RISHIKESH TRAVEL GUIDE

At a distance of 1.5 km from Rishikesh Railway Station, Raghunath Temple is located near Triveni Ghat in Rishikesh.

Raghunath Temple is dedicated to Lord Ram and his consort Sita. There is also a small holy pond (Kund) known as Rishikund in the temple premises. According to legend, Lord Ram took bath in the tank while he was in exile. This pond is said to have been built by Saint Kubz. It is also believed that Rishikund is the place where River Ganga is joined with Yamuna and Saraswati Rivers. One more interesting thing about this sacred pond is that it always reflects the image of Raghunath Temple.

Timings: 6 AM to 8 PM

At a distance of 4 km from Rishikesh Railway Station and 2 km from Lakshman Jhula, Ram Jhula is an iron suspension bridge over the Ganga River situated at Muni Ki Reti in Rishikesh.

Ram Jhula was constructed in 1986 with the help of Sivananda Ashram. Previously it was also hanging Jute Rope Bridge without any pillars. Though similar in design, this bridge is bigger than Lakshman Jhula. With a length of 750 feet (230 m) it is a pedestrian bridge which is also used for two wheelers.

Ram Jhula connects Sivananda Ashram on the West bank with Swargashram on the East, hence also called as Shivananda Jhula. Most of the famous ashrams are located very close to the Ram Jhula. Sivananda Ashram, Parmarth Niketan, Gita Bhawan, Swargashram, Yog Niketan and many others are located near the Ram Jhula.

Many shops are available on both sides of the bridge that sell precious and semi-precious gems and stones, clothes, etc. Ram Jhula also offers a panoramic view of River Ganga and Rishikesh .....

At a distance of 4 km from Rishikesh Railway Station, Shatrughna temple is an ancient temple situated on the banks of holy river Ganges near Ram Jhula in Rishikesh. The temple is named as Aadi Badrinarayan and Sri Shatrughna Temple. This is one of the two temples that are dedicated to Shatrughna. The other temple is at Paymmal in Thrissur district of Kerala.

This ancient temple is dedicated to Shatrughna, Lord Ram's brother. Shatrughna was the youngest of four sons of Dasharatha, the king of Ayodhya. He was born to the Sumitra, the third wife of the king. The name Shatrughna means destroyer of enemies. He was married to Shrutakeerty, cousin of Sita. Shatrughna killed the great demon Lavanasura, nephew of Ravana.

At a distance of 5 km from Rishikesh Railway Station, Omkarananda Ashram is situated on the foothills of the Himalayas at Muni Ki Reti in Rishikesh. It is located close to Sivananda Ashram.

This ashram was established in 1967 by Gurudev Paranahamsa Omkarananda Saraswati, a saint and philosopher. He received many awards like Mother India Award, Hind Rattan Award and Bharat Nirman Award for his unparalleled work in spirituality, education, scientific and social fields

This ashram is a well-known spiritual place for Iyengar Yoga all through the globe. It houses the prestigious yoga center, Patanjali Yoga Kendra, which specializes in Iyengar yoga. The center offers yoga classes from Monday to Saturday. The ashram houses a school where one can learn classical Indian music and dance. It also has many established Institutions, Schools and Colleges in Rishikesh. The institution carries its activities through Omkarananda Dharma Samsthan, Omkarananda Educational Society and Omkarananda .....

At a distance of 5.5 km from Rishikesh Railway Station, Swargashram is situated on the left bank of Ganga River, opposite to Shivananda Ashram in Rishikesh.

The Swarg Ashram was built in the memory of Swami Vishudhanand, the saint better known as Kali Kamli Wala (the saint with a black blanket) amongst the locals. The area lies amidst forest and hills, with beautiful orchards and free from the pollution of city. The Ashram is maintained by a trust called Kali Kamliwala Kshetra. There are various ashrams, caves, temples inhabited by the saints and rooms that are the residential quarters for students, pilgrims, priests and travellers within the ashram complex. This place is very popular among foreign tourists as well as locals.

