Sign In
Blogs from Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India, Asia
Advertisement
3 Visits to the "Yoga Capital of the World"
Published: April 28th 2013Asia » India » Uttarakhand » Rishikesh
April 28th 2013
Rishikesh has been called the “Yoga Capital of the World” and the “Gateway to the Himalayas”. In 1968, the Beatles stayed at the Maharishi Mahesh yoga ashram, during which they composed 48 songs, some of which appeared on the White Album. The riverside community remains a spiritual center to this day, where local pilgrims and backpackers bathe side by side in the sacred Ganges, with waters much cleaner and nearer to their Himalayan source than overly polluted but more well-known Varanasi. Nowadays, Rishikesh is also developing a reputation for outdoors sports such as river rafting and trekking. I have made a point of spending some time in Rishikesh on all three of my trips to India. In 2005, it was my last stop on an overwhelming 3-month trip journey through Sichuan, Nepal, Tibet, and India. I ... read more
Well, that was an interesting week
Published: February 22nd 2013Asia » India » Uttarakhand » Rishikesh
February 22nd 2013
Imagine being on the most tranquil, remote island where you wake up naturally, no alarms, no Internet or cell service, stroll over to a little cafe and order breakfast. The Indian man only wearing a lungi (a cloth/skirt wrapped around his waist), walks over to coconut & mango trees and 20 minutes later brings you a plate of fresh fruit. All you hear is the ocean and the most difficult decision to make that day is which beach to bike to and what type of fish to order for dinner. Okay, so now picture having that zen mentality and then arriving in the most intense, wild, assault on your senses type of city in the world...this has been my week! I had a head ache for 2 days, although I can't complain because going to the ... read more
Golden Temple's and Beatles Ashram's
Published: December 19th 2012Asia » India » Uttarakhand » Rishikesh
December 19th 2012
After we left the peacefulness of a post camel fair Pushkar, I knew that the calmness would end. As expected it was only a train journey away. To be fair it was a 30 minute public bus ride away in Ajmer where we would catch our train to the Taj Mahal in Agra. We arrived early because we knew we would be hungry before the long journey. It’s a bit of a strange thing in India, unlike home the food and beverages are cheaper at the railway stations. I like to think this is because it’s a cheap way to travel and the only way an average family in India can really afford to travel. We had a Thali for 22 rupee (about 40 cents) that included a fairly decent Dal, a nice curd, three pieces ... read more
September 18th 2012
Uttarakhand The region is believed to be the Land of Gods and is place of lots of Ashrams, Yoga Gurus, meditation centres and so on. One will find a lot of Sadhus in the area. We recommend a book by Patrick Levy (French writer): Sadhus - going beyond the dreadlocks for more understanding about their life, their purpose and their philosophy. 18/09 to 24/09 : Rishikesh: The Beatles spent time in an ashram but this one is abandoned since then and nothing much is left apart seeing nature taking over. Rishikesh is the Capital of the World for Yoga, Meditation and Ashrams. The town is separated by 2 suspension bridges (jhula) -which could do with some refurbishment. There is enough space for a man and a cow, a man and a scooter, but not more. (It ... read more
July 1st 2012
There’s this place. Well, it’s not Rishikesh, it’s not Shivpuri, and it’s not Byasi, or Devprayag or Tapovan, but it’s somewhere there. So it’s about 23 km north of Rishikesh, and about 4 km south of Byasi. It’s two bends in the road after a bridge on your right called Malakunthi. There’s a cliff to your left and a tiny green board on the right saying ‘Camp Silver Sands’. Just behind the sign is a steep fall into one of the rapids of the fast flowing River Ganga. But, keeping the sign directly in front of you, to your left you will see a thin, feeble dirt track. Just follow it. There, there is no electricity, so we sleep on the beach beneath a cozy blanket of stars at night; There’s water shortage, so we take ... read more
