Rishikesh — Where river Ganga heals

I have been to Rishikesh several times in the last 20 years. It was the first destination I went to as a backpack traveller in my teens with my then partner. During my several visits to Rishikesh later, I had explored all the things one associates with ‘traveling to Rishikesh’ as a young traveller — staying near Laxman jhula, attending the arti, getting a massage, rafting, cliff jumping in the river, and eating at the most exquisite cafes while befriending the fellow travelers from all across the world.

In October 2024, I decided to visit Rishikesh as a solo traveler (that’s now my thing) during the Navaratri season, which is marked as the nine days of divine feminine celebration in India right before Dussehra and 20 days prior to Diwali. It is an important time when the country enters a period of celebrations with the advent of autumn, flanked by cool, crisp weather in North India.

This time I had not planned this visit to Rishikesh and all I knew was that I would be staying at the ashram on the banks of River Ganga in the less crowded part of Rishikesh. Thanks to my Vedanta teacher who is the direct disciple of Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati, I got an opportunity to stay at Gurukul — Arsha Vidya Pitham which is situated on the banks of the Ganga river with a beautiful walking trail.

My recommendation is in case you plan to visit Rishikesh for a week-long wellness vacation or a holiday.

1. Always plan your transportation and stay in advance. Being impulsive in that regard can adversely impact the quality of your vacation.

2. If you are coming from Delhi, travel via train, bus, or by road. There are lots of websites that will give you information on how to travel there. If you are driving from Delhi, it is a very convenient route. Just Google Map it!

3. Focus on being restful and slow instead of making a To-Do list.

Here are some ideas to focus on inner well-being while enjoying the essence of Rishikesh.

1. Ayurvedic Massage: I highly recommend researching and going for an authentic basic full-body massage or whatever resonates with your liking. I went for a full-body Abhiyanga at Baba Massage center in Tapovan which has been in business for over 26 years in Rishikesh and my fatigue evaporated in thin air post-massage. There are several massage centres to choose from in Rishikesh.

2. Yoga on Ghat: My favorite activity of the day would be to spread my Yoga mat next to the river ghat and do sun salutations early in the morning. I recommend doing 12 rounds to open up those muscles and mind.

3. Walk in the mornings and evenings: This one was my second favourite thing to do prior to breakfast and post-dinner next to the river.

4. Pic: A sweet couple walking on Janaki Setu Bridge

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5. Check out the cafes: There are all kinds of cafes varying from Indian dhabas to cafes that serve all kinds of international cuisines to cater to international travelers. What stands out is the organic and fresh ingredients used in the food.

6. Spend time in an ashram: I stayed at Arsha Vidya Pitham, a gurukul situated on the banks of the beautiful Ganga river in Rishikesh. Staying in an ashram enables you to push your limits towards living a simple, detoxed, and very disciplined life that can be very rewarding towards a wellness vacation. This particular ashram is a gurukul for ancient Vedanta studies from the lineage of Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati.

7. Attend Ganga Arti: An experience one sees on the ghat of Ganga river belt across towns like Kashi, Haridwar, and Rishikesh. Every evening, there is an orchestrated vedic chanting to add that extra flavour to the auspicious vibrations.

Take it slow, dip your feet in the Ganga River and bathe in it if you can. Don’t do a lot… let the vibrations encapsulate you in your slowness.

My personal experience:

Please note this is my personal experience and can vary for everyone so please take what resonates.

During early mornings and evenings, I ensured to sit close to the river on the ghat with my feet dipped in water and by the end of a few days, it taught me something about the ferocious feminine emotional flow since I was struggling with some inner conflicts regarding my own emotional state. The conflicts arose from a space of asking ‘why’ towards every emotion I felt. And then she (Ganga river) unveiled it to me:

• Let yourself flow,
• Let your quality flow,
• Stay true to what IS in the now, and
• The ferocity of emotions that you feel.
• They are NOT meant to be suppressed but to flow abundantly.
• Let the rest wash their feet in it,
• So they free up to flow, too.

Sitting next to Her is effortlessly meditative. If you think you need to do something to meditate, don’t worry, sit here and let your thoughts evaporate, so you Become meditative

#soulwisehealth #relationshipwithself #spiritualwellness #wellnesstourism #rishikesh You can also read it here.