The ashram also encompasses different stores, shopping complexes, cafes, parks, libraries, ayurvedic dispensaries, meditation centers, hotels and restaurants. Furthermore, travellers also visit this place for studying ayurvedic medicines and taking yoga .....

At a distance of 6 km from Rishikesh Railway Station, Lakshman Mandir is Hindu Temple located in Tapovan area close to the Lakshman Jhula. This is a renowned temple and one of the ancient shrines situated along the banks of River Ganges in Rishikesh.

This temple is dedicated to Lord Rama's younger brother Lord Lakshman. According to legend, this is the place where Lord Lakshman had meditated to seek spiritual enlightenment. Many believe that Lord Ram and Lakshman constructed a jute bridge here, which was replaced with Iron bridge now popular as Lakshman Jhula.

The temple is known for its ancient sculptures and wall paintings. This temple is surrounded by market, taxi stand, restaurants and other shops.

Timings: 6 AM to 7 PM

At a distance of 6 km from Rishikesh Railway Station and 1 km from Swarg Ashram, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Ashram, also known as Beatles Ashram, is situated on the periphery of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve in Rishikesh. This Ashram was setup by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the inventor of Transcendental Meditation.

The ashram gained prominence in 1968, after the world-famous musical band Beatles stayed here. The Beatles first met Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in London (1967). Later they also attended seminar of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi at Wales. The Beatles were attracted to his meditation and teachings. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi invited them to his ashram in Rishikesh in 1968 for advance learning. Sessions were conducted by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi himself at his ashram. Later Beatles accepted Maharishi Mahesh Yogi as their Guru and became their disciples.

The Ashram was abandoned back in 1997; it has now been taken under the control of the forest department. The interesting part of the ashram was the .....

At a distance of 9 km from Rishikesh Railway Station and 4 km from Lakshman Jhula, Garud Chatti waterfall is situated at Neelkanth road near Rishikesh.

Garud Chatti waterfall is one of the hot spots, mainly among foreign tourists in Rishikesh. The waterfall is small but beautiful. This waterfall is most beautiful during the monsoons when the water flows in seven different levels. It is a pleasant place to visit and to spend a couple hours.

The trek route to Garud Chatti Waterfall starts around 3 km away from Lakshman Jhula on the Neelkanth Mandir Road. The trek starts from a temple dedicated to Garuda. Visitors need to trek for about 1.5 km from here to reach the waterfall.

Phool Chatti waterfall is another waterfall situated at Neelkanth road, about 3 km from Garud Chatti waterfall. This small waterfall can be reached by trekking. Garud Chatti waterfall, Phool Chatti waterfall and Patna waterfall can be covered by hiring a jeep en route to Neelkanth Mahadev Temple .....

At a distance of 13 km from Rishikesh Railway Station and 6.5 km from Lakshman Jhula, Patna Waterfall is located at Patna village on Neelkanth Temple Road in Uttarakhand.

Patna Waterfall is named after the small village where this waterfall is located. This waterfall is also famous for the limestone caves located next to the waterfall. The trek to the waterfall starts 5 km from Lakshman Jhula on Neelkanth temple road. It is a beautiful 1.5 km trek one way from the road through Rajaji Forest. This trek to the waterfall is steep and little hard. The waterfalls would be almost dry in summer season and not advised to visit in summer. There are no sign boards to the waterfall so visitors have to be careful and confirm the route with locals.

At a distance of 15 km from Rishikesh Railway Station, Geeta Bhavan is located at the banks of holy River Ganga in Swargashram, Rishikesh.

Geeta Bhavan is dedicated as a Museum for puranic and mythological awareness. It encloses many paintings and statues of characters from Hindu Mythology. The paintings include the renowned Gita Sandesh depicting Lord Krishna and Arjuna in a Chariot in Kurukshetra War field. The statues and sculptures are very attractive and give detailed information on the Hindu Gods and Goddesses and Hindu culture in the ancient period.

