Rishikesh is the yoga capital of the world, what you need to know before you go. Rishikesh, the extreme spiritual center of India Rishikesh India

Recently returned from India, most of the time I lived in the city of Dehradun, in the north of the country, not far from the Himalayas. I was staying with a friend, a local resident, and during my two weeks we visited many amazing places both in Dehradun and in other cities. There are a lot of impressions, but I would especially like to note a trip to Rishikesh, which is located about 40 kilometers from Dehradun. It was only my idea to go to Rishikesh, after all world capital yoga and all. At the same time, my friend tried to dissuade me from this trip in every possible way, arguing that there was nothing to see there and that the town was generally filthy in order. But, being close to Rishikesh and not going there did not suit me. By that time, I had already settled down a bit in India and decided to go alone. So the price on a city bus is 51 rupees (ruble) one way, it takes about 1 - 1.5 hours to go from Dehradun. During this time, I managed to find out on the Internet that all the main attractions are located in the "old" Rishikesh, so I decided to immediately go there, on foot, the city is not very big.

Upon arrival at the bus station in Rishikesh, I checked the direction on GoogleMaps and walked along the side of the road in the direction I needed. A picture of a terrible garbage dump immediately opened up to my eyes, which lasted throughout my entire journey (about 500m before the turn) to the left of the road. In addition to garbage, there were, swarming, lying around, sleeping a lot of pigs that live here, like dogs we have in Russia, several cows and possibly goats, I didn’t see it in the distance. While I was walking I saw them about a hundred pigs, from the smallest to medium sizes, kept by families.

There was also an incomprehensible building in this garbage dump, one could see "local practitioners." To be honest, in India one of the most acute problems is the pollution of places of residence (habitat) with household waste, it is found everywhere where people live, but in Rishikesh it seemed to me that they outdid all the other cities that I managed to visit.

Having reached the old city and moving along main street up to the eye opens a lot of shops full of advertisements for rafting on the Ganges in inflatable boats (there are most of them) and various extreme entertainments. There are also banners outside the city.

But I want to warn you right away, if you decide to "melt", keep in mind that the extreme may be a little more than you expect.

Even in the city there are enough ads for various types of yoga. The capital, after all.

On the way, I met a bridge across the Ganges, I think Ram Jhula. He did not make any impression on me, bridge and bridge. A lot of people walk through it, they drive cows, ride scooters and bicycles. All this with a bridge width of about 1.7 meters.

Lots of tourists and different countries, including from India). After a few days in Dehradun, it was unusual for me to see so many European faces. I also met a group from Russia.

In general, I went through the city, looking into some back streets, somewhere in an hour or more. Looked at the Ganges from the embankment. Nothing special.

Due to his topographical error, he left the city and went on, believing that the very beauty of the city was yet to come. Along the way, I came across a sign. But then I did not pay due attention to it. Well, another waterfall. After Kempty Fall for Mussoorie, I didn't think anything could surprise me.

An index post and a man in uniform clarified the situation a bit, indicating that the city was over.

Turned around and went back. On the way, a local stopped in a jeep and offered to take me. I asked what interesting things to see in the city. He thought a little and replied that perhaps the most interesting thing is the waterfall, which I did not immediately pay attention to. He asked to be dropped off next to the waterfall, thanked me and went to watch. The ticket costs 30 rupees for foreigners and they still require a passport. Although the ticket office is located somewhere away from the main entrance, and many, in my opinion, simply ignore it.

The ascent to the waterfall on foot took about 40 minutes, with breaks you can walk for an entire hour. In front of the waterfall met macaques, about 10 climbing through the bushes next to the road.

The waterfall itself turned out to be nothing like that.

Plus, there are many many different monkeys that can be seen eating food brought by tourists and garbage.

Before starting to descend back into the city, I decided to check where the road leads from the waterfall. She was barely noticeable and went high into the mountains. I went up for a long time. The view offered beautiful views of the city and the Ganges from above.

