Alvair Lab
Flight
We think about the possibilities based on previous visits to Delhi. More chances of cultural events at this time of year.
Flight 8DEC IndiGo 6E6362 Varanasi 10:35 Delhi 12:05
Flight
Ram Jhula
Aarti Ceremony
Very calm start to the day before flight to Dehradun, the closest airport to Rishikesh.
Transfer of approx. 40 min between airport and Rishikesh then walk through the Ram Jhula region. Jhulas are the suspension bridges, in this case over the Ganges, which on the other side, on its bank, we will participate in the Aarti puja conducted by students of the Parmarth Niketan ashram during sunset.
It's simple to organize a pre-paid taxi from the airport to Ram Jhula and perhaps to the clinic. Let's see with the clinic how they are used to this transport. The simplest thing for this region, without suitcases, is to get off at Ram Jhula and walk (15 minutes enjoying it). But with suitcases, we can either take a long trip (and cost more) by taxi, or just send the bags on that longer trip, or the clinic organizes someone on a motorbike to help with the bags via Jhula. I can give you the contact details of a small agency that is very close to the clinic that already did this to me once.
Flight 9DEC IndiGo 6E2135 Delhi 14:25 Dehradun 15:15
The clinic
Vasistha Guha
Lakshman Jhula
Kunjapuri temple
Swami Dayananda Ashram
Days at the clinic where you can enjoy Rishikesh however you prefer. There are several possibilities. Rafting, aartis (Parmarth Niketan on Ram Jhula, Triveni ghat, Haridwar), Vaishitha Guha, Dayananda Ashram, Kunjapuri with or without trekking:
Visit the cave of a Vedic sage, one of the great seven Rishis of India, called Vashistha. Always a very special experience to be able to pay homage to the great yogis, to sit in the same place where he lived and meditated during the winters. We can also walk along the beach next door, on the banks of the Ganges. These are very suitable and pleasant places for meditation and reading texts.
We return to the region of jhulas (suspension bridges) for our lunch and walk through the alleys of the region, visiting its small temples, cafes and bookstores.
An extra activity option for that day is a special rafting tour along the (in this very clean) waters of the Ganges after visiting Vashistha Guha.
Climb the Himalayas with our vehicle for approx. 40min to a temple on top of a mountain, 1676m above sea level. The Kunjapuri temple is dedicated to goddess Durga and is one of the 13 places of power (Shakti Peethas) in this region. If the weather is clear, we will have a beautiful view with the snow-capped mountains in the background. It is worth remembering that the snow line here in the Himalayas is at 5500m altitude.
Back in Rishikesh, we will visit another important center of Vedanta study, the ashram of Swami Dayananda. Whoever gets excited, it is possible to walk back to Ram Jhula along the bank of the Ganges, as well as participating at the end of the day in one of the pujas in the ashram temple, overlooking the Ganges.
Suggestion: walk from Lakshman Jhula to Ram Jhula along a small road on the other side of the Ganges. Where then we can, for example, have lunch and then take a tuctuc to get to know one more important Vedanta study center, the ashram of Swami Dayananda. If you get excited, you can walk once more from the ashram back to Ram Jhula along a path just above the bank of the Ganges, or stay a little longer in the ashram to participate in one of the pujas at the temple at the end of the day.