Rishikesh
Rishikesh is just 24 Kms from Haridwar. Located in the laps of lower Himalayas, this place is considered to be the access point of three other pilgrim places of Badrinath - Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri the four great places which combine to make Chardham . Rishikesh is surrounded by scenic beauty of the hills on three sides with Holy Ganga flowing through it. The entire area falls on the Garhwal region of Northern India.Rishikesh is famous for its yoga sessions that are taught here by many yoga experts. Besides the sadhus and saints, a mass of Indian tourists and Foreign tourist also visits this place every year to have a look at this much heard about place. Rishikesh also makes some of the most popular adventure sport destinations of India. River rafting, trekking, rock climbing, hiking etc are some of the activities one can easily opt for here.
Orientation Rishikesh
There are three main sections of Rishikesh. There is the downtown area, which is where the bus station, the railway station and several hotels and restaurants are located. The two other areas of town—Swag Ashram (also called Rama or Sivananda Jhula, 1km north), which is located on the eastern side of the Ganges, and Laksman Jhula (2km north)—are much more peaceful and are where most long-term Westerners stay. Most of the religious spots are along the banks of the Ganges between the main area of town and Laksman Jhula.
Information
There is a Uttaranchal Tourist Office (243-0209) on Railway Station Rd. Open Mon to Sat 10 am to 5 pm.
Money
The State Bank of India (243-0114), Railway Station Rd, near the Inderlok Hotel, changes most major travelers cheques. The Bank of Baroda, Dehra Dun Rd, near the Yatra bus stand, changes most travelers cheques.
Shopping
The area has many emporiums selling Rudraksh Malas, Navratna Mala, and silver Jwellery. Most Ashrams boast their own ayurvedic pharmacies which sell various cures and restoratives made from herbs collected from Himalayas.
Places To See Rishikesh
1. Lakshman Jhula
This suspended bridge running from one bank of Ganga to other is the landmark of the city. It was built in 1939. The legend behind it states that Lakshman crossed a bridge made of jute ropes here on river Ganga. The view from the bridge itself is panoramic. The mountains covered in green belt, the waters flowing below, a cool breeze, all these together make Lakshman Jhula a great place to visit. You can also feed the fish in the river below from the bridge itself, the fish gather at the place where people drop food for them. To take a better view of the Jhula, one can take a boat ride in the river below, the scene with Lakshman Jhula in the foreground and green mountains in the background make a picturesque view and you can also feed the fish while you are in the boat. Ram Jhula, a similar structure to Lakshman Jhula is a more recent addition to the city.
2. Triveni Ghat 
It is the main bathing ghat in Rishikesh where every morning several devotees take a dip in the holy waters of Ganga. The Ghat is so named because it is believed that this is the place of confluence of three holiest Hindu rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Sarswati. This is the place where River Ganga takes a complete right angle turn. The most enchanting experience here is that of the evening aarti. Scores of devotees stand on the steps of the ghat at this time. The priests perform the rituals, the golden flames come out of large pure ghee lamps (being rotated in set circular motions), vedic chants fill the air in praise of goddess of River Ganga and the conchs in the temples on the Ghat fill the air with their sound. The spiritualness in the air mesmerises one beyond expression and no matter what religion the people on the ghat belong to, their soul cannot remain untouched by this. What follows is even more spectacular. Turning the waters into golden, people float leaf boats into the river with flowers and lamps burning in them.
3. Bharat Temple
This is the oldest temple in Rishikesh built by Adiguru Shankaracharya in 12th century. Dedicated to Bharat, younger brother of Lord Ram, it is situated in the old town near Triveni Ghat. Details about temple are available in ancient records of Kearkhand. The original temple was destroyed by Tamur during his invasion in 1398. However, many important things are well preserved till date here. In the inner sanctum there is an idol of Lord Vishnu carved out of a single Saligram (the divine stone of Mahavishnu). There is also a Shriyantra placed on the canopy above that was places here by Adi Shankaracharya. Recent excavations have revealed more about the rich history of the temple. Old statues, coins, pots and other things have been discovered from the premises of the temple.