At the top, a small village was waiting for me and a couple of tractors were building a road. After passing the village, I decided to go back, because. my legs are already starting to hurt. I was picked up by a local resident on a moped, offering to go down together. On the way, telling that there is really nothing to see in the city. This city is more for various pilgrims, yoga practitioners and lovers of "expand consciousness".

He drove me to the embankment, where I took a short walk and went back to the station.

At the station, Rishikesh put the last point in our acquaintance with him. Every bus to Dehradun filled up in no time (seats). The locals started running to the new bus while it was still driving to the stopping place and crammed it in instantly.

I decided to wait for the next bus and witness a disgusting picture. One local resident became restless, evident from the local food, and since it is dangerous to get off the bus - he can leave at any moment or the place will be taken, she began to relieve her stomach right from the bus window in the middle of the bus station in several visits. The bus left, and a pig ran up to the puddle and let's eat the whole thing.))) I licked everything.

This is the face Rishikesh showed me. I do not argue that there are probably many high-quality yoga schools and opportunities to enlighten and rise, but there are also nasty things. For tourism, in my opinion, the city is of no value. In India, you can find places much grander and more beautiful.

Welcome to the yoga capital of the world and a stopover on the way to the Himalayas. Find out what impressions remained from his visit.

Where is

In the valley, the waters of the Ganges are colored with gray-yellow tones. They flow into the Bay of Bengal as a turbid mass, which has absorbed the dust of the sultry semi-deserts, the factory wastes of the industrial regions lying near the riverbed, and the ashes of the people buried in it. But at its source, in the Himalayas, the Ganges glows with a heavenly blue.

The beginning of the path to the mountains

The slopes of the Himalayas are covered with dense impenetrable jungle. They include tigers and deer, monkeys and peacocks, birds, reptiles of various types, sizes, and colors.

Interesting: during a trip to India

For tourists to visit here is not just to be on an excursion. It is not easy to wade through dense thickets along mountain steeps. It seems that you are surrounded by a mysterious desolation. Somewhere in the bushes a beast is hiding, swift deer and deer are flying under the cliff, birds are whistling in every way, covered with dense foliage of trees.

Here the jungle suddenly boiled with movement. Something swayed in the trees, screeched, breaking branches, shaking the trees themselves. This flock of monkeys attacked wild fruit trees. The steps of a man stopped the noise for a moment, but after a moment the same vain, impetuous fuss. Man is not terrible for them. And they are indifferent to him here, in the jungle, being not spoiled by feeding with delicacies.

Tourists along their route rise higher and higher into the mountains, further and further from the road - and suddenly they find themselves in front of a cultivated field and a peasant's house. The region is not as deserted as it seems at first. Having lost sight of each other behind dense thickets, travelers climb even higher and deeper. And again it turned out that the jungle was not abandoned by man. Here, deftly making their way along the rocky steep, two girls, ten or twelve years old, are walking towards them. They herd goats and sheep. And again the field. And again shepherds. Every piece of land in one way or another serves a person here.

Gate of the Himalayas

Where the Ganges leaves the Himalayas and breaks into the valley, where its waters are still pure and transparent, a small ancient city Rishikesh, which in translation means "abode of saints." This is another city deeply revered by the Hindus, to which an endless stream of pilgrims also flows, believing that the waters of the Ganges are especially miraculous here.

Once upon a time, a traveler had to walk here from Hardwar through dense jungles teeming with predatory animals and reptiles. Clouds of mosquitoes carrying terrible malaria also frightened those who intended to visit the "abode of the saints"; those who set out on the journey were warned in Hardwar that only a person with pure thoughts could safely reach Rishikesh.

Now, although the jungle has been preserved, although there are different animals in them, a wide paved road has been laid to the city and further into the mountains, and the one who sets off on a journey will go - and for walking, as the Hindus believe, sins are redeemed more reliably - not alone, not afraid of the inhabitants of the jungle. He will now and then be overtaken by cars or peasant carts.

Near the city there has long been a leper colony - a colony of lepers. Incomprehensible in ancient times, the disease - leprosy terrified people. From some, it was transmitted through the air, when the speaker could splash saliva on a healthy one; others were completely safe for others. But they tried to isolate them all from society, to drive them to the leper colony, where they were doomed to a slow, hard death.

