5 Places to visit in Rishikesh

Often claimed as the ‘Yoga Capital of the World.’ A magnet for spiritual seekers, Rishikesh is a perfect blend of nature, adventure, and spirituality.

Rishikesh is located near the foot of the mighty Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is also known as the “Gateway to the Garhwal.”

1. Patna Waterfall

Patna Waterfall is located at Patna village on Neelkanth Temple Road in Rishikesh. It is named after Patna village situated nearby and is also well-known for its limestone caves located next to the waterfall. It is a beautiful 1.5 km trek one way from the road through Rajaji Forest. This trek to the waterfall basically surrounded by dense forest and is advisable to visit during the day hours. The waterfalls would be almost dry in the summer season and not advised to visit in summer.

2. Neer Garh/ Neer Gaddu Waterfall

Neer Gaddu or Neer Garh Waterfall is a natural waterfall situated on Rishikesh – Badrinath Highway in Uttarakhand. This is one of the popular tourist places to visit in Rishikesh.

Neer Gaddu Waterfall is a famous waterfall for a small trek. The water flowing from natural rocky cliffs tempts the holidaymakers to take a cool dip in the narrow stream. Trekking to the waterfall is an adventurous activity as it involves walking through the jungle on narrow trails. This is a beautiful waterfall and is extremely refreshing to stand near the waterfall.

This is a two-tier waterfall with two bathing pools. There is a very small waterfall after a 200 m trek from the road where visitors can also take bath in a small pool. A further 1.2 km trek will take you to the bigger main waterfall which has a large pool.

There are two bridges on the waterfall and a few resting stops. Butterflies of different species are visible fluttering around the wildflowers, adding beauty to this wonderful spot. Water, soft drinks, noodles, and tea are available here in small shops.

Neer Gaddu Waterfall is accessible by trek only. The trek route to the Neer Garh waterfall starts 3 km away from Lakshman Jhula on the Badrinath Highway.

Entry Fee: Rs. 30 per person

Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/B65RtjJH_Zs/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

3. Chaurasi Kutia / The Beatles Ashram

When the famous “The Beatles” set foot upon the sacred land of Rishikesh in 1986, they stayed with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in his ashram to take part in a Transcendental Meditation (TM) training course. As the name suggests the ashram has 84 meditating dorms.

The entrance cost is 600 rupees for foreigners / 150 rupees for Indian nationals (Rs 75/- for students) to enter. Timing is 10:00 to 16:00. Make sure you schedule an hour or two to take in everything and have time to walk the grounds.

One can see vandalized buildings, graffiti, and paintings done by visitors on the walls of the abandoned ashram. One building is renovated to include a gallery and cafe, with washrooms at the back. The menu includes very limited at the cafe, but you can sit outside and enjoy a cup of steaming chai.

4. LAKSHMAN JHULA

Whenever someone talks about Rishikesh, the first image that pops into mind is that of Laxman Jhula. It’s an iconic Rishikesh symbol and the most photographed spot. The Bridge connects Two villages (now just two different areas of Rishikesh) Tapovan and Jonk.

5. Ganga Arti

Ganga Aarti is a very important and pleasant ritual in Rishikesh which is performed every morning and evening. The sunset aarti is the most famous one and is performed just at the time of sunset (time differs as the sunset time differs with the season, but usually between 6 pm to 7 pm)

Though holy Ganga is worshipped at various ghats in Rishikesh among which the Ganga Aarti at Parmarth Niketan and Triveni Ghat is distinctively famous.