Blessed Cottage

No shoes in a temple

by shobhanaj

Be sure to remove your shoes before entering any temple. Shoes are considered dirty as we walk with them everywhere. Also many temples do not allow leather in any form (belts, wallets, watch straps, shoes, bags, etc.). So check before entering.

Haridwar's temples

by shobhanaj

Haridwar has many temples and one can get quite tired looking at them after a point. They all begin to look the same after a point. But if one looks hard one understands the deep religious and cultural conditions of this beautiful country. Each god has a special place - of course some are more favoured than others.

Parmarth Niketan

by RAJASTHANBYCAR

One of the most renowned temple complex and ashram in the area . Known for its substantial work on Hinduism, three is a school run on tradtional Indian Patterns. The ashram organizes excellent Ganga Arti and Hawan on the Parmarth Ghat every evening.

Take a holy dip in the Ganges, with reputed healing powers.
Check into an Ashram to study yoga, meditation and Hindu philosophy.
Watch a beautiful evening Ganga Arti at Parmarth Niketan

RISHIKESH- YOGA CAPITAL OF THE WORLD

by shwetamistry

"RISHIKESH - HIS HOLINESS"

This is the place i would love to call my second HOME. Full of positive vibes and energy, Rishikesh makes a great place to visit for all. For us (My husband and I) it was trip downwards Mussorie - Dehradun - Rishikesh. We travelled by bus which was not luxury, not even close to being a regular one (in common Indian terms it is called KHATARA, which means rusted and in bad shape). What took away our attention from the bus was the sight enroute - green forest and the beautiful skies. We actually saw peacocks crossing the road. As we approached Rishikesh, there was a certain vibe as if the place was pulling us to itself. We reach the place and were at peace with ourselves. It felt like we've achieved something divine. The evening aarti at the Triveni Ghat (a confluence of three holy important Rivers the Ganges, the Yamuna and the Saraswati, is a most revered sacred bathing spot in Rishikesh)is breathtaking. It is fascinating to see so many pilgrims come together. The chants and bhajans connect your spiritual self to the almighty. If this is not magic, then what is?

"FOOD IN RISHIKESH"

Rishikesh - the land of the sages explains that the town is vegetarian. Eating non-veg is a no no. We ate one of the best pancakes with nutella, lasagne and pizzas here. The yak cheese.......yummy. Quite a gastronomical treat this place.

For those who prefer Indian food, there are a lot of options. Eat at the roadside restaurants and be assured that the food will be delicious, a little heavy on the oil though. You will also find places which serve Rajasthani food as well.

A local favourite food joint is Chotiwale Baba - try the food, its alright but.

"WHERE TO STAY - PLACES OF INTEREST"

accommodation is not difficult afterall we showed up here unplanned and could easily find ourselves a nice hotel next to Laxman Jhula. What was amazing was listening to the running river water in the early morning and enjoying the sight of the rising moon in the night while still listening to the running water. An absolute treat to the eyes and your innerself. This is not a place, one comes to party. This is a place where one finds peace with oneself and goes back home with pleasant memories and a promise to return.

Transportation is not steep but be ready to share the VIKRAM (yeah thats what they call rickshaws in Rishikesh) with strangers.

Visit the Ram Jhula, the market area for some gem stones purchase. You will come across many silver shops, a treat for those who love to indulge in shopping, tibetan shops for stoles, caps etc

Make sure that you go river rafting as well. One can see as many yogis around

Peace in my mind

by marinka_malinka

Once early in the morning i went to the river bank of the holly river Gang.
I was amaised by the all what people do there... How they perform all their rituals...

Some people say that if you keep a botte of water from Ganga it can stay many years absoltely clear!