Near the city, the leper colony is not the kind where the sick live without communicating with the healthy. The lepers created their town for compassionate pilgrims who see in giving alms one more chance to atone for their sins before the gods.

Experts say that only one in four is contagious. But try to guess if an infectious or harmless patient touched your hand.

Here, the rishis - "saints" created one of the main centers of yogis, turned into a fashionable place for people who are fond of yogism, especially its mystical side, which predetermines self-contemplation, the detachment of a person from earthly vanities in thoughts about himself. Millionaires, movie stars, Indian and Western came here.

As in other places, all sorts of “saints” prospered on the sacred waters of the Hindu Ganges: rishis, sadhus, swamis. They lived in clover, and even now the Brahmins live well - clergymen and owners of small hotels. However, even here it breathes a fresh stream.

Here is Virdbhadra, located six kilometers from the city. Pointing to the town that has recently grown here, the Indian guide says:

Look here. Near the center of a terrible disease, a source of health appeared - an antibiotic factory.

Tourists see a vast town: factory buildings, modern houses, wide comfortable roads. And once upon a time there was an impenetrable jungle on this land. The clean air of the foothills of the Himalayas, the abundance of unpolluted Ganges water made this place the most convenient for the production of medicines that require a special natural regime.

I think a lot of people go to India to find themselves. And we are no exception. Traveling for us has long ceased to be just moving from point A to point B. We are trying to understand the religion and spiritual customs of a single state and gain some experience from this. Everyone knows that India and yoga are connected by a thousand-year history, so going to India and not trying yoga there would be at least strange. The yoga seminar became one of the main goals of the trip, perhaps even one of the reasons for the trip to India. For spiritual enlightenment, we went to the world capital of yoga in the foothills of the Himalayas - the city of Rishikesh. The name of the city comes from the word "rishi" ("sage"). Even The Beatles were looking for enlightenment there, so from Varanasi we went straight there.

Road to Rishikesh

Our path lay through Delhi, since there are no direct trains from Varanasi to Rishikesh. We got to Delhi and boarded a bus that shook us for eight hours. By the way, the bus was very tolerable and cost only 300 rupees. We arrived in Rishikesh already closer to night, and when we got off the bus, a whole crowd of rickshaws attacked us. They almost fought with each other, poking fingers at us and deciding who would get a wealthy client. As you already know, rickshaws build their joint business with the owners of guesthouses, and since last time we got a very good guest house (despite the fact that we were almost cheated in it), we decided not to waste time and immediately ask the rickshaw to take us to good guesthouse.

Guesthouse

After the usual bidding process, we finally settled. After 12 hours on the train and eight more on the bus, of course, I wanted to take a shower and go to bed, but then an unpleasant surprise awaited us: in place of the shower there was a bucket with a ladle and a tap with a barely warm thin stream of water. It was then that we felt that we had got to the north, because it was very cold in the room: from all the cracks (and there are no houses without cracks in India) the wind was blowing, it was impossible to step on the stone floor barefoot, and a simple trip to the shower turned out to be torment. I won't tell you how difficult it was in the following days to get out of the sleeping bag in the morning.

But the next day, in the morning, our yoga instructor Dima, whom we met back in Varanasi, came running to us and joyfully informed us that he had found us nearby perfect place for the seminar. Of course, this place was the ashram.

What is an ashram?

An ashram in India is something like a house or a temple in which a woman lives, who heads it, his followers, spiritual successors and just workers. In a classic Indian ashram, people engage in spiritual practices and receive knowledge from a guru.

Ashrams have become popular with tourists since the arrival of The Beatles 48 years ago. The main baba, or guruji, conveys to followers the spiritual knowledge that he himself received from his guru and uses it in everyday life. Our ashram, where we spent 20 days, is called Wishwa Chetan Ashram, or Ashram of Universal Vibrations. Ashram is close to suspension bridge Lakshman Jhul, thrown across the Ganges, and if you cannot offer your services to the ashram for free accommodation (cooking, cleaning), then you can pay for the room and dine for donations, as we did.

