Rishikesh: The gateway to the Himalayas

Rishikesh, the Land of the Sages, is a spiritual town nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas with the Holy River Ganga gently flowing besides it.

It is believed that when Raibya Rishi undertook rigorous penance, God appeared in the form of ‘Hrishikesh’ and the area hence to be known as Rishikesh. Rishikesh situated in the Tehri Gharwal region of Uttaranchal, India, located around 25 kilometers north of another holy city, Haridwar.

Besides being the starting point for the pilgrims undertaking the Char Dham Yatra or the four famous shrines Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. It is also famous as the ‘Yoga Capital of the World’ which draws a considerable rush to the town the entire year around. Rishikesh also known as: the gateway to the Himalayas, Teerth Nagri, Yog Nagri.

Rishikesh catch the attention of thousands of pilgrims, tourists each year, within India and from many other countries. If you are on a serious soul-searching mission, then Rishikesh is the destination made just for you. People come here to find a direction to their lives, connect to their inner selves and go back home with pleasurable memories and a silent promise to return again.

There are many achieves of olden temples, ashrams giving divine solace to pilgrims, Shatrughan temple, Geeta Bhawan, the most important temple of Bharata Pushkar temple, Lahkhsmana temple, the Punjab Kshetra etc. Rishikesh is an ideal destination also for the people who are concerned in yoga, meditation etc. But it’s not all spiritual. Rishikesh is now a popular white-water rafting centre, backpacker hang-out, and gateway to treks in the Himalaya.