Rishikesh  

Tourist Points: Almora, Chamoli,Dhanaulti, Kausani, Mussoorie, Nainital & Ranikhet.
Wild Life :  Corbett National Park, Rajaji National Park, Nanda Devi National Park, Govind Wildlife
Sanctuary & National Park.
Pilgrimage:   Haridwar,Rishikesh,Yamunotri,Gangotri,Kedarnath,Badrinath and Hemkund Saheb.
Nature Lovers:   Valley of Flowers.
Adventures Seekers: Skiing & Auli , Water Sports and Trekking.

RISHIKESH :

Rishikesh - surrounded by Shivalik hills of the Himalayas on three sides, the place of sages is the spiritual town on the bank of river Ganga. It is said that when Rishi Raibhya did hard penances, God appeared by the name of Hrishikesh and hendceforth this place came to be known as Rishikesh. It is the base for Char Dham Yatra and gateway to Garhwal Himalayas , Sikh Srine of Hemkund Sahib and Valley of Flowers. The spiritual institutions, like Sivananda Ashram ,Swargashram, Gita Mandir, Parmarth Niketan, Bhaganashram, Kailash Ashram, Mahesh Yogi ashram are located here.

Sight Seeing:
Lakshman Jhoola: The suspension bridge Lakshman Jhoola was built in 1929 to replace a rope bridge, 5km from Rishikesh on the way to Badrinath. Local legends has it that Rama�s brother crossed the river here on a jute rope, and the old Lakshman temple is on the west bank. Now another suspension bridge-Ram Jhoola has been constructed 2km downstream of Lakshman Jhoola between the Sivanand & the Swargashram.

Triveni Ghat: It is believed to be the confluence of Ganga, the Yamuna and the legendary Saraswati river. It is the most important religious spot for rituals. Rivers in India are believed to have great purifying powers, stronger at the source, at their confluence & at the mouth. Triveni Ghat is a scared bathing spot on the bank of river Ganga, where devotees take holy dips and offer prayers. People offers milk to the river and feed the fish. After the sunset, priests set floating lamps on the water of Ganga, a part of Aarti ceremony. This worship ceremony is salutation to the Goddess of the river. Barefooted devotees rest on the steps of the Ghat, bells and gong rings and the chanting of religious hymns fill the air.

Bharat Mandir: Near to the Triveni Ghat is the oldest temple known as Bharat Mandir. The main temple is named after Bharat, Ramas�s loyal brother who meditated here during the Tretayug along with his brother Shatrughan. Two life size statues of the Yaksha & Yashni(demi God & Goddess) were discovered during its renovation possibly dating back to the 2^nd century. The oldest statue here is that of Jain sage, Mahavira.

Neelkanth Mahadev: The temple is located between the hills of Manikoot, Vihnukoot & Brahmakoot. It is situated at an elevation of 1550m towards the eastern side of Rishikesh.The temple is the place where Shiva consumed the poison churned out of the Ocean. It turned his throat blue and hence the name Neelkanth. Two fairs are held every year on Shivratri & Shravan. Pilgrims take Gaga water to offer at the temple.

Parmarth Niketan Ashram: Lies right on the holy banks of mother Ganga, nestled in the lap of lush, towering Himalaya- across the Ram Jhoola suspension bridge stands one of the largest ashram in Rishikesh with over 1000 rooms and abundant beautiful garden . It is the main site and the lead institution for the International Yoga Festival. Revered Yogic experts like Swami Chidanand Saraswati Ji, Ved Bharti Ji, Bharat Bhushan among many others have been guiding force behind the Yoga Festival. The ashram runs schools, hospitals, ecological programmes and disaster relief projects and many religious programmes.Foreigners can stay only with special permission.

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