Rishikesh

Rishikesh is a small town in the northern state of Uttaranchal in India. Popularly adored for its scenic beauty dotted besides the holy Ganges river, Rishikesh is traditionally known as the spiritual and yoga capital of the globe. From the music legends like The Beatles to new age celebrities like Kate Winslet - everyone wants to come down to this city of Yogi's and Temples.

Rishikesh is also the Gateway to the Himalayas - and for us, Himalayas meant 'cool', so off we went.

This small town is the point where the holy Ganges exits the Himalayas. The banks are lined with ashrams, where saints and holy people live, most of them surviving on donations from others. Rishikesh is the lap of Hindu philosophy and learning and signs of religious rituals can be seen all over Rishikesh – in the numerous temples lining the banks of the Ganga and more so in the people that walk the streets everyday.

The small streets are littered with holy men, (sacred) cows, lots of cow sh1t and the odd mix of yoga'd up foreigners. It was very peaceful and different to most other places we have been in India with less hassling, touting and hard sells.. so really a pleasure for us.

Everyday we would walk around through the small lanes taking in the sights and sounds. At all times during the day people would be dunking themselves in the river, cleansing themselves in the holy water and offering flower sacrifices to their ancestors. In the evenings at about 6pm, a slight breeze would blow setting off the temple bells ringing as the sadhus, pilgrims and tourists prepared for the nightly 'ganga aarti' ceremony. You can feel the holy experience and how the beliefs make Rishikesh the holy city that it is. It was an experience and gave us an idea of what Varnassi must be like.

However, for us, it turned out that Rishikesh was hotter than we thought, with temperatures reaching about 34 degrees and the humidity about 80%. So after a few days in this holy city we left for the (higher) Himalayas . . .