Rishikesh

Rishikesh
State :	India
State :	Uttarakhand
District :	Dehradun
Sub-district :	Rishikesh
Location :	30 ° 6 ′ N , 78 ° 18 ′ E Coordinates: 30 ° 6 ′ N , 78 ° 18 ′ E
Height :	372 m
Area :	11.5 km²
Residents :	70,499 (2011)
Population density :	6130 inhabitants / km²
	Rishikesh, temple on the banks of the Ganges

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Rishikesh ( Hindi : ऋषिकेश , Ṛṣikeś ; from Sanskrit rishi = "wise man", "seer") is an Indian city in the state of Uttarakhand .

Rishikesh has about 70,000 inhabitants and is located at an altitude of 372 m . It is 225 km from Delhi and 24 km from the important pilgrimage town of Haridwar .

Rishikesh is the starting point for pilgrims to the holy places in the Garhwal Mountains: Badrinath , Kedarnath , Yamunotri , Gangotri and Gaumukh , the source of the Ganges.

Rishikesh, at the foot of the Himalayas , is a well-known pilgrimage town. The Ganges flows through Rishikesh, which impresses not only with its mythological significance as a holy river , but also with its clear water and scenic beauty. The Ganges leaves the Himalayas here and then flows on through the plains of northern India to the Bay of Bengal .

Rishikesh is home to a variety of temples and ashrams , both historical and more recent. The city annually attracts thousands of pilgrims and tourists, both from India and from Western countries. It houses several yoga centers, some of which can look back on a long tradition. Rishikesh therefore has the reputation of being the “yoga capital” of the world. Hindus believe that meditation in Rishikesh, as well as bathing in the holy river Ganges, leads closer to salvation ( moksha ).

Sights include the Triveni Ghat and the Bharat Mandir, the city's oldest temple.

During the 1960s, the Beatles and several other musicians such as Mike Love of the Beach Boys and Donovan visited the place to meditate.

Rishikesh can be reached from Delhi by the Dehradun-Shatabdi train. You get off the train in Haridwar and continue by taxi or bus.