tourist attractions in rishikesh

8/8/2019 Tourist Attractions in Rishikesh

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Uttarakhand Facts:

While one is visiting the state of Uttarakhand, the first thing that he/ she is bound tonotice is the beautiful landscapes and the vibrant and laid back lifestyle of the place.The state not only consists of some beautiful landscapes, but it also has a rich heritage

and history as well. It is a beautiful state that is bordered by Tibet to the north, Nepal tothe East and the states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh in the west and southside, respectively.

Area 63,157 sq km

Population 84,49,000 (According to 2001 census)

Major Languages Kumaoni, Garhwali, English, Hindi

Major Festivals Basant Panchmi, Bat Savitri, Harela and Bhaitauli, Khatarua,Makar Sankranti, Olgia, Phool Dei

Major Fairs Jauljibi, Nanda Devi, Uttaryani fair

Literacy Rate 72.28%

Major Industries Tourism, Floriculture and Horticulture, Agro and Food

Processing, Biotechnology, Hydro Power, Forest Products

(Herbs and Spices)

Tourist attractions in Rishikesh:

Lakshman Jhula:

It is one of the most prominent landmarks at Rishikesh. This is a suspended bridge and

was built in the year 1929. According to the beliefs, the river at this place is said to have

been crossed by Rama’s brother Lakshman using a jute rope. To savor the panoramic

views of the surroundings and the cool breeze, this bridge is an ideal spot.

Triveni Ghat:

It is a sacred spot where the pilgrims swarm to for a holy dip. A large number of pilgrims

throng in to this place every evening to attend the Ganga Arti that takes place at this

Ghat.

Geeta Bhawan:

This is the oldest temple complex in the entire area and you can find the description of

well-known Indian epic Ramayana and Mahabharata on its walls. Only peace and

harmony seem to dwell at this place and it is must visit among the tourist attractions in

Rishikesh.



Bharat Mandir:

It is an engrossing temple established by Adiguru Shankaracharya near in the 8th

century AD. It is in the center of the old town on the Banks of the River Ganges.

According to the ancient records, it is one of the oldest temples of Rishikesh and is

among the most important places to visit in Rishikesh. In the inner sanctum, you will find

an idol of lord Vishnu. Several old statues, coins, pots and other artifacts of historical

importance have been found during recent excavations within the premises.

Rishikund:

It is located adjacent to Triveni Ghat and is one of the most significant among the tourist

attractions in Rishikesh. According to the legend, this pond was saturated by Goddess

Yamuna and it mirrors the temple of Ragunath, which is devoted to lord Rama and his

wife.

Ashrams:

The ashrams strewn all over the town are indisputably the leading tourist attractions inRishikesh. On your tour to Rishikesh, you will come across lots of them. Most of them

impart spiritual studies and lessons on meditation and well-being of the mind. Some of

the leading ones are Paremarth Niketan, Sivanand Ashram, Yoga Niketan,

Omkaranand Ashram, Vanprastha Ashram, Shankaracharya Nagar Transcendental

Meditation Centre, Vithal Ashram and Yoga Study Centre.

Nilkanth Mahadeo: The Hindu mythology has it that when the ocean was being

churned out for “amrit” by the gods and the demons, it was venom that first oozed out.

Lord Shiva swallowed the venom at this spot, and the place got its name from that

event.

White Water RaftingApart from pilgrims, adventure enthusiasts form the largest group of visitors toRishikesh. Serving as a major attraction for them are the violent rivers passing aroundthe town. These aggressive streams present the perfect opportunity for them, to gorafting down the waters. The breathtaking scenery that surrounds the rivers only adds totheir attraction.

White Water Rafting Rishikesh is very popular for its rafting on the River Ganga

(Ganges). Season: September-November and March-April-May are ideal for rafting. Therafting will go on for several kilometres, and the path is interspersed with rapids, rangingfrom Level 1 to Level 5, in order of difficulty. At the end of the trip, you have the optionof jumping some 20 feet from a ledge into the water. There are several local travelagencies, offering these rafting trips. The package usually includes an overnight campon the banks of the river, with a brilliant and dangerous trek among the hills in themorning. If one has time, courses in rafting are also offered.



Rappelling Climbing down with a rope is called rappelling. The group is taken to a spotwhere there is a cliff drop, experts with proper equipment who setup the gear first andthen, one by one, everyone comes down. It's all about trusting your gear and followingthe instructions and then it's a lot of fun.

