RishkeshTour
Hrishikesh is a city and a municipal board in Dehradun district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is holy city for Hindus and a famous centre of pilgrimage.

It is also known as the gateway to the Himalayas and is located around 25 kilometres away from another holy city, Haridwar. Hrishikesh is the starting point for traveling to the sites that form the Char Dham pilgrimage — Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri.

Hrishikesh is a name of Vishnu that means 'lord of the senses'. Hrishikesh is a holy city for Hindus located in the foothills of the Himalaya in northern India. The place gets its name after Lord Vishnu who appeared to 'Raibhya Rishi' as a result of his tapasya (austerities), as Lord Hrishikesh In Skanda Purana, this area is known as 'Kubjamrak' as Lord Vishnu appeared, under a mango tree .

Historically, Hrishikesh, has been a part of the legendary 'Kedarkhand' (the present day Garhwal), the abode of Shiva Legends state that Lord Rama did penance here for killing Ravana, the demon king of Lanka; and Lakshmana, his younger brother, crossed the river Ganga, at a point, where the present 'Lakshman Jhula' bridge stands today, using a jute rope bridge. The 'Kedar Khand' of Skanda Purana, also mentions the existence of Indrakund at this very point. The jute-rope bridge was replaced by iron-rope suspension bridge in 1889, and after it was washed away in the 1924 floods, it was replaced by a stronger present bridge. There is an interesting story about this place. Lord Rama did his meditation and other ritual on this bank and the flowing water of the river Ganga was disturbing him so out of rage Laxman shot an arrow in the river. From then onwards the river here surprisingly is very quiet; at night you will pass over the bridge without even knowing that a river is flowing below. Even today, the western bank of the bridge has a Lakshmana temple, and across it lies a temple dedicated to Lord Rama.

Places to Visit
1- Neelkanth Templein Rishikesh India
2-Parmarth Niketan in Rishikesh India
3- KUNJAPURI TEMPLE-in Rishikesh India
4-Visit to Devprayag: in Rishikesh India
5-Kunjapuri Temple in Rishikesh India

Neelkanth Templein in Rishikesh India

is one of the most revered holy shrines of the Hindus. Located on a hill above Swarg Ashram in Haridwar, Neelkanth Temple is easily accessible from here. The temple lies at a comfortable distance of 12 kms and can also be reached from Rishikesh. The way to this temple is surrounded by lush green hills and rivers, providing some of the most beautiful sights, one has ever seen. Many pilgrims come to this temple by trekking, which takes around 4 hours from Rishikesh.

Neelkanth Mahadev Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, who is believed to be the most complex Gods of the Hindu pantheon. The establishment of this temple has a legend behind it. According to the mythological stories, Lord Shiva drank the poison that appeared from the 'Sagar Manthan' (churning of ocean). This place is said to have been the same place, where Lord Shiva drank the poison. On drinking the poison, his throat turned blue and from that time onwards, Lord Shiva came to be known as 'Neelkantha' (One having blue throat).

Encircled by the hills of Manikoot, Vishnukoot and Brahmakoot, Neelkantha Temple is to be found at a height of 1330 meters. The way to this shrine is quite a thrilling one. The steep and narrow roads, taking above the hill, where river is flowing on one side, send chills down to the spine. Positioned at the union of Madhumati and Pankaja rivers, Neelkantha Temple is placed between the picturesque hills of Uttaranchal.

The temple complex has also got one natural spring where devotees usually take a holy bath. The main shrine of the temple comprises a Shiva lingam (phallic form of Lord Shiva). The spiritual aura of the temple creates a devotional feeling in the hearts of people. People make an offering of coconut, flowers, milk, honey, fruits and water to the Lord. Subsequently, devotees get 'Parshad' of vibhuti, chandan and other things from the shrine.

The temple observes two fairs that held annually on the occasion of Shivratri (Feb-Mar) and Shivratri of Shravan (July-Aug). At that time, the temple is thronged by thousands of pilgrims. This place is also loved by tourists for its picturesque beauty. Neelkanth Temple is a holy place that provides a celestial affection to the people, who visit the shrine with a devoted heart.


Parmarth Niketan in Rishikesh India
Parmarth Niketan:One of the most renowned temple complex and ashram in the area . Known for its substaintial work on hinduism, three is a school run on tradtional Indian Patterns. The ashram organises ecellent Ganga Arti and Hawan on the Parmarth Ghat every evening.

Kunjapuri Temple in Rishikesh India - Sun Rise or sun set
Kunjapuri Temple is dedicated to Goddess Durga and sits atop an almost perfectly conical hill about 2000 ft in Kunjapuri.

The temple requires walking about 500 to 1000 steps up a brightly colored set of concrete stairs before getting to the top. Kunjapuri Temple gives a breathtaking view of the surrounding countryside and also has a big idol of Lord Shiva.

Drive to Kunja Puri, one of the thitrteen most important Goddesses of Shivalik range , the lower Himalayas.One can witness excellent sunrise or sun set on the Greater Hiamalayan Peaks and the vast Indo Gangetic plains . One can see almost all the peaks of Garhwal Himalayas from here e.g Banderpunch (6316 Mts) , Swarga Rohini (6252 Mts) Gangotri ( 6672 mts) Chaukhamba (7138 mts) etc. 4-Visit to Devprayag: in Rishikesh India.

Most of the Hindus staying in India or abroad always wish for a pilgrimage to four dhams at least once during their life time. This holy pilgrimage consists of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri. This famous pilgrimage starts from Haridwar, which is also known commonly as the entry gate to the land of gods. Haridwar is situated around 150 miles away from Delhi, the capital city of India. The pilgrims start their holy four dhams pilgrimage from Haridwar by road and reach Rishikesh, which is around twenty miles away from Haridwar. The next spot on the route is Devprayag, which is around forty four miles away from Rishikesh. This place of Devprayag is full of natural beauty and presents the fantastic view of the snow cladded Himalayan Mountains. I have visited this spectacular place twice in my life and have immensely enjoyed it both the times. .

General Information
Area : 11.20 sq.km.
Altitude : 356 metres.
Temperature (deg C): Summer- Max.44.4, Min.29; Winter- Max.32.2, Min.18.3.
Clothings : Summer- Cotton & tropical; Winter- Heavy woollen.
Languages Spoken : Garhwali, Hindi, Punjabi, English.