We took things from the guesthouse and came to the ashram. First, we met Guruji, or chief guru Dayanand, who turned out to be a very charismatic Hindu. The first days we, of course, had a lot of questions, because we were in such a place for the first time and did not understand at all what was happening. In the evenings we sat by the fire and asked the guru about everything. It turned out that Guruji has a spiritual successor and assistant, whom we jokingly called "little babaji", he lives with the guru all his life since childhood, learns spirituality from him and helps in everything. At the same time, he also has his assistants, because no one has canceled the caste system, and the babajis themselves belong to the highest caste of brahmins. For work in the house there is a lower caste - the Shudras. Consequently, women can command their subordinates as they please.
On the example of the ashram, one can trace the relationship between different castes. So, for example, shudras in the ashram do not use money - they are paid food and housing for their work, and all the money goes to the successor of the guru. The guru himself does not touch money and can only accept gifts. Our gift guru had nothing at all: a sixth iPhone and a chrome motorcycle. Also, brahmins cannot engage in manual labor and eat food prepared outside of their caste. In general, they are doing great.

Pujas

The ashram has a routine, it is based on pujas. Puja is a ritual, a service for which all members of the ashram gather, sing mantras, make ritual offerings (prasad) to the Hindu gods. In the puja hut there is a deity worshiped by the guru, in the center is a hearth, the fire in which should never die out. In our ashram they worshiped the goddess Kali, a terrible goddess of death and destruction with a black face and a pretty bunch of skulls around her neck.

Services are held at 8 am and 6 pm. Tourists do not have to go to them, but the atmosphere there is very mystical and unusual. And, of course, everything is accompanied by a ritual smoking of chillum - pipes with hashish. Hashish is also a shiva prasadam, so smoking cannabis and hashish is a kind of ritual to honor the god Shiva. Often babajis from other ashrams come to pujas and ordinary people who want to ask advice from the guru, or just smoke.

If you live in a simple guesthouse, but want to join the ritual, you can come to any ashram for puja or to the Ram Jhula bridge on Triveni Ghat (stairs leading into the water) and watch the daily fire puja at six o'clock in the evening.

Reality

We stayed in the ashram for almost three weeks, and, of course, we formed our own opinion about this place. So, there are a lot of things behind Indian spirituality that are not written about on Wikipedia. For example, an ashram is often a very profitable business. The ashram lives off the tourists, and it's not just donations for food and room fees. Babaji has a lot of acquaintances who are ready to issue you tickets for a train, a jeep to the mountains, rafting on the Ganges and much more with their rather big commission for your money. Very often one thing is discussed, but in reality, as usual, a larger amount comes out. It is quite obvious that long-term hashish smoking for several hours a day has already become not a gift to Shiva, but a simple habit. Babajis treat their servants very rudely and hostilely. And, according to rumors, in terms of carnal renunciation, sadhus are not as pure as they themselves claim.
In general, I am well aware that each ashram has its own rules and principles, and that maybe we are in such a place. But, as one of the laws of the universe says, every person on your way is a teacher, and I believe that we got to these people for a reason.

Yoga Seminar

In early January, we started a 12-day workshop. Practice was twice a day, in the morning and before sunset. During the day we went to the Ganges and learned to meditate. The hardest part was doing it in the morning. From midnight to about nine in the morning, a very strong wind walks along the Ganges, and the windows of our room just went to the leeward side, so by morning it became very cold in the room. At night in Rishikesh, it is about 5-7 degrees Celsius, and in the houses, as I said, stone floors are everywhere and there is no normal shower. Moreover, in the morning there was no hot water at all. Therefore, the seminar became a kind of strength test. In the morning we practiced in down jackets and hats, and only by the end of the lesson the sun peeked out from behind the mountains.

If you decide to go to Rishikesh and find a yoga instructor there on your own, then you will definitely succeed. Announcements about classes, various practices and meditations in Rishikesh at every step. You can even buy a rug right in the city. By the way, in Rishikesh I learned how to do the coveted bakasana (crane pose), which I didn’t want to do at home.

