Rishikesh
You may draw a blank when you hear the name Rishikesh, but fans of yoga, or even die-hard fans of the Beatles will know the significance it holds. Located in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, this yoga capital was one of the Fab Four's haunts back in the swinging sixties. The town is actually split into three parts in the foothills of the Himalaya by the upper reaches of the holy Ganges River.
For those who come, it is a cooling and refreshing break to the norm of India - hectic and polluted. Breathing in the altitudinous air and looking onto the greatest mountain range on Earth, it is no wonder that Hindu gurus sought solace in such a location.
Despite being one town, it has three parts that could easily be individual villages. You will most likely meet other travellers in Swarg Ashram on the eastern bank downstream. Opposite that on the western bank is Ramjhoola and upriver you will find Laxman Jhoola.
Over the years yoga centres offering classes and training have popped up. Visitors can involve themselves with anything from one day to several months' worth of training and meditation. Seminars, lectures and practical sessions are all part of the qualifications you can gain. Accommodation is plentiful, basic and cheap, and sometimes comes as part of the meditation course.
The 'villages' themselves are all individual. Downriver it is more of a commercial operation. Rishikesh has, in recent years, become a centre for outdoor activities like white-water rafting, hiking and expeditions. Rafting is an excellent, if slightly chilling way of filling an afternoon. Driven upstream in a 4x4 and launched in a dingy with paddle, helmet and lifejacket, you are propelled into the Ganges, its rapids and torrents. Occasionally the heart is in one's mouth but it is a rewarding thrill and if done with other travellers, a superb way to bond. Although relatively underexploited, hiking trips can be arranged to the even more mountainous northern regions and some local climbs too.
The upstream villages are laid back and full of restaurants serving both northern Indian and Nepalese cuisines. Street markets sell hot samosas, chai and bhajis throughout the day and the temples on the river banks throng with Hindu worshippers in this holy city, which is vegetarian throughout and completely alcohol-free. Some superb cafes give spectacular views over the town and river. The Namaste caf serves delicious lassis (an Indian yoghurt-based drink) and their breakfasts of fruit, muesli, yoghurt and honey are a welcoming relief to a curry alternative (which has perhaps been your mainstay diet since arriving in India). Trade in cloth is also big and many Nepalese who have set up businesses here sell handmade pashminas and clothes as well as jewellery and other accessories.
The banks of the Ganges are laden in thick white sand to rival any Bahamian beach. Yoga classes are frequently held on them and the giant beach boulders are an imposing physical reminder of the sheer strength the Ganges' current.
Rishikesh is a travellers' corner of Eden - rustic and wholesome it is a place which you will find hard to leave.
You may draw a blank when you hear the name Rishikesh, but fans of yoga, or even die-hard fans of the Beatles will know the significance it holds. Located in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, this yoga capital was one of the Fab Four's haunts back in the swinging sixties. The town is actually split into three parts in the foothills of the Himalaya by the upper reaches of the holy Ganges River.
For those who come, it is a cooling and refreshing break to the norm of India - hectic and polluted. Breathing in the altitudinous air and looking onto the greatest mountain range on Earth, it is no wonder that Hindu gurus sought solace in such a location.
Despite being one town, it has three parts that could easily be individual villages. You will most likely meet other travellers in Swarg Ashram on the eastern bank downstream. Opposite that on the western bank is Ramjhoola and upriver you will find Laxman Jhoola.
Over the years yoga centres offering classes and training have popped up. Visitors can involve themselves with anything from one day to several months' worth of training and meditation. Seminars, lectures and practical sessions are all part of the qualifications you can gain. Accommodation is plentiful, basic and cheap, and sometimes comes as part of the meditation course.
The 'villages' themselves are all individual. Downriver it is more of a commercial operation. Rishikesh has, in recent years, become a centre for outdoor activities like white-water rafting, hiking and expeditions. Rafting is an excellent, if slightly chilling way of filling an afternoon. Driven upstream in a 4x4 and launched in a dingy with paddle, helmet and lifejacket, you are propelled into the Ganges, its rapids and torrents. Occasionally the heart is in one's mouth but it is a rewarding thrill and if done with other travellers, a superb way to bond. Although relatively underexploited, hiking trips can be arranged to the even more mountainous northern regions and some local climbs too.
The upstream villages are laid back and full of restaurants serving both northern Indian and Nepalese cuisines. Street markets sell hot samosas, chai and bhajis throughout the day and the temples on the river banks throng with Hindu worshippers in this holy city, which is vegetarian throughout and completely alcohol-free. Some superb cafes give spectacular views over the town and river. The Namaste caf serves delicious lassis (an Indian yoghurt-based drink) and their breakfasts of fruit, muesli, yoghurt and honey are a welcoming relief to a curry alternative (which has perhaps been your mainstay diet since arriving in India). Trade in cloth is also big and many Nepalese who have set up businesses here sell handmade pashminas and clothes as well as jewellery and other accessories.
The banks of the Ganges are laden in thick white sand to rival any Bahamian beach. Yoga classes are frequently held on them and the giant beach boulders are an imposing physical reminder of the sheer strength the Ganges' current.
Rishikesh is a travellers' corner of Eden - rustic and wholesome it is a place which you will find hard to leave.
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