Rishikesh sits where the Ganges emerges from the Himalayan foothills, clear and fast-flowing before its long journey across the plains, and has become the self-declared yoga capital of the world, hundreds of ashrams and yoga schools line the riverbanks, a reputation cemented internationally after the Beatles studied transcendental meditation here in 1968.
Ashrams and the River
Laxman Jhula and Ram Jhula, two iconic suspension bridges crossing the Ganges, connect the town's ashram-heavy east and west banks and offer a genuine sense of daily spiritual life, monkeys, cows, and pilgrims share the crossings with a steady stream of yoga students and sadhus.
The evening Ganga Aarti at Parmarth Niketan ashram, smaller and more intimate than Varanasi's version, involves chanting and lamp-lighting along the riverbank against a backdrop of forested hills, a peaceful counterpoint to the more crowded pilgrimage cities downstream.
The Beatles Ashram and Adventure Sports
The Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's abandoned ashram, where the Beatles composed much of the White Album in 1968, has been reclaimed by jungle and reopened as a semi-restored heritage site, its walls covered in Beatles-inspired graffiti art added by later visitors and now an official attraction.
Rishikesh has also become a hub for whitewater rafting on the Ganges, with rapids graded from beginner to advanced depending on the season and section of river, a genuinely adrenaline-driven counterpoint to the town's spiritual reputation.
Recommended Stay · Rishikesh · Narendra Nagar
Ananda in the Himalayas
A wellness retreat on a former maharaja's palace estate in the hills above Rishikesh, specialising in Ayurvedic treatments and yoga programmes with views over the Ganges valley.
