Serene and divine journey in the foothills of Himalaya and the gateway to the Garhwal.
Again a work-related project landed me in Rishikesh, the city in the Himalayan foothills on the bank of the River Ganges. On this trip, I was aiming to see the famous Parmarth Ashram, cross the River Ganges on a motorboat, walk beside the holy river, and visit the local market apart from sightseeing. My whole trip occurred as per my expectations as I got a good tourist guide cum driver who helped me to complete all plannings that I noted before my trip.
It was a group tour as we all had an ABM in Rishikesh for that year. The tempo traveler was full with my co-workers from the Delhi office and other branch offices from different cities. As it was a long journey of almost 6 to 7 hours so we had stopped twice at roadside food outlets for refreshments and snacks. The tempo driver was finding it difficult to adjust the music as per various choices of my fellow travelers, we all had different likings and demands for songs.
With some amazing music and roadside treats like eating pakoras, masala tea, lassi, etc we finally reached the destination.
About the stay and overview from the resort, evening view, and local cuisine experience.
We all stayed at a riverside resort and experienced an incredible time during the stay. We all checked in there at around 4 pm and had some evening snacks and tea by the poolside restaurant. Then I observed an evening aarti performance on a riverbank just by standing at a corner of the garden area in the resort. Then a dinner party was being organized at a campsite adjacent to the resort. We all were taken to that on our respective vehicles that arrived from different zones and cities. Some wonderful live music performances enlightened the atmosphere. After dinner, we all headed back to the resort.
The next morning I thought of attending a yoga session but wasn't able to do so. Then after a walk in the garden and roaming at the infinity pool area, I returned to my room as I was required to get ready for the meet and presentation. I had a very nice lavish breakfast with a huge variety of items on the buffet.
After one full-day session on the first day, we had a half-day session on the second day. So all of us got some time to explore places in and around Rishikesh. I went to another hotel which was very near to the river and enjoyed some amazing views from their restaurant while enjoying some meals. They also organize meditation workshops and have an Ayurvedic spa.
The next day we had time for a half-day city tour or rafting, so I decided to do a city tour instead. I had planned to visit the Parmarth Ashram, so without any second thought, I started the day with a visit to the famous ashram.
I crossed the river on a motorboat and then had a long walk through narrow streets and markets. I had been guided inside the ashram to see the place. Many visitors came here to see the sunset Ganga aarti on the river bank. That is a divine experience for a lifetime. While returning I picked up 2 jute bags and a few small handmade souvenirs. Also took a walk on Laxman jhula. Walking on the ghat, eating some chana jor garam, was a relaxing moment that will remain refreshed in my mind for a long time.
I had a buffet lunch at the resort and checked out from there. We all returned on that day with lots of good memories and experiences.
Rishikesh is also known as the yoga capital of the world. International yoga festival is being celebrated in the city during March every year. Rishikesh hosts a large number of Indian and international tourists each year. Rishikesh is also very famous for white water rafting and adventure activities such as bungee jumping. The city is only 244 km away from the national capital Delhi, 46 km from Uttarakhand capital Dehradun, and 26 km from Haridwar. Few important places to visit in Rishikesh are Laxman jhula, Ram jhula, Parmarth Niketan Ashram, and evening aarti at Triveni Ghat.
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