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The land of spirituality is all about yoga, sattvic food, mantras, and meditation with sages!
People do not exaggerate when they say that Rishikesh is a land of spirituality. Rishikesh is settled gloriously on the banks of the River Ganges or Ganga, contoured at the foothills of the Garhwal Himalayas.
Rishikesh was first mentioned in the Hindu religious text, Skanda Purana, as Kubark. According to legend, Lord Vishnu appeared in the town to bless Rishi Raibhya, who impressed him with his devotion.
The sacred land holds numerous legends and mythological stories in its heart. One of the most famous legends is about the fire that ravaged Rishikesh. Lord Shankar cursed Agni Devta, or the Lord of Fire, for this disaster. Lord Agni spent considerable time performing penance in this city.
Although my history teacher in school had mentioned Rishikesh in passing, I admit Rishikesh intrigued me after I learned about the Beatles' 'awakening' at the holy site.
The Beatles had practised transcendental meditation with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi back in 1968. They wrote 48 songs for the White Album during their visit. Their visit to Rishikesh put this beautiful city on the world map and attracted many westerners. The Beatles Café is one of the favourite hangouts for locals and visitors alike!
Inspired, one sunny morning, I booked a 200-hour yoga training month at an ashram in Tapovan, a vibrant place in Rishikesh. You will also find numerous ashrams, temples, adventure companies, fancy resorts, colourful shops, and Ganga Ghats here.
Another legend tells the story of Lord Rama. He is believed to have bathed in the holy water of the Ganges after killing Ravana. He performed penance in Rishikesh to absolve himself of his sins after the battle.
Rama's younger brother, Laxman, is believed to have built a bridge of jute ropes to cross the holy river during this time. The bridge later became Laxman Jhula, a popular tourist spot in Rishikesh.
Rishikesh is also known as the 'Abode of Gods' and is dotted with several temples and ashrams. Thousands of people worldwide throng to this place to learn spiritual practices.
Rishikesh is considered the best place to learn and practice yoga because of its extraordinary spiritual energy. You can feel it in the Himalayan air!
You may have heard of famous saints such as Rishi Vasishtha, Swami Sivananda and Dayanand Saraswati and their connection with this holy land. Like them, every enlightened saint is believed to have practised spirituality in Rishikesh.
Tapovan is exquisite, with a steady flow of the Ganges and spectacular views of the Himalayan foothills. You can savour delicious yet simple Indian food here. It is a sacred place. Hence, you can only order and cook vegetarian meals in Tapovan.
We refer to these meals as sattvic in spiritual parlance. It refers to food that creates feelings of calmness within.
From the first ray of the rising sun to the last light of the waning moon, life in Rishikesh was all about learning new things about myself. I drew inspiration from the people, food, and lifestyle in the holy city to become a better person.
I woke up before the crack of dawn to attend the Vinyasa classes. This was followed by Hatha yoga. I used the break between the two to perform Karma Yoga. It is the selfless act of helping others for an hour! During the anatomy and theory classes, we discussed the miracle of the human body and how regular yoga practice heals the body.
Every day, my last class would finish by 7 pm and I would spend the evening touring the ghats. This was my time to soak in the positive energy from the ringing bells of the ashrams and temples. The chanting from Ganga aarti filled the environment and cleansed my soul. I cannot begin to put in words the soothing feeling from the sweet music of the Ganges.
Besides, it was the time of Maha Kumbh and Maha Shivratri. Maha Kumbh is one of the largest religious festivals in the world. It attracts millions of devotees to extravagant cultural events here.
Maha Kumbh started in 1989 in Nasik and takes place every 12 years. The mela or fair takes place in four locations – the banks of the rivers Ganges in Haridwar, Kshipra in Ujjain, Godavari in Nashik, and Sangam in Prayagraj. Sangam is the confluence of rivers Ganges, Yamuna, and Saraswati.
Haridwar is another holy city about 20 km from Rishikesh. Thus it's easily reachable by public or private transport. More than 9 million people have taken the holy dip or shahi snan in the Ganges. It is believed to wash off the sins of this life and past lives.
The festival overlapped with Maha Shivratri, another Hindu festival, which celebrates the wedding of Lord Shiva and his consort, Goddess Parvati. It was the best time to stay in Rishikesh because of the magnificent spiritual vibes.
The exciting part was that I was under the guidance of an experienced sage. He asked me to take deep 'yogic breaths' and close my eyes. But all I could picture was his heavy dreadlocks! Then he started chanting a mantra in Sanskrit that led me into a state of rest.
All I remember from the session is an infinity symbol flowing through my body. Was it my DNA? I don't know, but it was full of bright light. I opened my eyes after what felt like 15 minutes. I was surprised when the kind sage told me I was inside a spiritual realm for hours! It was the first time I truly realised the power of meditation and other spiritual practices.
The sage told me I had a direct experience with the other realm before he went back into his meditative state. Even though I didn't understand what he meant, I decided to leave without disturbing him.
The same day, I discovered a beautiful waterfall right behind the ashram. I won't describe its beauty; you can witness it in the picture here. Even though it was pretty cold in the morning, I couldn't help getting drenched in the cascading falls. It was a beautiful experience!
I discovered several streams and pools on my way back. I am sure regular visitors in Rishikesh have never heard of them. These pools reminded me of my trip to Bali, only, they were untouched by humans. I intended to keep them that way. Days went by and I finally passed my exams to be a certified yoga instructor. However, the thought of leaving Rishikesh made me sad.
During my trip to Rishikesh, I came across many other activities travellers can participate in. Some of them include adventure sports, café hopping, and street shopping. However, I chose to explore the spiritual side of this holy land. I can touch my heart and say that I am grateful I chose the road less taken.
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