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 RISHIKESH -
City of Saints:-
The holy town Rishikesh, known as City Of
Saints, has the eminence of being the
International capital of Yoga. Located at
the foothills of Himalayas at the bank of
river Ganges, Rishikesh is famous for number
of ancient Temples, Ashrams & Yoga centers.
Not only devotees but travellers from all
part of the world flock to the sacred place
for a deeper understanding of meditation.
Visitors can attend lectures & courses
offered by the certified yoga & meditation
experts. Rishikesh town offers adventures
for nature lovers from all around.
Rishikesh
is also called the Gateway to the Himalayan
shrines - Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath &
Badrinath. The famous Sikh shrine Hemkund
Sahib is on way to Badrinath. Beside all
this spiritual destinations the world famous
Valley Of Flowers is another attraction for
trekkers & nature lovers.
Situated 24 km upstream from Haridwar, at
the confluence of rivers Chandrabhaga and
Ganges, Rishikesh has long been a spiritual
center. It is said that the sage Raibhya
Rishi did severe penance here and as a
reward, God appeared to him in the form of
Rishikesh, hence the name. Rishikesh has
numerous Ashrams, some of which are
internationally recognized as centers of
philosophical studies, yoga and meditation.
The climate here is continental type but its
location on the foot hills gives it a
pleasant weather throughout the year. One
can visit Rishikesh any time of the year.
ANCIENT HISTORY OF
RISHIKESH:-
 Rishikesh has been a part of the legendary 'Kedarkhand'
(the present day Garhwal). Legends state
that Lord Rama did penance here for killing
Ravana, the demon king of Lanka; and
Lakshman, his younger brother, crossed the
river Ganges, at a point, where the present
'Lakshman Jhula' bridge stands today, using
a jute rope bridge. The 'Kadar Khand' of
Skanda Purana, also mentions the existence
of Indrakund at this very point. The
jute-rope bridge was replaced by iron-rope
suspension bridgein 1889, and after it was
washed away in the 1924 floods, it was
replaced by a stronger present bridge.
The
sacred river Ganges flows through Rishikesh.
It is here that the river leaves the Siwalik
Hills Mountains in the Himalayas and flows
out into the plains of northern India.
Several Hindu temples, ancient as well as
new, can be found along the banks of the
Ganges in Rishikesh.
PLACES TO VISIT AT
RISHIKESH:-
Laxman Jhula:-
One of the most visited, the Laxman Jhula is
a suspended bridge, extending from one bank
of the Ganges to the other. The bridge is
mythological significant because it is where
Laxman crossed the Ganga through on
jute-rope-made bridge. Visitors can enjoy
some impressive views of the Himalayan
ranges from upon the bridge. Today, the
Laxman Jhula connects two popular ashrams-
Shivananda Ashram & Swarg Ashram.
Bharat Mandir:-
Established back in the 12th century, the
Bharat Temple happens to be the oldest in
Rishikesh. The temple stands in dedication
to Bharat, the younger brother of Rama (hero
of the Hindu epic Ramayana). Though the
original temple structure was destroyed in
an invasion by Temur in 1398, the temple
still preserves a number of Hindu relics.
The inner sanctum of the Bharat Mandir
enshrines the idol of Lord Vishnu. The
temple stands close to the Triveni Ghat in
Rishikesh.
Triveni Ghat:-
 The most popular bathing ghat in Rishikesh,
the Triveni Ghat is the point where River
Ganges takes a complete right angle turn.
Hindus also believe that it is here that the
three holy rivers Ganga, Yamuna & Saraswati
converge. Every morning, scores of pilgrims
and devotees can be seen here taking a holy
dip in the divine waters of the Ganga. In
the evening, the sight at the ghat is simply
heart stirring. Vedic chants, to the
accompaniment of drums and bells, can be
heard all around and a spiritual aura
surrounds the whole place. Tiny oil lamps on
bedecked leaf boats floating on the Ganges
add much charm to the whole atmosphere.
