First-timers going for yoga classes or yoga teacher training in Rishikesh are always in for a surprise. They come with the notion that their days will be packed with yoga, yoga, and more yoga. But in reality, yoga courses in Rishikesh can be much more than that. Most of the time, you will get a lot of breaks and free time to engage in fun activities. Some yoga schools in Rishikesh will even include activities within their timetable itself. Constant learning can cause mental overload. Interjecting your yoga classes in Rishikesh with fun activities will actually make you more productive in your learning. Moreover, the rich culture of Rishikesh is worth experiencing in person. Here is a portion of the sights and fun games that you just can’t miss.
The Jhulas
Rishikesh is famous for its twin iron suspension bridges. These are the Laxman Jhula and the Ram Jhula. Legends go that the location of the Laxman Jhula corresponds with the place where the mythological hero Laxman, brother of Lord Ram, crossed the Ganga using a jute rope. These bridges thus have historical and religious significance. Other than that, crossing the gently swaying bridges over the turbulent young Ganga is an exhilarating experience in itself. They offer great, bird’s-eye views of the river. The two bridges connect the two banks of the Ganga, which have many local attractions, like temples, ashrams, ghats, and markets.
Temples In Rishikesh
Rishikesh is, first and foremost, a place of pilgrimage for the Hindus. It is but natural that temples will abound this holy town. The most popular of these is the Triambakeshwar Temple. . But, its more popular name is the Tera Manzil Temple due to its 13 stories. The Neelkanth Mahadev Temple is in the Pauri Garhwal locale, 32 km from Rishikesh. Yet, people consider it a part of their itinerary for Rishikesh. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Besides these, there are the Raghunath Temple, Laxman Temple, and Bharat Temple. Each is for the first three royal brothers of Ramayana respectively.
Famous Rishikesh Ashrams
There are a number of famous Rishikesh yoga ashrams that you can visit. The Beatles Ashram is perhaps the most well-known among these. The Beatles visited this ashram in February of 1968 and composed many famous songs here. This put yoga ashrams and Indian spirituality on the world screen. The Sivananda Ashram is the other extremely popular ashram in Rishikesh due to the influence of its founder. Other than these, you can also visit the Swarg Ashram, the Parmarth Niketan, and the numerous other ashrams dotting the town.
A National Park
The Rajaji National Park or Chilla Park is one of the most bio-diverse regions in Uttarakhand. It is also the second tiger park in the state after Jim Corbett National Park. You can go on one of the year-round safaris for a view of the jungle and its rich flora and fauna. Some of the most popular wildlife found here are Asian elephants, tigers, langurs, deers, antelopes such as the Nilgai, birds like the Himalayan pied kingfisher, fire-tailed sunbird, great pied hornbill, sloth bears, etc. The park is also famous for being the first stop for migrating birds coming from the North.
Exploring The Ganges
Exploring the holiest river of India is one of the most exciting and colourful activities in itself. There are many famous ghats that you can visit there. You ought to likewise visit the Devprayag, which is the purpose of the juncture of the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda to shape the Ganga. The invisible river Saraswati also joins at this point. It is one of the most spiritually relevant locations on the Ganga. Other than that, it is a great sight to see sanyasis and pilgrims gather along the banks for baths, pujas, and meditation.
Adventurous Activities In Rishikesh
A town in the laps of the Himalayan foothills crossed by a river will undoubtedly present many opportunities for adventure sports. You can go camping, hiking, trekking, rafting, white water rafting, kayaking, ziplining, cliff diving, bungee jumping, rappelling, etc. There are also a number of waterfalls you can visit like Garud Chatti Waterfall, Neergarh Waterfall, Patna Waterfall, Pool Chatti Waterfall, and more.
Festivals In Rishikesh
Rishikesh is one of the most profound areas in India. It is always thronging with devotees and pilgrims. Many of them would be there to catch religious festivals and events. The Maha Aarti at Triveni Ghat is one of the most well-known attractions. Rishikesh is also the prime location for Ganga Dusshera. The International Yoga Festival in Rishikesh is also a time when yogis and yoga enthusiasts from all over the world flock to Rishikesh. But one must keep in mind that these events attract huge crowds, so it might not be all pleasant for those not used to crowds.
Conclusion
When you are planning for your yoga TTCs or yoga retreat in Rishikesh, you should also plan for fun trips. You need preparation and planning for these – you cannot decide impromptu once you get there. An alternative is to look for courses that offer these in their package. You can look at the yoga courses at Aadi Yoga School if a fun-filled yoga journey is what you have in mind. We can guarantee you, you won’t be frustrated.
