Abode of the Gods

Fabled in Indian lore, Rishikesh is widely regarded as the gateway to the spiritual heart of Asia. Tag along on a sojourn there by an experienced native visitor and find out why.

By Bem Le Hunte

Like many great journeys in India, this one starts on a train.

I am on my way to the city of Rishikesh, taking the 7 a.m. Shatabdi Express from New Delhi Station. Sitting next to me is an Israeli sadhu (ascetic) called Shankar. Like so many people heading up this way, he's a disciple of Swami Sivananda, the former physician who came to Rishikesh at the age of 37 to start an ashram in a cowshed on the banks of the Ganges River (called Ganga here)—humble beginnings for an organization that would spread throughout the world as the Divine Life Society.

Our train stops at Haridwar, and from there I catch a bus for an hour-long ride heading north. As the hills loom larger through the bus windows, I can feel myself getting closer to Rishikesh, gateway to the Himalayas, as well as to the "Char Dham"—the four hillside pilgrimage cities of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri, where four holy rivers begin their journeys south to the plains.

Soon we arrive in Rishikesh, with its stunning jungle-clad hills—a carpet of soft, shady acacia trees and banana palms dotted with shrines and ashrams up to the highest hilltops. The grand centerpiece of Rishikesh is the great Ganges herself, the river and goddess who once flowed solely for the pleasure of the gods. Fast-flowing, broad, and powerful, the river conveys a sense of majesty at first sight; pockets of sandy beach alternate with rocky outcrops or patches of jungle along the water's edge. This place abounds in legends of yogis, rishis (seers), child saints, and sannyasis (renunciants) who have come to practice yoga in these hills, known locally as "the abode of the gods."

Yoga Everywhere

Legend has it that a great rishi called Raibhya practiced intensive yoga here by the Ganges and was rewarded by the appearance of the god Vishnu. Ever since then, Rishikesh has been a holy town, packed with ashrams to house the many visiting pilgrims. With its stories and legends preceding me, I take my small bag and start walking from the bus depot to where I'll be staying on this journey: the Shree Vithal Ashram, which is farther up the hill, toward the jungles. It's an oasis that the locals know to be "very shanti" (tranquil)—and the guidebooks, thankfully, do not know at all. The rooms are comfortable but simple, and food is eaten from thalis (compartmentalized plates) while you sit on the floor.

The last time I came to Rishikesh (two years ago), I stayed at the flamboyant and popular Parmarth Niketan Ashram on the other side of the river. With courtyards filled with religious statues and a constant stream of pilgrims, Parmarth Niketan seems like Grand Central Station compared with the serenity of Shree Vithal.

Nonetheless, the Parmarth Niketan Ghats (ghats are steps leading down to a river) are the central focus of Rishikesh every evening at dusk, when prayers are offered, and pilgrims flock there to participate. So I leave my room and make my way to Parmarth Niketan in time for evening aarti (prayers). To get there, I have to walk across the Ram Jhula, one of two suspension bridges that play a vital role in the daily life of Rishikesh. (These bridges, or jhulas, are named after Ram and Lakshman, the heroes of the Ramayana, who supposedly crossed the Ganges here at Rishikesh on their way up to the forests.)

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