Rock climbing This is something everyone is familiar with, this is also included in someof the camps but not everyone can do it as it requires a lot of strength and skill. Thegroup is taken to a cliff side and with proper safety gear everyone is given a chance toclimb the cliff side.

Cliff Jumping You are supposed to jump into freezing water from a cliff! Yes, it soundscrazy but this is one thing which everyone can brag about back home, of course you arewearing a life jacket and a helmet but still to jump from so high into the Ganga which ismurky and the bottom can't be seen, it's not like jumping into a swimming pool whereone can see the bottom the water is static.

Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving across water. Kayaking is differentiated fromcanoeing by the fact that a kayak has a closed cockpit and a canoe has an opencockpit. They also use a two bladed paddle. Another major difference is in the way thepaddler sits in the boat. Kayakers sit in a seat on the bottom of the boat with their legsextended out in front of them. Canoeists will either sit on an elevated bench seat or kneel directly on the bottom of the boat. Whitewater kayaking is the sport of paddling akayak on a moving body of water, typically a whitewater river. Whitewater kayaking canrange from simple, carefree gently moving water, to demanding, dangerous whitewater.

Trekking There are a lot of soft treks in this region, this is an optional thing as somepeople love to walk in nature and do a bit of bird watching and some prefer to be at the

camp and relax and they are already tired with the activities they have done.

Mukeshji's Jungle Vibes, Shisham Jhari,Rishikesh. Have a once in a life timeexperience of making the Australian Didgeridoos, African Djmbes and other musicalinstruments in the guidance of iconic Mukeshji while he enthralls you with his hilariousstories and takes you along with him in his Himalayan Journeys. A person visiting herefinds himself/herself in a selected crowd of music aficionados and extreme adventuresfrom around the world



Tourist attractions in Haridwar:

Situated along the Ganges, the city of Haridwar in Uttarakhand exudes tremendous

mythological and historical value. Occupying over 12.302 sq. km, Haridwar, is the

doorway to the three other major pilgrimages of India - Rishikesh, Badrinath, and

Kedarnath. A major center of attention as it has been from the times of Buddha anddown through the British rule and further still in the contemporary times, Haridwar offers

some of the greatest tourist attractions like huge temples, busy market streets, ancient

palaces, and forts.

Tourist Attractions in Haridwar:

One of the much traveled tourist destinations in India for pilgrims and vacationers alike,

Haridwar offers several tourist sites to be explored. Located to the north, Hari-ki-Pairi (or

Har-ki-Pairi) is taken as the city’s central point, where devotees come for a holy dip in

the River Ganges.

According to the legend this is actually where a drop of nectar fell as a result of the

samudra manthan (churning of the oceans) – Mythically it signifies the start of the world.

Haridwar is a city of temples, monuments and forts – most of them displaying rich Hindu

architectural culture. Some of them have been discussed as follows:

Mansa Devi Mandir, situated on top of a hill towards the center of Haridwar is reached

either by cable car or by a road that runs up to the hill, starting from the Railway Road.

The scenic landscape around the temple is the main attraction here.

Located 5 km to the north of central Haridwar, the Bharat Mata Mandir is devoted to

Mother India. Partly temple and partly nation building exercise, it has seven storeys that

house deities of saints, and secular heroes of all Indian religions.

Situated atop the ‘Neel Parvat’ on the eastern bank of river Ganga at 8-9km from the

Haridwar railway station, the Chandidevi Mandir stands as yet another of the wonderful

tourist attractions in Haridwar. Created in 1929 A.D. by the king of Kashmir, Suchat

Singh, it worships Goddess Chandi.

Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the Daksh Mandir is situated at 7-8 km from railway station in

the southern Kankhal town, and it is witness to the advent of several tourists and

pilgrims.

The temple of Chandi Devi a top the Neel Parvat on the other bank of river Gangeswas constructed in AD 1929 by Suchat Singh, the then King of Kashmir. The temple is a



3-km trek from Chandi Ghat and it is believed that the Adi Shankaracharya establishedthe main statue in eighth century AD. The Chandi Devi Temple is now also accessibleby a ropeway, which starts near the Gauri Shankar Temple.

The temple a top the Bilwa Parvat is dedicated to Goddess Mansa Devi. One can have

a panoramic view of Haridwar, the Ganges, and the countryside from this place.

The Vaishno Devi temple here is newly constructed and a true replica of the original

Vaishno Devi temple in Jammu & Kashmir.

