Experiencing the mystique is not merely an opportunity rather an event of a lifetime! And such was my experience at Ganga Resort Hotel at Rishikesh. Rishikesh, celebrated for its spiritual escapades and a gifted paradise for its expansive landscape, is a must have on your bucket list. Easy accessibility from Dehradun and Delhi via bus and train respectively, makes it a centre of tourist attractions. Once you enter this town you would experience the spiritual effect in the air of the place. It indeed has the ability to transport you.
On reaching Rishikesh in an Hour’s drive from Dehradun I checked into the Ganga Resort Hotel, on the banks of river Ganga. The hotel is an elevated paradise distant, yet within the city. The entrance of the hotel is marked by a huge driveway, which has sidewalks on either side which can be used for a brisk walk. The entrance welcomes you to the hotel lobby. The gentle staff at the reception will led me to my booked abode. The one I chose was a river facing room, which is worth falling for. The rooms are well equipped for a perfect getaway even if you are a solo traveller.
The view of the Ganga from the balcony is indeed a traveller’s paradise for it offers a wide expansive view of the Ganga and the glowing lights of the ashrams and temples on the distant bank of the river. This place truly has the ability to transport you. Transport you within your own self in a quest for spirituality. The Ganga and its midnight water is a source of mystic healing for the urban souls. While the twinkling lights on the other side of the river bank provide absolute comfort for the seeking eyes, which retire to rest after a mystic involvement in the charms of the city.
The next morning as I found myself couched on a chair in the balcony of my room, the sun rays embraced me like a wake- up call explore the town. The town has plethora of options for one to begin with, each only culminating in offering a greater spiritual elevation. To begin the morning I chose to take a swift walk along the pathway of the hotel premises, taking a shortcut from where I walked along the river bank to give company to the fitness freaks. It’s thrilling to see how people perceive health and fitness in a not so urban town. It’s equally exciting to see travellers and sages taking a dip into the chilling waters of Ganga during the morning sunrise.
The day well begun has certainly a lot more to offer. Already soaked up the sun and the spirit of the travellers, I decided to return back to my lodge and prepare for yet another journey. The manager at the lodge assisted me to a Panchkarma session within the hotel premises itself. Panchkarma therapy is a detox therapy undertaken to understand the deficiencies in ones bodily functions or any such chronic diseases. The doctor after accumulating reasonable data on the past history of each patient recommends suitable treatment. It is indeed a purgation process for the toxicity in one’s bodies.
Next after a half day long therapeutic healing I savour lunch at the hotel itself (much relief to the starved stomach!) Soon after which I prepared myself for a short nap for the already relaxed muscles. The evening bells ring all around the city waking me up a much fresh person. I soon figure out that there will be a Ganga Aarti on the other side of the river bank, under the able scholars of Swami Chidanand Swamiji. The aarti draws umpteen numbers of devotees, travellers and VIP’s who involve themselves in all the ceremonies at the river bank. With a concluding aarti dedicated to river Ganga in the most soulful voice, all the devotees take a bow at river Ganga.
The day doesn’t end here as I relish a variety of meal at Chotiwala Restaurant, right next to Parmarth Niketan; where the aarti was held. The day drawing to the end I take up to commute back to the lodge on foot. The walk was crowded, yet the aura of the place had much to absorb within. As each one headed back to their abode, it was a day well invested! As I entered the lodge premises I mulled over the days’ activities, couched in a chair on the balcony of my room. Yet again seeping into the mysticism the place has to offer.