One of the not to be missed places to visit near Rishikesh, Neelkanth Mahadev Temple is around 32km from the city limits and is located at a height of 1,330m above the sea level in the Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand. Among all the temples dedicated to Lord Shiva, this temple holds a major prominence among the devotees.Tucked between the pictorial valleys of Manikot, Brahmakot and Vishnukot, the heart-warming surrounding of this sacred temple owes to its popularity among all the Rishikesh tourist places. With Lord Shiva, who is also known as 'Neelkanth' or the 'Blue Throated One' as the main deity, the peak of the temple is adorned with sculptures of both the Gods and the Asuras. It is said that during 'samudramanthan'; or while both the Gods and Asuras were churning out the ocean bed to obtain the holy 'amrita' or the 'nectar of immortality, Lord Shiva drank the poison that evolved from the sea. This turned his throat blue, and thus he was named as Neelkanth, and is worshipped in this temple in the form of a 'shivalinga'. Devotees visit this sacred temple throughout the day and takes a bath in the natural spring in the main complex before offering puja to the main deity.
Situated on the banks of the holy Ganges, Triveni Ghat is among the most magnetic places to visit in Rishikesh. The confluence point of three of the most sacred rivers in Hindu mythology: Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswathi, this ghat is considered as the most pious among all the other ghats within the vicinity. According to the legends, the water of this ghat has the magical power of purifying one's heart and soul, and make it free from all the sins. Devotes from every corner of the country throngs Triveni Ghat and takes a dip with utmost devotion and faith. Come morning, you can witness them offering milk to the river, performing 'Surya Namaskar' and feeding the fishes around the ghat. By evening, this auspicious ghat turns into a riot of colours as it is time of the 'Maha Aarti' or the aarti to Mother Ganga. Priest and the devotees perform several rituals during this sacred event, and offers lamps clad with flowers and incense stick to the Goddess as mark of their gratitude and devotion. The melodious hymns of the temple bells and the shanks can be heard everywhere, and the entire vicinity turns into a plethora of colour during this time. The peace and devotion that exists during the aarti makes Triveni Ghar one of the must visit Rishikesh tourist places.
Most of your teenage or college days might have passes admiring the songs of the favourite band called 'Beatles', but do you know your favourite band once visited a quaint ashram in Rishikesh to attend a special meditation programme? Yes, it was in the year 1968, the entire group of Beatle flew down to India to meet a saint called Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and practice some advanced meditation programme under his flagship. Following this phenomenal visit, the ashram gained instant popularity and was named as the 'Beatles Ashram'; the visit also made it one of the renowned places to visit in Rishikesh. Located in the foothills of the Himalayas, though the ashram was abandoned in 1997, the complex buildings and the stone-huts can still be found standing strong in their place. It is one of the very few places in Rishikesh that are pretty tough to find.According to the recent plans of the regional government, the ashram will soon reopen as a museum that will showcase its delightful history and contribution to the society. To add more, one should know that the span of time Beatles group stayed in this ashram, is considered as one of the most productive periods for the band!
