June 2, 2019
Rishikesh, located in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, and widely regarded as the Yoga capital of the world, is one of the first cities one encounters when one decides to explore the Mighty Himalayan Ranges. The other being Haridwar, which is probably the first major tourist place on the foothills of the Himalayas.
Rishikesh is a place which is rich in history. It is said that after the great Hindu legend of Ramayana took place, Lord Ram the main protagonist of the legend came here to do penance for killing Ravana. Also, it is said that Lakshman who was the younger brother of Lord Ram built a rope bridge to cross the river Ganges which serves as a basis of the Lakshman Jhula Bridge of today. The city is at a distance of approximately 240 Km from New Delhi, the Indian capital and can be reached by all major forms of transportation.
The place is famous for a variety of reasons such as tourist, Yoga, Ayurveda, adventure and serves as a pilgrimage site for many. The place is full of tourist attractions such as Ram Jhula, Lakshman Jhula, Triveni Ghat, beaches such as Ganga beach and Neem beach, Muni Ki Reti etc.
The place is full of tourist attractions such as Ram Jhula, Lakshman Jhula, Triveni Ghat, beaches such as Ganga beach and Neem beach, Muni Ki Reti, et al. Many Ayurveda and Yoga retreats and courses take place here and the place is full of adventure junkies as well. Many adventure activities such as rafting, trekking, bungee, camping, outdoor camping, and jungle safari amongst others. The place also has several famous temples such as Neelkanth Temple, Kunjapuri Temple, Vashisht Gufa (Cave) several famous Ganga Aartis take place such as Parmarth Aarti, Triveni Ghat Aarti etc.
Various lengths of the rafting routes can be determined according to the person’s own choice. Some of the rafting lengths are Brahampuri, Shivpuri, and Marine Drive etc. to Rishikesh. The severity of the rafting can be decided according to the rapids of the route which range from level 1 to 5, with level 1 being easy and level 5 being very tough. The time taken to complete the whole rafting routes takes from one and a half hours in Brahmpuri to Rishikesh, and from four to five hours from Marine Drive to Rishikesh. Some of the most famous rapids are sweet sixteen, crossfire, three blind mice, the wall, roller coaster etc. which test your rafting skills and experience. Some of the rapids which are at a higher level such as the wall and roller coaster require a very high level of experience.
Trekking is one activity that people who like to test their physical strength and capability undertake. There are many trekking routes that can be undertaken such as Chopta-Chandershila trek, Har Ki Dun trek, Valley of Flowers trek, Nanda Devi trek et al. Some of these treks can be very demanding but are said to be worth it because of all the aesthetic beauty, it has to offer. The Chopta-Chandershila trek is also called Mini Switzerland whereas the Gangotri-Goumukh trek is considered a semi-pilgrimage trek. Precautions should be observed while undertaking such treks such as proper trekking boots, thick woollen clothes for the cold weather which is frequently observed up the hills. Sunscreen, a first-aid box, a water-bottle are also helpful on the journey. Sometimes altitude sickness can take place when goes trekking. Some of them are acute mountain sickness, ataxia et al.
Camping is another popular activity associated with the city of Rishikesh. It is one activity in which high physical strength is not required like in rafting nor is much experience needed. It is one of those activities in which people of all ages, description, the background can take part. The activity allows the participants an opportunity to sit back and relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the mountains of the Himalayas specifically the Shivalik ranges where the camping sites and the city of Rishikesh is located. It is basically a recreational activity which one usually undertakes to relieve the stress of their routine lives.
The camping usually takes place on Ganga beach and offers one a chance to reconnect with nature. However, it is advised here that one should keep the environment clean as throwing stuff here and there has caused degradation of the environment. Visit the Rajaji National Park is also a very fine tourist place to have in your itinerary. It is primarily a tiger reserve and has been classified as an Indian national park. It is spread over an area of 820 square km and covers three districts. It has been created by merging three wildlife parks viz. Chilla, Motichur and Rajaji and has the Ganga and Song rivers as an added attraction. The park has been named after C. Rajagopalachari, a Bharat Ratna recipient.
These are some of the most popular activities one can do when visiting the city of Rishikesh, which offers different people different purposes. The city also plays host to the international Yoga festival that takes place every year in early spring.