The Gita Bhavan is a large complex, comprising several discourse halls and guest rooms where visitors can stay free of cost. During the summer season, Geeta Bhawan is filled completely with thousands of devotees from different parts of the world visiting Rishikesh to attend Satsang and other meditational programs.

It also has an Ayurvedic department where medicines are prepared using Himalayan herbs. One of the most .....

At a distance of 16 km from Rishikesh, Narendra Nagar is a city and a municipal board in Tehri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand. It is situated on the main Rishikesh-Gangotri-Yamunotri route. The town is situated at an elevation of 1,326 m above sea level.

The present town of Narendra Nagar came into existence in 1919, when Maharaja Narendra Shah of Tehri Garhwal moved his capital from Tehri to the picturesque location of Odathali or Narendra Nagar. The last Maharaja, Manabendra Shah took over the control of Tehri Garhwal in 1946, from Maharaja Narendra Shah. The province was eventually merged with the state of Uttar Pradesh shortly after India gained independence.

This town is famous among the visitors for its mythological and historical importance. According to legend, sage Uddhava is known to have performed severe penance at this spot. Also, Purasara, the founder of astrology, has been known to conduct various experiments .....

At a distance of 8 km from Haridwar, 21 km from Rishikesh & 55 km from Dehradun, Rajaji National Park is a Tiger Reserve situated at the edge of the sprawling Dehradun Valley. The park is spread over an area of 820.42 sq. km. in Dehradun, Haridwar & Pauri Garhwal districts of Uttarakhand.

Motichur Wildlife Sanctuary, which covers about 90 sq. km, was carved out of Dehradun forests in the year 1966. Similarly, Rajaji Wildlife Sanctuary was formed from the Shivalik forests and Chilla Wildlife Sanctuary from the Landsowne forests in 1967 and 1974 respectively. The Rajaji National Park was established by merging these three wildlife sanctuaries and named Rajaji National Park in the year 1983 after the famous freedom fighter and the last Governor-General of India Sri C. Rajagopalachari, popularly known as Rajaji.

The Rajaji National Park is situated along the Shivalik ranges .....

Distance (From Rishikesh Railway Station): 21 Kms
Trip Duration (From Rishikesh Railway Station - Including Travel): 4 Hours/Half Day
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At a distance of 22 km from Rishikesh and 6 km from Shivpuri, Vashishta Gufa or Vashishta Cave is an ancient cave located on Rishikesh - Badrinath road in Uttarakhand.

Vashishta Gufa, situated on the banks of the Ganga River, is a popular place for meditation lovers. This is the cave where great Sage Vashishta said to have meditated. He was also among the seven great sages (Saptarishis) and the guru of Lord Ram. According to Hindu mythology, after the death of his children, Sage Vashishta, he decided to commit suicide in River Ganga, but was refused by Goddess Ganga. Arundhati, Vashishta's wife, liked the location and decided to stay here. Sage Vashishta meditated here for long time in a cave.

It is believed that in the year 1930 Sri Swami Purushottamananda Ji visited this gufa and now his ashram is located close to the Vashishta Gufa, where meditation is practiced. At present, the Swami Purshottamanand Trust manages this cave. The cave is a natural formation of 60 feet deep .....

At a distance of 26.5 km from Rishikesh and 50 km from Haridwar, Neelkanth Mahadev Temple is an ancient Hindu temple situated at an altitude of 1330 m and is located in the Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand. This is one of the popular temples in Uttarakhand state.

Neelkanth Mahadev Temple is one of the most revered holy shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is surrounded by dense forest and is adjacent to the mountain ranges of Nar-Narayan. The temple lies amidst the valleys of Manikoot, Brahmakoot and Vishnukoot and is located at the confluence of the rivers Pankaja and Madhumati.

