Rishikesh, around 28 km off Haridwar, is at the base of the Himalayas and it is where the Ganges comes down to the plains from the hills. A breathtaking experience of natural beauty and undiscovered wildlife awaits here. Not to mention the peace and tranquility of a landscape associated with sages and meditation.
The Daksh Mahadev Temple is an ancient shrine situated to the south of Kankhal town. This temple was constructed by Queen Dhankaur in AD 1810. Kankhal has several other temples and ashrams too.
The Sapt Rishi Ashram is situated along the Haridwar-Rishikesh road. The Ganges flows in seven streams in front of this Ashram, hence this place is also called Sapt Sarovar.
The Kanva Rishi Ashram is situated around 42 km from Haridwar. The ashram is on the banks of the Malini River along the forest road to Kotdwar.
The Chila Wildlife Sanctuary, part of the Rajaji National Park, covers an area of around 240 sq. km. It has 23 species of mammals and 315 fauna species. Lucky tourists can catch glimpses of elephants, tigers, leopards, jungle cats, Himalayan yellow throated martens, sambers, chitals, barking dears, wild boars, langurs, ghurals, sloth bears, king cobras, woodpeckers, etc. Fishing in the river there is allowed with permits only.
The Triveni ghat is an interesting place to be at dawn, when people make offerings of milk to the river and feed the fish. After sunset, priests set floating lamps on the water during the Aarti ceremony.
The temple of Neelkanth Mahadev, a place associated with Lord Shiva, is situated at a height of 1700 meters. It is a 4-hour walk from Rishikesh and a not-to-be-missed destination away from the madding crowd.
Friday, January 22, 2010
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