Shivanda Ashram:-
Shivananda Ashram, the Headquarters of The
Divine Life Society, is housed at
Shivanandanagar, on the right bank of the
Ganga, at a distance of 3 kilometers from
Rishikesh Town. The Society has as its aim
the awakening of humanity to the true and
lofty purpose of life, enlightening them on
the various means and methods of attaining
the Goal of life, and inspiring them and
urging them to strive for its attainment.
Swargashram, a Heavenly Abode:-
Swarg Ashram is a small township located, on
the left bank of the Ganges, opposite to
Shivananda Ashram. It can be reached by two
ways - either by crossing river Ganges by
boat or by walking through the Ram/Shivananda
Jhula built across the river. The ashram was
built in the memory of Swami Vishudhanand,
the saint better known as Kali Kamli Wala
(the saint with a black blanket). There are
lots of ashrams, temples and caves,
inhabited by saints, inside the Swarg
Ashram. Swarg Ashram also encompasses
several cafes, stores, shopping complexes,
libraries, parks, meditation centers,
ayurvedic dispensaries, restaurants and
hotels. The area lies amidst forest hills,
with beautiful orchards and an atmosphere
that is free from the pollutions of a
motorized city. The area consists of a
dozens of large ashrams, generally two or
three-storey buildings, with hundreds of
rooms that serve as residential quarters for
priests, pilgrims, students. Inside the
ashram premises, there are several temples
and numerous shrines, each of them depicting
a number of Hindu deities. Every temple is
headed by a priest who takes care of the
shrine as well as the residing crew. Several
religious ceremonies, like chanting,
regularly take place inside the Swarg
Ashram.
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Famous Ashrams & Temples In Swarg Ashram:-
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Parmarth Niketan |
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Geeta Bhawan |
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Vanprasth Ashram |
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Ved Niketan |
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Mahesh Yogi Ashram |
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Geeta Ashram |
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Kaali Kamli |
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Bhoothnath Temple |
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Parmarth Ganga
Aarti & Neelkanth Mahadev Temple:-
Ram Jhula:-
 Ramjhula which is also known as Shivananda
Jhula, was built in the year 1986 over the
Ganges to connect both sides of river
Ganges. To reach Swarg Ashram, Ram Jhula is
the most important hanging bridge.
Ram Jhula
is situated 3Km north of Rishikesh. It’s a
very popular place amongst people coming for
religious purposes because it has very known
Ashrams. Most known is Geeta Bhawan and
Swarg Ashram and these temples are very
important in Hindu society and you will see
much more commotion here than in Laxman
Jhula.
Parmarth Ganga
Aarti:-
 An evening in Rishikesh is memorable, when
Ganga Aarti (a devotional prayer to the holy
Ganga) to performed every day at the bank of
river Ganges at Parmarth Ghat in Swarg
Ashram. This ritual has become world famous,
and people visit this place specially to
watch “The Holy Ganga Aarti” which is
performed at a very picturesque place in
front a statue of Lord Shiva. People lay
diya a flower bowl lamp to be floated down
the river during Aarti.
Aarti
starts with children’s reciting Ved mantras.
It is very interesting to watch the
children’s as ritual progress; they look
bright and lovely in their saffron robes.
Neelkanth Mahadev
Temple:-
Nestled on a high mountain top with holy
waters of the sacred Ganges below, devotees
are invited to seek blessings from Neelkanth
Mahadev in Rishikesh. Neelkanth Mahadev is
none other than Lord Shiva. This name befell
on him because of a precarious feat he
undertook because he could not see his
devotees suffer. The Puranas state that
during the churning of the ocean-Samudra
Manthan, there came out a poison called-Halahal.
The venom was exceptionally powerful that it
could annihilate mankind. The gods were
distressed and didn’t know how to destroy
it. Lord Shiva stepped in and decided to
drink it. After drinking venom turned his
throat blue. Neel defines the color blue,
Kanth is throat and Mahadev means Lord of
the gods. Lord Shiva came to rest in
Rishikesh. The gods tried hard to comfort
him and ultimately decided to pour water on
his head to cool him off. This is one of the
reasons why even today, devotees offer water
to Lord
Shiva. |
