Uttarakhand · North
RishikeshṚṣikeśa
Ganga town of temples and ashrams; the Ganga Aarti at Triveni Ghat at dusk
Photo: Rahuldewangan · Public domain
- Principal temple
- Neelkanth Mahadev TempleShiva as Neelkanth, in linga form
- Best time to visit
- September to November and February to April (visitable year-round)
- Nearest airport
- Jolly Grant Airport (DED), Dehradun, ~15 km
- Nearest railway station
- Rishikesh Railway Station (RKSH); Yog Nagari Rishikesh also serves the city
- Tradition
- Śaiva · Vaiṣṇava
Overview
Rishikesh is a pilgrimage town on the Ganga in the Himalayan foothills of Dehradun district, associated with sages and yogis and often called the 'Yoga Capital of the World'. Its riverbanks are lined with temples and ashrams, and the Ganga Aarti is performed at dusk at Triveni Ghat. It is a vegetarian-only, alcohol-free town and the usual starting point for the Char Dham pilgrimage.
See sources [1–3]- Shiva as Neelkanth, in linga form
- Shiva
- Vishnu
Main temples
Photo: Rahuldewangan · Public domain
Neelkanth Mahadev Temple
Shiva as Neelkanth, in linga form
Tradition holds this is where Shiva drank the halahala poison from the churning of the ocean, turning his throat blue; it lies about 32 km from Rishikesh.
