Rishikesh

Rishikesh is a town on the Ganges in the Dehradun district of Uttarakhand, where the river leaves the Himalayan foothills for the plains, about 25 km upstream of Haridwar. Rishikesh is one of India's great centres of yoga and meditation, with ashrams and schools lining both banks, and it is the usual starting point for the Char Dham pilgrimage into the Garhwal Himalaya.

Rishikesh has drawn sages and pilgrims for centuries, and the Beatles made it famous abroad when they stayed at Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's ashram in 1968; that ashram, now known as the Beatles Ashram, can be visited inside the Rajaji Tiger Reserve. The town is vegetarian by tradition and alcohol is not sold. The old Lakshman Jhula suspension bridge has been closed since 2019, and a new bridge, Bajrang Setu, has been built beside it, while Ram Jhula still carries foot traffic between the two banks. The International Yoga Festival is held each March, and the river below the town is the main white water rafting stretch in northern India.

What to see

• The evening Ganga aarti at Triveni Ghat and Parmarth Niketan
• Ram Jhula and the new Bajrang Setu bridge
• The Beatles Ashram, with its meditation huts and murals
• Ashrams and yoga schools offering drop-in classes
• Rafting from Shivpuri down to the town
• Neer Garh waterfall, a short walk into the hills

What to wear

Rishikesh is a holy town, so cover shoulders and knees, especially at ghats, temples and ashrams, and remove shoes where asked. Swimwear belongs only on rafting trips. Summers from April to June are hot, the monsoon is very wet, and winter nights are cool, so bring a warm layer from November to February. For rafting wear quick-drying clothes and sandals with straps. Garhwali women traditionally wear a saree with a woollen shawl and silver jewellery; many visitors adopt loose cotton kurtas sold in the markets.

Local food to try

Rishikesh food is vegetarian: aloo puri, kachori, chole bhature and lassi for breakfast, and thalis at the ashrams. The long-running Chotiwala restaurant at Swarg Ashram is a local landmark. Garhwali dishes such as kafuli and mandua roti appear in local restaurants, and the cafes of Tapovan serve organic, vegan and international food for yoga students.

Good to know

• Best time: October to April; rafting runs roughly September to June
• Hours: town open all day; aarti at sunset daily
• Entry: free; the Beatles Ashram and rafting are charged
• Allow 2 to 3 days
• Getting there: about 20 km from Dehradun's Jolly Grant airport and 240 km from Delhi
• Rafting is suspended in the monsoon; use licensed operators

Nearby places

From Rishikesh the road climbs to Kedarnath Temple, about 210 km to the trailhead at Gaurikund. Naini Lake in Kumaon is about 270 km east, and Delhi airport, the usual arrival point from Singapore, is about 240 km south-west.