Situated in the Indian state of Uttaranchal, Rishikesh is a very important Hindu pilgrimage site. This is also a cluster of a number of Ashrams and temples giving the entire place a spiritual feeling. The ceaseless flow of the river, regarded as Goddess Ganga adds to the beauty and the purity of the place. Along the river, the area is filled with thick green forests in the all-mountainous region. The entire area falls on the Garhwal region of Northern India. Hordes of sadhus (sages) come to this place every year in search of salvation.
Rishikesh is famous for its yoga sessions that are taught here by many yoga experts. Besides the sadhus and saints, a mass of tourists too visits this place every year to have a look at this much heard about place. Besides the Indian travelers, one can see here a number of foreign tourists roaming about while curiously clicking the cameras to catch the wonderful scenic spots all around. As if the wonderful scenery and the numerous pilgrimage sites were not enough, Rishikesh also makes some of the most popular adventure sport destinations of India. River rafting, trekking, rock climbing, hiking etc are some of the activities one can easily opt for here. Easily accessible from almost all the nearby towns and cities of India, Rishikesh is a hill station with a number of provisions for the tourist's boarding and lodging.
HISTORY OF RISHIKESH:-
Many legends are related to this holy place Rishikesh. One of such legends says that when the devils and the gods were trying to churn the sea (known in Indian mythology as the act of Samudra Manthan) in order to get Amrit (nectar of immortality) at first venom came out of the sea. All the gods and devils got worried as unless the venom was discarded Amrit would not come out and to completely discard it from the world, someone had to drink it. But, as almost all of them were eager to drink Amrit only, nobody dared to volunteer. So all the gods and devils prayed to Lord Shiva who agreed to drink the venom. On drinking the venom, Lord Shiva's throat became Neel (blue) in color. And as legend reveals, this was the place where Lord Shiva stood and drank the venom.
Some other legends are related to the Indian epic Ramayana. According to a belief, Lord Ramachandra stayed in this jungle area when he was sent for Vanvas (living in exile in jungles) along with his wife Sita and his brother Lakshman. The evidences of their stay is said to be the Lakshman Jhula, a hanging rope bridge to cross the river. The bridge was been rebuilt in AD 1939 but the original bridge is said to be of jute ropes.
Another legend is of the Bharat temple. This temple is said to have been used by Bharat, Lord Ram's younger brother, who underwent severe penance during the time when Lord Ram was in exile. There is also a huge tank, which is believed to have been used by Lord Ram for bathing.
There is another legend according to which Rishi Rabhya underwent severe penance here to be able to see God. God appeared in front of him in the incarnation of Hrishikesh. Since then, this place has been called Rishikesh.
During the 1960s, this place become very popular for the fact that the famous rock bands 'the Beatles' found their guru here.
PLACES TO VISIT IN RISHIKESH:-
Ashram
There are a number of ashrams in and around Rishikesh. Some are very well known and is regarded as tourist spots. There are some which are still been regarded as proper ashrams where rishis (saints) stay. Some of the ashrams are situated on the eastern bank of the river Ganges and the entire cluster is known as Swargashram. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's Ashram is famous the world over for which the credit goes to the rock band Beatles. Several ashrams offer yoga courses and many pilgrims from in and around the country come here to learn yoga. Along with the ashrams, there are a few temples having some mythological importance.
Lakshman Jhula
Lakshman Jhula is a hanging bridge on the river Ganges that flows here. According to legends, Lakshman the brother of Lord Ram crossed this river with the help of a hanging bridge made of jute. The present suspended bridge was built in the year AD 1939. The place of the present bridge is supposedly on the same spot where the original jute suspended bridge used to be. The view from the bridge, especially the view of the high current of the river is incomparable. During monsoon season, the water level of the river increases considerably along with the speed of the current. Near the Lakshman Jhula is the Ram Jhula also known as Shivanand Jhula.
Gita Bhavan
Situated by the side of the Lakshman Jhula, this is the Gita Bhavan. The Gita Bhavan is a beautifully constructed building housing some attractive statues of characters Hindu mythology.
Triveni Ghat
Around 1½ km from the Rishikesh is a bathing spot known as Triveni. It is believed that three mountain streams flow together on this spot making the ghat (bank) more sacred. Pilgrims from various places come here to take a dip in the holy water, which is supposed to wash off all their sins.
Neelkanth Mahadev
It is a place of interest especially for the religious minded tourists. It is said to be the place where Lord Shiva drank the venom that had come out during the cosmic churning of the ocean by the gods and demons. The spot is at a distance of 12 km from the centre of Rishikesh town and is surrounded by lush, sylvan forests.
Temples
Rishikesh is full of innumerable small and big temples. A walk along the road towards the Muni-ki-Reti takes one to a place along the Chandrabhaga River that has a cluster of temples. The famous Char Dham pilgrimage starts from this place. The Rishikund tank and Raghunath temple near the tank are two other temple that deserve a visit. The tank is supposed to have been used by Lord Ram for bathing while he was in exile. There is also the Bharat temple, named after one of the brothers of Lord Ram. Situated in the heart of the town, this temple is surrounded by massive walls and is very old.
