shops where one can do shopping. The beautiful statues in the area mesmerise the visitors.

» Lakshman Jhula
Situated 5 kms to the north of Rishikesh, is the spot where Sri Laxman, is said to have performed Tapa. The Laxman temple was built in his memory. Till 1889, there was just a hanging jute ropeway without pillars. The same structure was, later, rebuilt with iron ropes.

» Bharat Mandir
The oldest temple in Rishikesh - the black statue of Vishnu, here, is supposed to have been consecrated by Sri Sankaracharya, in the 9th century. The event is commemorated, during Vasant Panchami, to mark the onset of spring.

Places to Stay in Rishikesh

Rishikesh does not have any big hotels in the five star category but there are other hotels which offer comfortable stay. The Ashrams also provide accommodation facility. There are also dharamsalas and guest houses which offer good, inexpensive stay. The Garhwal Vikas Manda Nigam's guest has dormitory as well as single and double rooms for the tourists.

How to get there

» Air
In the region Air Services are available only upto Jolly Grant airport in Dehradun.

» Rail
Rishikesh is connected by rail via Haridwar (24 km) to Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, Lucknow, Varanasi, Dehradun and other cities.

» Road
Rishikesh is connected by road via Haridwar with Agra, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Kullu, Manali, and Shimla. It is also linked to Mussourie (77 km), Badrinath (301 km), Kedarnath (228 km), Gangotri (258 km), Yamunotri (288 km), Srinagar (105 km), and Joshimath (252 km). We would provide you all India tourist permit vehicles for the local transportations and also for the intercity drives too.