According to Hindu mythology, this is the place where Lord Shiva consumed the poison Halahala that originated from the sea when Devas and Asuras churned the ocean in order to obtain Amrita. He stopped the poison in throat, due to which his neck turned blue. Thus, Lord Shiva is also known as Neelkanth, literally meaning The Blue Throated One.

The .....

At a distance of 27.5 km from Rishikesh, Kunjapuri Devi Temple is located on a hillock at a distance of 11 km from Narendra Nagar. The temple is situated at an altitude of 1676 m and it is one of the most revered Hindu shrines in Uttarakhand.

Kunjapuri temple is dedicated to Goddess Parvati and is one of the three Siddha Peethas in Tehri district which were established by Jagadguru Shankaracharya. Other two Siddha Peethas in the district are Surkanda Devi and Chandrabadni. Situated on top of a hillock, this temple gives a breathtaking view of the mighty Himalayas and the holy towns of Haridwar and Rishikesh. Snow peaks of Garhwal Himalayas like Swarga Rohini, Gangotri, Banderpunch and Chaukhamba, can also be spotted from this temple.

The Kunjapuri temple receives large number of visitors throughout the year. Dusserah is the main festival celebrated here. The best time for Kunjapuri .....

At a distance of 16 km from Shivpuri and 32 km from Rishikesh Railway Station, Marine Drive River Rafting Camp is located near Byasi and is one of the most adventurous river rafting trips in Rishikesh.

This is a 25 km long rafting stretch starts from Marine drive near Byasi to Lakshman Jhula and takes about 4 hours. Marine Drive rafting package includes camping with all meals, bonfire snacks, rock climbing/rappelling and the 25 km Marine Drive Rafting stretch. The rafting stretch has around 12 rapids most of which can be classified as Grade III and Grade IV. Among these the major ones are the Three Blind Mice, Roller Coaster and the Golf Course rapids. The Marine drive rafting package is one of the most adventurous rafting packages in Rishikesh.

This rafting package includes Marine drive rafting and several fun activities like camping, bonfire, volleyball, cliff jumps, Body surfing, etc. This rafting package is ideal for persons having prior experience in rafting.

Rafting .....

At a distance of 38 km from Rishikesh and 22 km from Shivpuri, Kaudiyala is a small village located on Badrinath Road in Uttarakhand.

Situated at an altitude of 380 m on the banks of River Ganga, Kaudiyala is famous for White Water rafting and it is a beautiful camping site. The 36 km stretch of River Ganges from Kaudiyala till Rishikesh offers some of the world's most fun-filled and challenging Grade III and Grade IV river rapids along with a Grade V rapid. These rapids are termed as difficult, as they feature some serious obstacles to rafters sailing along.

Kaudiyala rafting is especially famous because this stretch includes a Grade V rapid which is the only grade V rapid on the Ganges. Kaudiyala rafting is not recommended to a group of first-time river rafters. The total time taken to complete the expedition is around 8 hours.

The GMVN Tourist and Rafters' Camp offers courses in trekking, rafting and water-skiing. .....

At a distance of 33 km from Mussoorie, 157 km from Chandigarh, 231 km from Delhi, 144 km from Ambala, 225 km from Shimla and 278 km from Nainital, Dehradun is the capital city of Uttarakhand and also the headquarters of Dehradun district. It covers an area of 3088 sq. km and lies at an altitude of 2100 feet. Dehradun is located in Doon Valley in the foothills of Himalayas nestled between two of India's mightiest rivers - the Ganges on the east and the Yamuna on the west. It is one of the wellknown destinations to experience the Tourism in Uttarakhand and also one of the popular 2 day trip near Delhi.

The history of Dehradun city is linked to the stories of Ramayana and Mahabharata. It is believed that after the battle with Ravana, Lord Rama and his brother Laxmana visited this site. Dronacharya, the legendary Royal guru to the Kauravas .....

Distance (From Rishikesh): 42 Kms
Trip Duration (From Rishikesh - Including Travel): Full Day
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