Rishikesh - Twenty-four kilometres upstream from Haridwar on the banks of the River Ganges is the holy town of Rishikesh. Literally, Rishi's (holy man) locks, this small town is the point where the holy Ganges crashes down in full glory onto huge boulders and creates long stretches of white sandy beaches. The banks are lined with ashrams, where saints and holy men rest before beginning their arduous pilgrimage up into the snow-covered land of the gods. Rishikesh is part of Hindu philosophy and learning, with several ashrams devoted to the understanding of the faith. Rishikesh acquired prominence in the west when the Beatles visited to meet Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and begin their quest for spiritual salvation. Even today, foreign travellers visit the ashrams to study Hindu philosophy, yoga and Ayurvedic medicine.
Haridwar is an ancient city and important Hindu pilgrimage site in Uttarakhand state, where the River Ganges exits the Himalayan foothills. The largest of several sacred ghats (bathing steps), Har Ki Pauri hosts a nightly Ganga Aarti (river-worshipping ceremony) in which tiny flickering lamps are floated off the steps. Worshipers fill the city during major festivals including the annual Kanwar Mela
Wednesday, October 22. Lucknow to Rishikesh
An early morning flight before 9 am from Lucknow airport to Dehradun, the airport that serves Rishikesh. Our guide came with us to the airport but this seemed slightly stupid to us.. A fairly easy check-in, but then the usual ritual with security with them rejecting David's travel bag. This time because of all the coins in it - what a palaver. But then a fairly decent flight of just 45 minutes on Indigo. On arrival there was no guide to meet us so David went to an ATM and was just about to phone the travel agent when the guy turned up, but no sorry. We then had a 50 minute drive to the hotel with hardly a word said by the guide - just one liners like "this is a forest with Tigers in it". Eventually, we arrived at a wonderful hotel called Kinwani House . This had just six rooms and we were the only clients for the two nights that we were going to be here. It belonged to the son of a Maharaja and have been converted to a hotel just two years ago.
It’s only fault was always seem to be someone hovering around us in case we might need something. After sorting ourselves out, we went down to the lawn and sat reading for a couple of hours before going to the swimming pool where Chris had a cold swim: she had been assured it was 27° but somewhat doubted this but at least her neck allowed her to swim today. Then down to the hotel for high tea which took forever coming and David has convinced me that all we were getting was a pot of tea but eventually a three tier stand arrived with delicious egg sandwiches, banana, and ginger cake, and freshly baked cookies - all delicious but far too much. We then sat on the upper balcony for 90 minutes or so before returning to the room to get ready for dinner. Here we had difficulties agreeing with the staff where to eat . The main option seemed to be a dining room with a table laid up for 12: so we opted to have it in the lounge and this was indeed just on a coffee table but worked very well. We also overcame the problem of obtaining a cocktail and had a very pleasant meal with the cocktail.
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Then back for another early night the neck still hurting a little. Meanwhile during the afternoon David contacted the travel agency and succeeded in obtaining a new guide for the tomorrow but we still had to start at 9:30 and we reckoned that we were going to have at least two hours spare in the afternoon before the ceremony that we were invited to see.
Thursday, October 23. Rishikesh and Haridwar.
We had an 8 am breakfast which took 65 minutes to arrive. But we were still out with the new guide, before 9:30 am. We had breakfasted on the lawn which was very pleasant, but it was a trifle long winded. Danish was a vast improvement on the guide that we have been presented with the previous day. he also had a bright yellow jacket on which warmed him to me! He was 28 and had lived for five years in two different ashrams as a child, having been sent some 300 km away by his parents to an uncle here in Rishikesh at the age of five but the aunt died when he was 10 and he then had five years being looked after by these two ashrams and was very grateful for it and had received a good education all paid for by them .
We drove for an hour through Rishikesh to Haridwar and on to 2 temples beside the river Ganges The first of these was quite an impressive but had a man banging his drum outside it the second was more memorable and had the fire pit where Sati were said to have killed herself when she was not invited to a gathering.
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Then got back in the car before walking for 10 to 15 minutes through covered crowded markets to the cable car which has been built around 1990. We ascended in this and went round a non-impressive, but crowded temple, up at the top of the mountain. Revered as the goddess of snakes who grants wishes, Maa Mansa Devi's temple stands as one of the most ancient and renowned Siddhpeeth sites. Perched atop the Shivalik Hills at a height of over 500 feet, this sacred abode holds great significance for devotees seeking divine blessings and spiritual fulfillment. In returning to the cable car we did get good views of the Ganges down below and the return trip on the cable car was photogenic.
At the bottom we were again in crowded markets and were given a rickshaw ride by a cyclist who had a really hard time of manoeuvring the three of us along and had to just push the bike when there was a slightest incline: I felt I would’ve been safer walking.
To get a larger photo, click on a thumbnail below
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To get a larger photo, click on a thumbnail below
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Eventually, we were reunited with the car and had an hours drive mainly through a forest road which was very curvy to the Beatles ashram just outside Rishikesh. This was a vast complex but completely ruined the ashram having closed in 2001 and the buildings had deteriorated completely, reminding us a bit of Angor Watt but it was all very interesting and we saw photographs of the Beatles there and the actual place where they had lived and the stone pebbled huts, of which there were 100, where guests had also stayed
The Beatles Ashram is close to Rishikesh. It is located on the eastern bank of the Ganges river, in the foothills of the Himalayas. During the 1960s and 1970s, as the International Academy of Meditation, it was the training centre for students of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who devised the Transcendental Meditation technique. The ashram gained international attention between February and April 1968 when the English rock band the Beatles studied meditation there, along with celebrities such as Donovan, Mia Farrow and Mike Love. It was the setting for the band's most productive period as songwriters, where they composed most of the songs for their self-titled double album, also known as the "White Album". The site was abandoned in the 1990s and reverted to the local forestry department in 2003, after which it became a popular visiting place for fans of the Beatles. Although derelict and overrun by jungle, the site was officially opened to the public in December 2015. It is now known as Beatles Ashram and held an exhibition in February 2018 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' arrival in Rishikesh.
To get a larger photo, click on a thumbnail below
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After this we walked along the ghats and entered two other Ashrams, both of which were huge and seemed more like a mini city than what I had imagined an ashram to be. Guests staying there had to abide by the rules of the ashram, and do some voluntary service during their stay. Then we continued along the Ganges until we eventually were offered a ferry to the other side where the blessing the Ganges ceremony was due to start at sunset. We were allocated plastic chairs, as opposed to the steps, a privilege of being a senior citizen. We sat here for 90 minutes and the ceremony eventually started. Meanwhile, there were masses of white river rafting zodiacs passing in front of our eyes, quite a trade for the town: they were still passing 90 minutes later. When the ceremony ended, we found our shoes and then joined a scrum to exit the area: quite frightening as we were pushed down steps as we tried to exit. Then a walk to find the car which had not been allowed down the approach road, but it was quite pleasant to have this walk.
To get a larger photo, click on a thumbnail below
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Back at the hotel by 19.30 we ordered a small supper and went back to eat it at 20.00, finding it was anything other than small but that’s life. We enjoyed the cocktails we had with it very much. Then we ordered breakfast exactly the same as today for 8 am tomorrow morning but asking for it to be served within half an hour and not more than an hour as of this morning.