One Day in Rishikesh Uttarakhand - Gateway to The Himalayas

Introduction

Hello, my travel tellers today I would like to share my experience of one day in Rishikesh Uttarakhand which is also called as Gateway to the Garhwal Himalayas. It was never planned that I would visit Rishikesh, Uttarakhand but it happened and I had an experience of my life. The peace which was missing from the puzzle of my life I found in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand. Everyone should once visit n their life. So guys, here are some of the facts that amazed me about Rishikesh, Uttarakhand.

So let’s dig into the history a little bit: Ganga Aarti at Triveni Ghat in RishikeshLying by the holy Ganga River, Triveni Ghat (a river bank) is a sacred ghat that is used mainly for bathing by the pilgrims. The most popular attraction of this ghat is the everyday event of event Ganga Aarti where River Goddess Ganga is worshipped on a daily basis. This event is also termed as Maha Aarti. A huge, amazing and memorable affair, this prayer ceremony is attended by a huge number of devotees as well as visitors.

Evening Ganga Aarti in Rishikesh – A Spiritual Experience

Witnessing the spectacle of Ganga evening Aarti is a blissful experience. The melody of ringing bells and the sparkling Ganga river due to the brightly lit lamps culminates to form an unforgettable experience. The enchanted devotees offering their prayers to the holy river adds a lot of exuberance to the whole set up.I recently attended the evening Aarti in Rishikesh and the surreal experience left an everlasting impression on me. There are 3 places in India where the evening Aarti of Ganga is organized; Varanasi, Haridwar & Rishikesh. If you consider the scale of each, Varanasi is considered to be the biggest, attracting the maximum volume of devotees. Haridwar follows Varanasi and evening Ganga Aarti in Rishikesh is considered to be the least crowded event.So, during my visit to Rishikesh, I decided to experience the spiritual event of evening Ganga Aarti. In Rishikesh, the evening Ganga Aarti can be witnessed at Triveni Ghat or Parmarth Niketan Ashram. Triveni Ghat attracts more visitors as compared to Parmarth Niketan Ashram.

If you are staying in the main Rishikesh town you will have to cross the Ganges in order to reach Rishikesh. To reach Parmarth Niketan Ashram, you can either prefer a boat ride at Rs 20 per head or cross Ganga by Ram Jhula (Bridge).We reached Parmarth Niketan Ashram on time and waited for the evening Ganga Aarti to start. As the preparations were in full force, I just sat at the banks, admiring the immense energy the Ganga river possessed. The flow was rapid and it withheld force enough to uproot a mammoth mountain! I couldn’t help but thank nature for Ganga river, an immense source for the well-being of mankind. The sun was finally about to disappear and the evening Ganga Aarti had just started. The Ganga evening Aarti starts at the time of sunset. Depending on the season, the timings can differ. Make sure you reach Parmarth Niketan Ashram around sunset to witness the spectacular event and find a decent place to observe the Arti.

When we reached the Aashram, hundreds of devotees had gathered. As the sun was setting in the backdrop, the atmosphere turned dynamic due to loud chants of spiritual music. The devotees settled comfortably as the evening Aarti started, offering prayers to Ganga river. The atmosphere was electric with spirituality and the exuberance was rampant amidst the attentive devotees. As the prayers ended, the devotees proceeded towards Ganga river to offer prayers and lit a magnificent lamp which would swim in the sacred river. After seeking blessings from the river, devotees peacefully started walking out of the Ashram premises.

We also offered our prayers and after seeking blessings from Ganga river, we then started walking towards Ram Jhula. And then we had to cross the river back and catch a bus to Dehradun. Finally, we then observed some street food vendors and decided to give it a try. And then we had amazing Aloo Chat & Chole Kulche which are considered trademark North Indian dishes. The food was really scrumptious and I would surely recommend trying the local food here. With happy tummies, peace and lots of fun and memories with us, we walked towards our ashram.

Conclusion

Don’t forget to click a picture with your group or friends and family on the big Shiva statue that still resides there. So guys that were the only place I was able to enjoy in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, unfortunately, there are many more places you all must visit if you love adventure as much as I do then just click I bet you won’t regret.