Rishikesh falls in the
Garhwal region of Uttarakhand
(Uttaranchal) .
Legend has it that the sage
Raibhya Rishi did severe
penance and, as a reward, God appeared to him
in the form of Rishikesh. Rishikesh also represents the site
where Lord Vishnu vanquished the demon
Madhu. Rishikesh is also known as the
Tapo Bhumi or the place for
meditation of the Gods. Tapovan, on
the other bank of the river Ganges, houses a temple
to Lakshmana (from the legendary
epic Ramayana
).
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More about
Rishikesh
Climate
The average temp. ranges from 14-28°C and
the best time to visit is from
Apr-Oct.
Language
The main languages are Hindi,
Garhwali and English (in tourist
spots).
Rishikesh is
one of the most popular pilgrim centres and
gateway to the Himalayan
shrines of Badrinath, Kedarnath ,
Gangotri, &
Yamunotri, popularly known as
the Char
Dham.
It is believed that Lakshmana,
the younger brother of Lord Rama, performed severe
penances at Rishikesh. The Neelkanth Mahadev
temple is also believed to be the site where Lord
Shiva drank the venom that came out during the churning
of the ocean, in
Indian mythology
.
In the 1960s,
the place came into limelight as the place where the pop group
Beatles met their guru, Maharishi
Mahesh Yogi. The yoga centres
of Rishikesh have enhanced the significance of the place. An
International Yoga Week is organized every
year by U. P. Tourism from 2-7
Feb
.
Places of interest in and around
Rishikesh include Lakshman Jhula (a
suspended iron bridge), Bharat Mandir,
Rishikund and Nilkanth
Mahadeo.
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