24 km from Haridwar, Rishikesh is an ebtry point to the proud Himalayas of Garhwal and four major Hindu pilgrimage centres of Garhwal, which hold immense importance in the religious lives of devout followers of the faith. These four places named as Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri, together constitute 'Chaar Dhaam' yatra, which is said to be must for all the Hindus at least once in their lifetime. Rishikesh has also earned its name as the yoga capital of the world, as it houses a number of important centres of meditation and physical training, thronged by the young and the restless from all over the world seeking renewal. Recently, Rishikesh has also carved its niche as one of the favorite tourist spots for the adventure lovers as it offers some of the most exciting moments of adventure sports such as trekking in the rugged mountains and challenging white water rafting in one of the most tumultuous and foaming rivers of Himalayas.

Shopping Attractions
Rishikesh is the gateway to major Hindu pilgrimage places. Thus, things used for worshipping such as brassware, incense sticks, sweets used for offerings and Rudraksh beads can be easily found in Swarg Ashram Area. Ayurvedic and herbal medicines of Rishikesh are quite popular. Tourists love to shop for variety of handicrafts made of beads, shells, pearls and wood and the woolen rugs and sheets.


Prime Attractions

Lakshman Jhula
This suspended iron bridge built in 1939 is said to be a replacement of the jute rope bridge built by Lakshmana, brother of Rama, to cross the river. Seeing its immense popularity among the tourists, Ram Jhula, another suspended Iron Bridge has been constructed between Shivanand Ashram and Swarg Ashram recently.

Gita Bhavan
Situated just across the Lakshman Jhula, this newly constructed building has earned its name as a tourist attraction because of its attractive paintings and statues that depict scenes from Hindu mythology. It also houses an ayurvedic dispensary and has a branch of the much-famous Gita press of Gorakhpur.

Swarga Ashram
A large number of temples, some of the best eating points that serve only vegetarian food and shops where one can bargain for curios and mementos and buy sweets and flowers to offer in the temples is what marks the Swarga Ashram stretching across a vast area. It attracts tourists because of its mesmerizing statues studding the area.

Neelkanth Mahadeo
Situated at an altitude of 1675 m above the sea level, on a hill above Swarg Ashram, Neelkanth Mahadev is one of the most venerated temples of Rishikesh. According to Hindu mythology, it is the place where Lord Shiva drank the venom that came out of the ocean when it was churned by the 'Devatas' and 'Daityas' in search of 'amrit' (potion for immortality) to save the world from its ill effects. With the immense power of control over his body, which came with several years of strict rituals observed by Him, Lord Shiva was able to stop it in his throat forever, which though could not harm him but manifested itself in changing the color of his throat to murky blue color, thus giving Him the name of Nilkanth (one with blue throat). 12 km from Rishikesh, it is surrounded by tranquil forests.

Triveni Ghat
A popular bathing ghat, the best time to visit the place is at the sunset time when thousands of people throng to the place to take a dip in the river and take part in the Maha Aarti of the River Ganges. The cool breeze from the river and serenity of the aarti ceremony is a divine experience.

White Water Rafting
The adventure lovers love to venture white water rafting in the River Ganges here and brave the challenge of mighty, violent river that rush from the icy heights of the Himalayas and run across meandering boulder-strewn beds, cutting deep gorges and breaking into silvery-white rapids.

Trekking
Trekking into the Garhwal Himalayas is another popular activity of Rishikesh. One can chose from a number of options of religious, scenic, botanical and altitude treks, the two most popular being - a) To Neelkanth from Swarg Ashram, and b) To Kunjapuri Temple from Tapovan. Both the temples are perched on a hilltop.

Accommodation
Hotels in Rishikesh: Ananda Spa Resort, Himalayan Hideaway, 3 Star Hotels in Rishikesh