Remember, in the last post I told you how I got poisoned for the first and only time in India? I still don’t know if this was the reason, but I decided to take a swim. Yes, in the Ganges. In this terrible "hotbed of infection." And I decided to do it symbolically on January 1st. The very idea that someone can bathe in the Ganges, and even call it a sacred act, has always horrified me. Everyone remembers terrible pictures with corpses floating in the waters of the sacred river. When our yoga teacher dived in Varanasi with his head into the muddy water, my eyes became cloudy as well. But I was literally drawn into the water, besides, everyone convinced me that Rishikesh stands almost at the source of the Ganges and the water in it is crystal clear. Moreover, it is believed that the waters of the sacred river wash away all sins and purify you. It is necessary to plunge headlong into the river five times: for yourself, for mom, for dad, for the teacher and for the whole world. But it was scary. Scary and interesting at the same time. And I thought: when, if not now? I ended up dipping it once. For myself, apparently. I didn’t have enough for more, because it’s cold, damn it! I have never swum in an ice hole in winter, but it seems to me that the sensations are somewhat similar. And either I really took a sip of sacred water while I was diving, or it’s all true and the river began to cleanse me, but the next day I fell ill. Then there were three terrible days with everything that came with it.

Rishikesh

In general, Rishikesh is a cool city. It has a lot of cafes, foreigners, yogis, ashrams and monkeys. The latter, perhaps, made the strongest impression on us. And we are not talking about those very red gopnik monkeys who inspire sacred horror at tourists crossing the Lakshman Jhula bridge. I'm talking about langurs. The gray langur hanuman is the prototype of the Hindu monkey god Hanuman. Langurs are very revered in India. We met them while walking around the city. We met these monkeys more than once later, but in Rishikesh the langurs were the most friendly and polite and allowed themselves to be touched. We were impressed by the fact that wild animals can live in such close proximity to people and not be afraid of them at all. Although, they say, people themselves are afraid of monkeys, because sometimes they arrange all sorts of outrages.

Well, by tradition, I’ll tell you about the establishments where we managed to taste decent food at reasonable prices.

Our favorite throughout our stay in Rishikesh was the Petit Momo cafe, which serves momos - Nepalese dumplings with different fillings (cheese, vegetables, potatoes) seasoned with spicy sauce. In general, momo is a very popular food in the north of the country. The average cost of a portion of momos is 90 rupees, noodles (divine, I tell you) - 50 rupees, and there is also very tasty coffee.

The northern city of India, attracting pilgrims, yogis and wanderers seeking wisdom. In the land of vegetarianism and ashrams, travelers rest before conquering the Himalayas or comprehend the essence of the universe under the guidance of gray-bearded gurus. Whatever your purpose of visiting Rishikesh, you will not be disappointed. I would like to return there for the atmosphere of calmness and harmony of everything around.

Rishikesh is considered the yoga capital of the world, it is also called the "gateway of the Himalayas". The city is located on the banks of the sacred Ganges. For Hindus, this is one of the most revered cities in the country, and for travelers, it is an opportunity to touch Indian wisdom from real (and not so) teachers.

One of the main attractions of the city is the famous ashram of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, where the Beatles meditated in the 60s. I really enjoyed exploring the abandoned buildings and meditation halls, the energy of this place has been preserved to this day. In addition to spiritual practices, Rishikesh is rich in vibrant nature, amazing mountain scenery, mild climate and colorful characters that you can meet while walking along the streets. Although I didn’t decide on a full-fledged trekking, long hiking the surroundings of Rishikesh left me with amazing memories!

How to get there

Rishikesh on the map of India is located in the north of the country in the state of Uttarakhand, 227 km from the capital. The nearest major transport hub is Haridwar, 25 km from the city, it can become an intermediate point in your route if there are no direct transfer options.

Buses do not carry from the Russian Federation to India, at least this option is not well known.

By car

In each agency selling tickets for trains or buses, you will be offered a VIP option to get to Rishikesh - rent a car with a driver (simply, a taxi). If you are traveling with a group of 3-4 people and do not have the goal of saving hard, a car will be a great option. Prices can vary markedly.

