Places to Visit in Rishikesh


The holy town of Rishikesh has the eminence of being the International capital of Yoga and meditation. Located in the foothills of the Himalayas on the banks of the River Ganges, Rishikesh is dotted with a number of ancient temples, ashrams and world renowned yoga and meditation centres. Not only devotees, but travellers from all parts of the world flock to the sacred town for a deeper understanding of meditation.

Evening in Rishikesh are for sitting by the Ganges and while away your time. Later in the evening, you headed towards Parmarth Niketan Ashram to witness the daily evening ritual of Ganga Aarti. The aarti is a pleasant ritual of worshipping the Ganga. Around 50-100 people visit the aarti on any day.

Places to Visit in Rishikesh

Lakshman Jhula

Laxman Jhula in Rishikesh is one of the major tourist attractions for those who visit Rishikesh. Basically, it is a hanging bridge across river Ganga, around 450 ft long and 70 ft above the river. In early times, the jhula was a hanging jute bridge, but later it was transformed into an Iron suspension bridge. The bridge is used as a path to visit Swarg Ashram and Gita Bhavan.

The bridge is known to be of mythological importance and is connected with great Hindu epic, Ramayana. If legends are to be believed the bridge is named after Lakshman, the brother of Lord Rama. It is said that he had crossed the river from same spot using a long jute rope. Till 1924, the bridge was still a rope bridge that was washed away in floods.

Ram Jhula

Ram Jhula is Iron suspension bridge connect on the waterway Ganga in Rishikesh. Ram Jhula interfaces Muni Ki Reti with Swargashram. The scaffold is person on foot connect yet individuals likewise drive bicycles on it. There are two comparative extensions in Rishikesh. The old one is known as Lakshman Jhula. Ram Jhula is new one so it is named after Lakshman's sibling Lord Ram.

Ram Jhula is add up to 230 meters in length. Ram Jhula is one of two most celebrated vacationer regions in Rishikesh (another is Lakshman Jhula). The vast majority of the acclaimed ashrams are found near the Ram Jhula. Sivananda Ashram, Parmarth Niketan, Gita Bhawan, Yog Niketan and numerous others are situated close to the Ram Jhula. Both end of the extension has little market with numerous kind of shops.

Parmarth Niketan

Parmarth Niketan is an ashram located on next of the holy Ganges and in the lap of the Himalayas. Ashram is just next to the Ganges you can go to the Ganges by walk they have his own private ghat. Ashram will provide his entire pilgrims a sacred and peaceful atmosphere for his guests who came all over the world. With over 1,000 rooms, the facilities are a perfect blend of modern amenities and traditional, spiritual simplicity.

The inspiring beauty of the ashram, the clear flowing Ganga, the majestic mountains, and the green forests will embrace and rejuvenate your entire being. Parmarth Niketan offers comfort, inspiration and upliftment for your body, mind and spirit as well as a deeper connection with the Divine.

Bharat Mandir

Located in the heart of the city, Bharat Mandir is an ancient temple sacred to Lord Hrishikesh Narayan, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu in Kaliyuga. The temple sanctum houses a well-crafted idol of Lord Vishnu, which is carved out of a single black stone, known as Saligram.

Legend has it that the idol of the temple was reinstalled in 789 AD on the day of Basant Pamchmi. Ever since then, Saligram is taken out for a bath in Mayakund, further, a grand procession marches through the streets till the temple for reinstallation. Locals also say that whosoever does 108 parikramas (circumambulation of sacred places) of Lord Hrishikesh Narayan on Akshaya Tritiya will be blessed with their heart's desire and all their wished will be fulfilled.

Triveni Ghat

Triveni is a spot where three rivers meet. Triveni Ghat in Rishikesh is the holy confluence of river Ganga, river Yamuna and river Saraswati. Devotees take dip at the holy confluence to get rid of all sins committed and achieve salvation.

Evening Aarti at Triveni Ghat is popular among the people of Dehradun, Haridwar, whole of Uttarakhand, whole of India and the Hindu devotees outside India. you will be enchanted with the floating diyas, flowers and the singing of sacred Mantras and bhajans at TriveniGhat. The huge statue of lord Shiva sitting in bull and the statue of Krishna-Arjun in chariot depicting the initiation of Mahabharata war captivate you.

Geeta Bhawan

Geeta Bhawan. The Bhawan, at once, can accommodate more than 1000 devotees and provides them free stay. Although the Bhawan remains crowded round the year, the best time to visit is during summer for the day long Satsang programmes organized by the devotees.

Geeta Bhawan provides pure vegetarian food, grocery items and Indian sweets, free ferry ride and dispensary. Other amenities available at Geeta Bhawan include Geeta Press book store, apparel shop and Ayurvedic department, which sell pure herbal products. Inside the Bhawan, there is a sacred Banyan tree, which was once the place where many saints like Swami Ramtirth, have performed penance. Presently, the tree is considered as a haven for people seeking spiritual enlightenment through yoga and meditation.

Neelkanth Mahadev

Neelkanth Mahadev Temple is a sacred and famous temple located at 32 km from Rishikesh. Scenically situated on a hill at a height of 1330 mtrs, Neelkanth Mahadev Temple is a one of the most popular temples of Lord Shiva. A famous pilgrimage near Rishikesh, the temple lies above Swargashram adjacent to Nar Narayan mountain range.

As per mythology, Neelkanth Mahadev Temple is a holy place where Lord Shiva consumed the poison originated from ocean (Samudra Manthan) and placed in his throat. This makes Lord Shiva's throat blue in colour and named Neelkanth. This Mahadev Temple is best place for Lord Shiva devotees and people from far away places visit this sacred place round the year. Maha Shivratri is celebrated in Neelkanth Mahadev Temple with full rejoice and large number of devotees visit the temple on this auspicious day.