Other Attractions:

Gurukul Kangri University: Situated on the Haridwar-Jwalapur bypass road, this university uniquely follows the

ancient tradition of Guru-Sishya technique of education. The institution also houses theVed Mandir Museum which preserves an excellent collection of archaeological displaysand exhibits artifacts of historical value.

Neel Dhara Pakshi Vihar:

You can spot a huge assortment of bird species in Neel Dhara Pakshi Vihar. This place

will charm you completely especially during the winters when it is visited by the

migratory birds as well. Near Laljiwala along the banks of river Ganges you can spot the

elegant Siberian Cranes.

Beauty Point:

Approximately 2 km from Haridwar on the Mansa Devi temple road, is located a scenicpoint which offers an excellent panoramic view of the city of Haridwar and its greenery.

Rishikesh, around 28 km off Haridwar, is at the base of the Himalayas and it is where

the Ganges comes down to the plains from the hills.

Some of the options of excursion from Haridwar are as follows:

Sapt Rishi Ashram (along the Haridwar-Rishikesh road) Kanva Rishi Ashram (42 km

from Haridwar) Chila Wildlife Sanctuary

Events and Festivals:

The Kumbh Mela is one of the most hugely

attended festivals in Haridwar. The history of the

Kumbh Mela goes back to the creation of the

Universe and people from various religions and



communities from all over the world gather here to take a holy dip in the Ganges.

Log on to www.touristplacesinindia.com which gives online information on Tourist

Attractions on your tour to Haridwar, booking for India travel tours, and tour packages

on your tour to India.

The Daksh Mahadev Temple is an ancient shrine situated to the south of Kankhal

town. This temple was constructed by Queen Dhankaur in AD 1810. Kankhal has

several other temples and ashrams too.

The Sapt Rishi Ashram is situated along the Haridwar-Rishikesh road. The Ganges

flows in seven streams in front of this Ashram, hence this place is also called Sapt

Sarovar.

The Kanva Rishi Ashram is situated around 42 km from Haridwar. The ashram is on

the banks of the Malini River along the forest road to Kotdwar.

The Chila Wildlife Sanctuary, part of the Rajaji National Park, covers an area of

around 240 sq. km. It has 23 species of mammals and 315 fauna species. Lucky

tourists can catch glimpses of elephants, tigers, leopards, jungle cats, Himalayan yellow

throated martens, sambers, chitals, barking dears, wild boars, langurs, ghurals, sloth

bears, king cobras, woodpeckers, etc. Fishing in the river there is allowed with permits

only.

If you haven't heard of these before, you should definitely try them out.

• Lucky Restaurant, One of the best place to have your food in Laxman Jhula,Rishikesh, "Indian food at its best"....If you want to change the way you taste, justtry it once...

• Mukti's Health Food , (a few hundred metres west of Shivanand Jhula bridge,overlooking the taxi stand/parking lot ). A tiny place in a strange location, but verypopular and excellent food. Famous green pasta, Indonesian gado-gado, andhomemade frozen yogurt, apple pie or chocolate cake for dessert.

• The Welcome Center , (about a 10-15 minute walk towards Haridwar from theShivanand Jhula bridge), Hidden down off the road (but signposted), this is a littleoasis of calm from the busy street. Great Ayurvedic food and teas. They alsooffer cooking classes, several types of yoga, etc. and sell natural incense, netipots, yoga mats and the like. If you like the atmosphere, enquire about stayinghere as well.



• Shiva-resort, a nice place away from the bustling market of Ram-Jhula towardsNeelkanth road in Jonk village the best place to have organic food and you alsocan stay there in a silent and pleasant place.

• Chotiwala in Swarg Ashram claims to be the original, and serves up great Indian

food including 5 different thalis. Meals Rs 40-80.

• Ganga Ayurvedic Food Place, (out beyond most of the ashrams, just past VEDNiketan Ashram). Delicious food, lovingly prepared. One of the cleaner kitchensaround, don't be afraid of the good salads. Also great for breakfast.

• Little Italy, Swarg Ashram, (in the Green Hotel ). Good pasta, pizza, etc. Mainsfrom Rs 30.

• The Office. Has amazing sweet samosas filled with mango, apple, bananaand/or chocolate.

• Red Night Restaurant, Open air, river facing restaurant and terrace. 0135-2440094

Drink:

• Sitting around in dhabas and cafes is nearly mandatory here. In addition to theold standards like masala chai and lassis you can find a nice range of Ayurvedic teas. Some restaurants make up their own tonics to treat anythingthat may be ailing you.

•

Alcohol is banned and inappropriate, as Rishikesh is a holy city.

tourist attractions in rishikesh

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