How and where can I order a car:

• On the same site with buses, there are options to take an air-conditioned Toyota Innova for 5 people. The cost will be $ 10 per passenger (700 rupees), that is, $ 50 will have to be paid for the entire car. This is the most inexpensive option.
• An agency in the Main Bazaar or any other will offer you options from $85 for a passenger car and $100 for a large and comfortable one.
• The most expensive option is to take a taxi at Delhi Airport. At the pre-paid taxi counter, you will be offered transport to Rishikesh for more than $100. Such a trip justifies itself if you are traveling directly without a stop in Delhi. After the plane, shaking on the train or bus is not the most pleasant option. A taxi will allow you to get from the airport directly to your hotel in Rishikesh.

When traveling by car, consider the likelihood of traffic jams - in the daytime it is much higher. In a good scenario, you can get to Rishikesh in 6 hours, but if you get stuck in traffic, you will lose a few.

You can rent a car without a driver, for example. There are several car rental companies in Delhi. Transport will be issued to you subject to:

• Possession of an international driving license.
• Age from 23 years old.
• Pledge.
• Driving experience from 1 year.

I cannot recommend hiring a car for a trip to Rishikesh as I don't see much point in doing so. It is not cheap ($80-100 per day), traffic on Indian roads is unpredictable, it can be very difficult for an inexperienced driver. In addition, it is most likely that a car taken in Delhi will also have to be returned to Delhi.

Clue:

Rishikesh - time is now

Hour difference:

Moscow - 2:30

Kazan - 2:30

Samara − 1:30

Yekaterinburg - 0:30

Novosibirsk 1:30

Vladivostok 4:30

When is the season. When is the best time to go

The weather and climate of Rishikesh is not much different from the rest of northern India. There is a dry season and a rainy season. From November to February, severe winter reigns in the north. During the day, the comfortable temperature is up to +20 °C, but at night it can get colder to 0 °C. In houses without heating, such differences are felt very sharply.

If you are traveling in India with a good supply of warm clothes and are not afraid to freeze, this will be a great time for active walks and admiring snowy peaks mountains The coldest months are December and January, from February the sun begins to bake, the temperature rises. There are not too many tourists during this period, the prices for everything are moderate, locals slowly preparing for the influx of travelers.

From March to June in Rishikesh the peak of tourism. Moreover, by the end of this period, it subsides, because May - June are quite hot in these places. Temperature during the day +25–30 °C, at night +20–25 °C. Rains are likely only by June, the rest of the time is warm and comfortable. Tourists arrive, ashrams and yoga schools are filled with students. Of course, prices rise during this period.

The rainy season starts in July and goes until September. During the day the temperature is about +30 °C, and at night about +20 °C. The rains can start and end earlier or later, sometimes in September it is already dry and comfortable, and sometimes it pours all month. In any case, there are very few tourists at this time, cafes and shops are closed.

From September to November, dry and warm weather again attracts travelers. There is no particular heat, it is still warm at night.

Rishikesh - monthly weather

Clue:

Rishikesh - monthly weather

Districts. Where is the best place to live

In Rishikesh itself (in its central part) there is nothing for a tourist to do! This is an ordinary small Indian town, nothing remarkable. All life boils a couple of kilometers from the center. The main landmarks and main sights of the city are the hanging bridges Lakshman-jula and Ram-jula, it is in these two areas that all the most interesting for the traveler is located.

Here you can find many guesthouses for every taste. Lakshman jula is considered a more peaceful place, suitable for a peaceful holiday. Near the Ram-jula bridge is the Swarg Ashram area, it is more densely populated and bustling. There are about two kilometers between the two districts (and bridges). Pedestrian bridges connect the two banks of the Ganges, they cannot be driven by car: they are too narrow for this. All tourist infrastructure is located on east coast Ganges. Bridges have long become a symbol and the most recognizable part of Rishikesh. The main ashrams and yoga schools are located here. Therefore, I would advise you to take a rickshaw or take a walk to this area and look for yourself a room on the spot.

