Rishikesh-the yoga capital of the world
by sunil sharma

Rishikesh is the "yoga capital of the world," there's lots more to do there than simply chant "Om Shanti." In addition to being a melting pot of worldly intellectuals, the Hindu pilgrimage site that rests peacefully on both sides of the sacred Ganges river will always be associated with the Beatles and their sojourn to study transcendental meditation in 1968. Recently Rishikesh become a hub for outdoor activities.

Rishikesh became prominent meditation hub and attraction for the foreign tourists due to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi who came to Rishikesh in 1960’s. He is the father of Transcendental Meditation technique and made it popular all over the world. His ashram on the bank of Ganga in the Rajaji National park is better known a Beatles Ashram after the visit of the members of the famous rock band Beatles.

Best time to visit:
October, November and starting of December is best time to visit Rishikesh as the weather remains pleasant. Rishikesh is reachable by train or road and open for throughout the year. The best mode of transport for Rishikesh from Delhi is by road. One can take AC, non-AC, Volvo or normal buses from Delhi Kashmiri Gate ISBT connected by Delhi metro with New Delhi railway station and New Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport.

Places to visit:
- Ram Jhula
- Rameshwar Temple
- Geeta Bhawan
- Parmarth Niketan Ghat & Ashram
- Maharishi Ashram
- Lakshman Jhula
- Trayambakeshwar Temple
- Sri Neelkantha Mahadeva Temple
- Neergarh Waterfall
- Triveni ghat

Things to remember:
- This place is vegetarian by law; meat and alcohol are banned here.

sunil sharma
sunil sharma is a blogger, yogi, designer, engineer and humanitarian.