Rishikesh

“Where the river, newly out of the mountains, first catches its breath — and yoga meets the world”

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Photo: Aashish Bhatnagar · CC BY-SA 3.0

Scenes

The evening Ganga Aarti — priests raising lamps in rows along the river steps — The evening aarti's light spreading over the waterBhuvi Uniyal · CC BY-SA 4.0

Pilgrims crossing the Lakshman Jhula footbridge, a tiered temple rising on the far bank — The footbridge over the Ganga and a riverside templeMcKay Savage · CC BY 2.0

Meaning

Sitting on the river steps at dusk, you watch leaf-boats of lamplight set one by one on the water as bells ring and the song of the aarti spreads along the Ganga.

Set where the Ganga descends from the Himalaya and enters the plains, it has long been held a place where sages came to practice and dwell. Its two footbridges and riverside ashrams gather here as the gateway to the Himalayan Char Dham pilgrimage and the yoga capital of the world.

Field notes

Location: Garhwal Himalaya foothills · Uttarakhand · N30.1° · E78.3°
Best time: At dusk when the Ganga Aarti is lit, and in early March for the International Yoga Festival
Getting there: About 40 minutes to an hour by road from Dehradun's Jolly Grant airport or from Haridwar.
Etiquette: On the river steps and in the ashrams, quiet and modest dress are kept, and the river is treated as sacred.

Sources

· Encyclopaedia Britannica: Rishikesh
· Uttarakhand Tourism: Rishikesh

Wikipedia

Photographs are freely licensed works from Wikimedia Commons and similar sources; the author and license appear beneath each image.