Out of so many memories, the one that keeps reviving on autoplay mode, is of Rishikesh. Having lived for more than 7 years in Rishikesh since birth, I share an indelible connect with this holy town. Now living in a nearby town of Dehradun, Rishikesh has been my go-to place for several weekends & many unforetold adventures. I do not have a list of reasons why Rishikesh is a must-visit, because that would mar my love for the place, but I have some very real pictures of my visits to Rishikesh & they guard my sense of belonging here.
The endless affair began right from birth & then with countless visits to the river bank, the pebbled routes, the motor ferry boat rides to reach Ram Jhula & visits to Triveni ghat. The charms of sainthood, the evening aarti by the river & the sheer beauty of The Beatles Ashram coming alive to its artsy ruins, it all happens here. Here’s a glimpse.
Perched in the foothills of Himalayas, Beatles Ashram was used by students of Transcendental Meditation back in the 1960s and 1970s. It was not until 1968 when the English rock band, The Beatles studied meditation here & the place became a hub for artists. Owing to the simplicity of their surroundings, Lennon and Paul McCartney of The Beatles (who were most productive during the retreat), produced a series of songs under their album called the “White Album”. No wonder, the serenity of the ashram & the “Transcendental Serendipity “, as I like to call it, makes this place a unique landmark in Rishikesh. Here’s another shot of the Amphitheatre, now in ruins but beautifully encapsulating the old spirit of this place.
There is always a little bit more to a place than what we see through our gaze and to me, this ashram is more than its ruins & art, it has an air of souls still meditating around, an aura of stillness which you can possibly feel if you simply perch on any low raise trunk of an old tree within the premises. I did so & I highly recommend you to experience it, all by yourself. And if you still get nothing, don’t forget to capture all the beautiful messages on the walls by the living legends of this place.
Talking of food(barring the innumerable Cafe’s – offering the globe on their tables), if you are in town, do visit its 40 year-old restaurant,”Chotiwala” where a man sits on a pedestal chair right at the entrance with a small ponytail sprouting from his head, giving birth to his name “Chotiwala (The man with a Ponytail). *Giggle* I still remember what a nightmare he was back in childhood, to see a man all decked with irrational makeup & an egg-shaped head welcoming you to a restaurant. But hey! Somewhere between his aging & my growing up, we all accepted the sheer beauty of his labor. So here’s to holding a table for 3, for 5 pieces of gulab jamuns.:P
Sooner or later you also face your fears here, so as Rishikesh offers rafting, my father ensured we were thrown into still waters of Ganga during rafting sessions right from the onset. Having an awful fear of getting into the water, but doing fine on a raft is what made up for most of my childhood in town. Until, I continued my father’s legacy & jumped into the rapids of Ganga, on the longest stretch of rafting starting from Shivpuri & ending at N.I.M Beach. The white waters of Ganga offer the right adrenaline for junkies & for ” only facing their fears, adventure enthusiasts” like me.
And if tranquility, food, adventure is not your calling then simply visit the beauty of my town by sitting for the evening Ganga aarti. The statue of the creator, Lord Shiva stands to affirm the purity of River Ganga, while you chant shlokas & prayers to praise the mighty river. The disciples of Swami Chidanand Saraswati ji, at Parmarth Niketan will make every chakra in your body reverberate with the sound of Ganga & their soulful songs. And if you end your day with the aarti do head to any of the Zostels around Tapovan to make for a good company.
Rishikesh holds so many meanings for me, but that one adjective I can give to this town is, “Home.” And you can take my word, once you too tread this town on foot, there is no coming back. It will be an Endless affair, just like it is for me. And if it suits your purpose, you will definitely come again.:)