Advertisement
Nach 4 spannenden und schoenen Monaten in Deutschland wieder in Indien - neue Handynummer
Published: June 14th 2012Asia » India » Uttarakhand » Rishikesh
June 14th 2012
Hallo Euch allen, und der Blog geht weiter...., nachdem mich viele gefragt haben, was mich natuerlich sehr gefreut hat. heute aber nur kurz um meine neue Handynummer mitzuteilen. 0091 8126215738, wie ueblich mit den billigen Call by Call Nummern ab 1,5 Cent pro Minute erreichbar. Bin uebrigens zur Zeit am Rande des Himalayas angeommen, Rishikesh, mit viel Yoga und Ashrams direkt am Ganges gelegen, aber auch hier schon ungewoehnlich heiss. Nach 2 Tagen in Delhi bei ca. 45 Grad zumindest etwas Abkuehlung.... Mal sehen, wie hier alles weiter geht. Geht mir gut und verbringe viel Zeit mit Dayhana, (m)einer Freundin von meinen letzten Indienwochen 2011. Mehr Details spaeter. Euer Thorsten... read more
June 4th 2012
I’m writing this entry on the 7 hour bus journey from Rishikesh to Delhi. It’s our last full day in India before we catch our flight to Dubai. I’m looking out the window at the passing villages and countryside, people, food stalls, cars, cows everywhere and I’m thinking maybe this place isn’t that bad after all but that’s easy to say when you’re on an air con bus where you can’t hear all the car horns, shouting and general chaos. Maybe India would be ok if it was on mute. I think it’s safe to say we’re glad we’ve been but won’t be in a rush to come back. It was my idea to come to India so I might leave the rest of the trip planning up to Tom! Our week in Rishikesh was pretty ... read more
May 25th 2012
22.5 Haridwar Rishikesh Urspruenglich wollte ich direkt zu meiner neuen Wwoofingfarm gehen. Dazu bin ich aber absolut nicht in der Lage. Ich schleppe mich zum Ganges und nehme noch ein kleines Bad im eiskalten heiligen Fluss mit extrem starker Stroemung. Der Ganges ist hier noch sehr frisch an der Quelle und nicht das dreckige braune Loch, dass wir in Europa uns vorstellen. Ich plansche also im Wasser. Auch begleitet von einigen betrunkenen froehlichen Indern die mich gleich zum trinken zu sich nach Hause einladen. Klingt ja spannend aber nicht heute. Danach Gehts nach Rishikesh. Ich find ne schoene Behausung und leg mich erst mal schlafen. 22.5- 25.5 Die ersten 2Tage sind noch von den Gleiderschmerzen gepraegt Ich lieg vor allem rum. Wenigstens gibts es hier genug Reisende um immer wieder angenehme Gespraechspartner zu finden. Als die ... read more
There's a Reason They Call it Incredible India
Published: May 8th 2012Asia » India » Uttarakhand » Rishikesh
May 8th 2012
This trip has been somewhat surreal. I can't really explain why, it has just felt different from past travels. I came here with the aspiration to travel the north of the country, which wasn't possible until summertime. The cold Canadian winter kicked me out in JAnuary, so I came here early basically to pass time in the sun until the snow melted and the weather warmed up in the mountains. Having traveleld the south twice already, I ended up spending 2 months working and volunteering before spending the past month traveling, mostly to palaces Ive already been. Its always nice revisiting cities, seeing how they've changed, finding familiarity in an otherwise foreign place. But all of this has made the trip feel as though I am living here, repeating past experences. The familiairity of it is ... read more
April 28th 2012
Well I am in Rishikesh, laxmanjhula to be exact and this place is pretty nice! Touristy yes, but thats kind of nice when your travelling by yourself. Just as the Beatles came here to do yoga I have also given it a go! Fun fun, but not so great for my dodgy shoulder... My first lesson was pretty intense, beautiful view over the turquiose Ganges from the rooftop of my Ashram, with the sun setting towards the end of the class. Nice. The 'intense' part is because my ashram is a retreat for yogaholics that are training to be teachers- so they are all considerably better than me!! I was once again the class comedian falling over! This position was rivalled however by the local monkeys who was making us laugh with their antics quite alot. ... read more
