RISHIKESH: FUSION OF SACRED TOWN AND AN ADVENTURE CITY

Written by Nikita Chandola.

I never planned to visit Rishikesh, but thanks to my family who came up with this unexpected thought to spend a weekend in Rishikesh. The feeling to discover your home state is priceless which I don’t think it can be explained in words. Rishikesh the holy and yoga capital of India is one of the serene places of Uttarakhand.

I was happy to explore one of the beautiful places of Uttarakhand, felt mesmerized and worth living those moments with my family. Rishikesh has its own magic and with its weather swings, it made my day, in fact, my weekend. Not only the pleasant weather made me feel most alive, but the places I explored and most importantly the adventures I did were inexplicable.

Day1

Rishikesh has everything I thought or not it to be and when I visited Neer Garh Waterfall, it made me happy and excited to another level. The water flowing from the mountains is cold and clear. We trekked for 1.3km (resting in between all the way), I felt bliss and lucky to see such magnificent creation of nature. Vashisht Ashram the most tranquil place of Rishikesh was our next stop. You can meditate inside the cave and can find your own peace there.

Near Vashisht Ashram, Ganga river

In the evening, we visited Laxman Jhulla which was 1km away from our hotel. It’s a pillar-less bridge which I was quite excited to see (because of a known place of Rishikesh). Otherwise, it’s an architectural brilliance and proximity to several sacred places. Towards the opposite side, we visited Parmarth Temple for the pleasant evening Ganga aarti. On our way back to the hotel, we decided to kill the winter cold and end our amazing day with a cutting chai.

Parmarth Temple

Day2

On the second day, I woke up in excitement to experience a lot more than the previous day. After having our breakfast, we left our hotel room and drive our way to Mohanchatti, Jumpin Heights which was an hour drive from Rishikesh. It is the highest bungee in India with 83meters of height. They have an excellent crew whose only priority is our safety (they double checked everything before we jump), and motivates you to experience the thrilling 30seconds of your life (yes! It was one of the thrilling & best experiences of my life).

The second adventure was flying fox. It is Asia’s longest flying fox of length 1km (quite rousing? It was). You can do with a partner or alone. I did it with my sister, we were a harness with a wire and released by gravity, roll down to a few meters above sea level and then went up. Finally, we settled down to the lowest point and were pulled back to the platform. It’s altogether a different feeling there in the middle of nature everything around you seems so lively. Ahh! I want to go back and relive those moments and make new ones too.

The last adventure for the trip was River Rafting, OH god! It’s an experience which one should take once in their life. It has 4 different stretches with different length. However, we only did the 9km ones which were for beginners as we were beginners. Today, I know why Rishikesh is called the Adventure capital of India.  It was finally time to wrap-up my memorable trip by visiting one of the tranquil places Triveni Ghat. It is the most famous sacred ghat at the banks of Ganges where tourist takes rituals bath. Ganga Aarti is one other main reason why tourists visit this place. It was a peaceful treat to soul and mind!

Next morning, we left taking all the happy memories and experiences with us for Delhi.

Rishikesh is not only an adventure capital, but it is also a yoga capital. Therefore, the best place to rejuvenate yourself from the daily stressful lives. Next time, for me it will be a weekend to healthy and peaceful living!