Ramble around the World of Serenity with Rishikesh Travel

Going on vacations with friends is like having a gala time! After a hectic routine, I along with my two friends, Amer and David decided to go on a Rishikesh tour to break the monotony. Rishikesh is considered as the ideal site for river rafting and has temples, lying amidst the serene surroundings. The idea made us excited and after packing all our necessities, we started off our journey from Delhi.

Triveni Ghat Rishikesh

To add more fun to our Rishikesh trip, we decided to go by car and David contributed the idea by offering his car for the same. We were busy in planning what to explore on our travel to Rishikesh, which made our road trip really fruitful.

After few hours, we landed into the dream world. As we reached Rishikesh, all we could view was the amazing serenity and natural beauty all around. We moved on to our hotel to refresh ourselves. After having our food, we took rest.

Next day, we went on to enjoy river rafting, the highlighting attraction of Rishikesh tourism. All three of us wore life jackets and our adventure of river rafting began. As we went on Rishikesh visit in October, we were able to enjoy this water sport adventure. It was the time when water level of Ganges was not very high and the rapids were full blown.

Surprisingly, I was not scared after entering the water. All I was experiencing the excitement, fun and thrill. Sitting on a big raft and experiencing the gushing water made us shiver at first but everything went smooth afterwards. In the evening, we enjoyed bonfire dance near a camping site.

Kailash Niketan Temple

Then, it was our turn to explore the pilgrimage sites in Rishikesh. We visited Triveni Ghat in Rishikesh, where many pilgrims were taking a holy dip. We also offered our prayers to Mother Ganga. Rishikesh also serves as one of the important destinations of Golden triangle in the tour extension. Visiting Laxman Jhoola was another interesting experience. The famous 450-ft long iron suspension bridge lies over the Ganga River. According to legends, Lord Ram's brother Lakshman had overpassed the River on a jute rope from here.

While crossing the Lakshman Jhula, we came across the Kailash Niketan Temple. It is a 13 storey structure that houses the deities of different Gods and Goddesses. We ended our Rishikesh tour with a visit to Bharat Mandir, another prominent attraction of Rishikesh. Lying near the Jhanda Chowk, it is a penance site for the sages.

With a planning to visit Ashrams in Rishikesh next time, we bid goodbye to the amazing destination.

A Family Trip to Rishikesh

Trip to Rishikesh

The story begins with a family trip, when I was insisted by my mom to celebrate my New Year at Rishikesh with my parents and brothers. So we all first arrived at Haridwar by Dehradun Shatabdi Express, and then hired a cab for Rishikesh (24 km). We were 238 km from Delhi, and 25 km up the Ganges from Haridwar, at an altitude of 1,160 ft. I enjoyed the entire journey while listening that Rishikesh is not just another famous Hindu pilgrimage but it is also considered as the Yoga Capital of the world. I was pretty sure that my trip to Rishikesh could not be better than a freaky night out with friends in a disc or pub. But my first look to the place changed my thinking, my opinion and my philosophies completely. What a superb location in the foothills of Himalayas!

I could not control my excitement level when I came to know that it offers some of the most exciting moments of adventure sports such as trekking in the rugged mountains and challenging white water rafting in the most tumultuous and foaming waters of the Himalayas. My exploration began with the renowned Lakshman Jhula – a suspended iron bridge built in 1939. As the legend goes, Lakshmana, brother of Lord Rama, built a jute rope bridge to cross the majestic Ganges. This Lakshmana Jhula is just a replacement of that jute rope bridge. While heading towards the Swarg Ashram, we crossed the same and clicked a few photographs as well. My next halt was Gita Bhavan – a huge huge huge library of spiritual texts! A thousand-page Holy Gita for just Rs. 120/-! Unbelievable! I spotted a few attractive paintings and statues there that depict scenes from Hindu mythologies. From the Ayurvedic dispensary of Gita Bhawan, I bought a few medicines for my grandma.

I also paid short visits to the temples at Swarga Ashram, Neelkanth Mahadeo (dedicated to Lord Shiva) and the Triveni Ghat. While asking for some thrilling sports with my brothers, I was permitted by my mom to go for White Water Rafting in the River Ganges and a short Trekking tour in the Garhwal Himalayas under the guidance of an expert. My last halt in Rishikesh was the shopping area of the Swarg Ashram, where I found the stalls loaded with brassware, incense sticks, sweets, Rudraksh beads, Ayurvedic and herbal medicines. Overall, the trip was outstanding. New Year celebration with my friends could not be better than this trip, for sure.