Many beautiful places can be referred to as heaven on earth, then why do I suggest Rishikesh being the one?
That is because for me it is one of the most heavenly places that I’ve ever visited. Rishikesh has been my happy place since I was a child, because of the happy memories associated with that place.
The peaceful vibes, beautiful hills, and the clean flowing mother Ganga will make you fall in love with this place. Rishikesh was unknown to the world until an international band Beatles visited to stay at an ashram in the 60s. Since then, this place has become the birthplace of yoga.
Today, people from all over the world visit this auspicious place to learn meditation from the Yoga Gurus. Attending a yoga festival and becoming a yogi are their motivators to visit this place.
Rishikesh is an affordable and incredibly awesome place to visit. And along with these merits, there are plenty of things and activities to do here that don’t involve yoga.
- Trekking: Mountain hikes are a great way to experience this holy place, and when combined with a waterfall, it is an experience for a lifetime. Many activities in Rishikesh involve hiking and tours, but trekking is different.
On your way to the trek, you’ll find some spectacular limestone waterfalls and many natural sights that will bless your soul for life. There are some waterfalls that you need to visit while you’re on your trip to Rishikesh:
- Neer Garh Waterfall
- Patna Waterfall
- Garud Chatti waterfall
2. Bunjee jumping: Rishikesh has the highest bungee jumping spot in India and is worth trying at least once in your life. It is 83 meters over the river Ganga.
Although Rishikesh is much more famous for its rafting services, bungee jumping is also one of the activities that people love to consider when they visit this place.
If you’re planning to visit Rishikesh for your holidays, make sure you have a day for bungee jumping.
3. Rafting: Rafting is another activity that you should experience while you’re in Rishikesh. Since river rafting is the most famous part of Rishikesh, many companies and outlets offer rafting services.
It might be strenuous to filter out which one is better than the other. Moreover, you can choose any rafting service and go ahead with your tour. The prices may vary according to the distance you want to experience rafting.
4. Abandoned Beatles ashram: Beatles, an international music band, came to Rishikesh in the 60s and made this place international fame among many foreign countries. The ashram that they visited and stayed at is now called Beatles Ashram. This ashram is now abandoned, however, it still is worth visiting and experiencing the peaceful aura of this place.
5. Triveni ghat aarti: Rishikesh Aarti is a spectacular way to start your journey to this holy place. Whenever we visit Rishikesh, we make sure that we clear our everyday schedule for Triveni ghat aarti.
The experience of this place is as holy as you can imagine. Once you are a part of this aarti, you’ll be a different person all over. The aarti is performed in a huge area just near the Ganga River where several yogis come together and chant holy bhajans.
All the visitors surround themselves with the area of aarti just in the hope of having a peak look at the aarti.
6. Lakshman Jhula and Ram Jhula: Lakshman Jhula and Ram Jhula are the essences of Rishikesh. Every person who comes here never forgets to experience these two places. Both Lakshman and Ram Jhula requires you to take a trip by foot and wander along the markets and cafes that provide the experience of Rishikesh.
There are many shops across Lakshman and Ram Jhula that you can visit and gather memories of this place. These places are now open till 11 pm. however, earlier they used to operate for 24 hours and you were able to visit them whenever you wanted.
If you want a trekker or tourist-like experience at this place, wander around both Lakshman and Ram Jhula by foot and observe the amazing aura of the place.
Rishikesh is heaven on earth!
The more I’ve visited this place, the more I’ve fallen in love with it. Its aura of spirituality, fun activities, cafes, and ashrams, everything contributes to its beauty, and nature has always blessed this place. It is one of the top places I would suggest anyone visit.