Rishikesh, a town of the Beetles and yoga
Rishikesh is a city which is the international capital of yoga located in the northern part of India at the foot of the Himalayas on the Ganges River, which is best reached from Delhi by car or by night train. The distance from Delhi is about 250 km (about 9 hours by car). The city is located in the state of Uttarakhand.
It is a town with a specific ambiance because in addition to its charming location, it offers a stay in one of hundreds of ashrams, where people from all over the world practice yoga and meditate. If you wish to rest far away from bustling and noisy India Rishikesh is the right choice. Rishikesh offers numerous yoga courses in many schools and ashrams under the guidance of experienced masters. It is also a place where it is difficult to get meat dishes and alcohol, but cannabis is offered to tourists at every step.
It is worth visiting the following places in this town:
- the Beetles ashram - a place where in the 1960s members of The Beetles meditated, drawing inspiration, living and taking part in a transcendental yoga course. After that the place became so famous that it was visited by such celebrities like Mia Farrow or Donovan. The period when the Beetles stayed turned out to be the Beatles' most creative period for songwriting.
Thanks to this, the place is so significant and willingly visited by fans and interested foreigners. The ashram is currently open to the public and in under partial renovation because it had been abandoned for many years,its gates shuttered, its forest grounds unkempt. It is worth going to this place with a local guide who would tell you the interesting history, show meditative "caves" and the home of the founder of the ashram - Maharishi Mahesha Yogi. The guide will also reveal controversial facts about the founder.
- take a walk around Rishikesh visiting the temples and ashrams near the Laxman Jhula Bridge, among others a multi-story temple dedicated to various deities on the banks of the Ganges River - Swarg Niwas Mandir and Shri Trayanbakshwar Mandir
take a walk around the second Ram Jhula bridge to visit the temples, ashrams and the largest Triveni ghat. I recommend the Parmarth Niketan ashram with interesting architecture and a unique atmosphere of the place.
- take a stroll to the ghats on the Ganges River, where Hindus taking a purifying baths, I also recommend booking rafting or a boat trip.
- do shopping in numerous shops and stalls. I recommend buying cosmetics and Ayurvedic medications, numerous oils, natural perfumes, textiles, clothes and other trinkets.
- have dinner in a rooftop restaurant with a view of the Ganges, there are really plenty of them in the town
- it is also worth going to the nearby town of Haridwar - 24 km from Rishikesh to watch the "Aarti" sunset ceremony during which oil lamps are set on the water. It is recommended to hang out and walk on the ghats on the river Ganges; There is the largest and most important ghat Har ki Pauri, where Vishnu is said to have left his footprint on the stone.
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