Prices for hotels in Rishikesh will not hit your pocket. The cheapest room with a minimum of amenities can be found for $ 3 (200 rupees). If you want a more decent option, cook $ 8 in (500 rupees), in this room there will be hot water. And for $ 12 (800 rupees) you will be offered a large room with air conditioning. You can check hotel prices from different sites, but I usually book on. If you want to plunge headlong into the local flavor, you can look at the options for renting private apartments.

Choosing a guesthouse in the area of ​​bridges, you can become the happy owner of a room with a huge balcony or veranda overlooking the Ganges. Many hotels have their own restaurants on the rooftops.

Ashrams

Many come to Rishikesh to live and serve in the ashram. In the minds of most tourists (not without the help of Julia Roberts and Eat, Pray, Love) a certain image of the ashram has developed - a kind of monastery with its own strict rules, where students live for free, comprehend wisdom from their guru and pay for it with physical labor. There really are such, but they are a minority, and getting there is not easy without a prior invitation.

Most ashrams operate as guesthouses with yoga and meditation included. The cost of living in such places is $ 7–10 (400–700 rupees) per day.

It is not difficult to find an ashram in Rishikesh, they are at every step: multi-storey buildings with their own territory or broken plywood huts. Everywhere you will be offered an experienced teacher and yoga courses.

The brightest and most beautiful ashram in the city is Parmat Niketan, which has its own flowering garden and a descent to the Ganges. In the evenings, aarti is held here - a religious ceremony during which small lighted oil lamps are lowered into the water. In summer, the ceremony takes place from 6 to 7 pm, in winter - from 5.30 to 6.30 pm. You can find yoga course schedules and apply here.

Nearby is one of the largest ashrams in Rishikesh, Ved Niketan, where you can rent a very modest room for $ 2-4 (130-260 rupees) per day. Keep in mind that living in the ashram imposes many restrictions and rules: there is a curfew almost everywhere, alcohol, cigarettes, drugs are prohibited on the territory of the ashram, unmarried couples are not allowed to share a room and much more. The price includes morning yoga classes and lectures. Meals in the local canteen are paid separately, but they are cheap (a set lunch is about $ 1). It also organizes various yoga courses, after which you can get a certificate of a teacher. These two ashrams are located on the east bank of the Ganges in its tourist part.

There are also a couple of large ashrams on the west bank. One of them is Yoga Niketan. You can apply for a yoga course here. The cost of daily accommodation with meals, lessons and lectures is $15. Clean rooms with hot water and air conditioning. Minimum time stay in the ashram - 3 days.

The second ashram - Shavananda (Shivananda Ashram) is famous for its founder and one of the most revered teachers of Rishikesh, Swami Sivananda. Getting to the ashram is not easy: you need to write a letter to the head and explain your desire to study in this particular place. So you can get an invitation to free accommodation and training. There are also paid courses of various kinds.

To study yoga, it is not necessary to live in the ashram itself - its doors are open to everyone.

What are the prices for holidays

Rishikesh, like most cities in India with rare exceptions, is a paradise for budget travelers. Even at the height of the season, you can modestly relax here. Where does most of the vacation budget go? Delicacies in restaurants, alcohol, parties and excursions. There is simply no such thing in Rishikesh! Vegetarian food cannot be expensive, accommodation here is also cheap, excursions can be organized independently.

Housing

The cost of housing depends on the season. Let's look at average prices. We rented an excellent room in a guesthouse overlooking the Ganges in high season (April) for $9 (600 rupees) for two. We did not need air conditioning, the room was simple, but clean and comfortable.

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Rishikesh is also known as the gate of the Himalayas and is located 25 km from another Hindu holy city - Haridwar, being the starting point to the oldest mountain pilgrimage settlements such as Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri.

An hour and a half drive from Dehradun, Rishikesh is surrounded on three sides by hilly foothills and lies at an altitude of 356 meters above sea level. The sacred river Ganga flows through the city, and along its mica sandy shores there are numerous ashrams. In fact, here the river leaves the mountain gorges and begins its full-flowing movement along the plain.

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