The Ganga cuts its passage through the last foothills on her journey down the mountains and enters a complex of three localities. First is the area around the spot where the famous Laxman Jhoola bridge spans the river and lends its name to the locality; than comes Muni-ki-Reti (Sands of the sages’s) where the wise ones spent time in devotion, meditation and yoga; and then comes the expanding township on the bank of the river. The whole complex is called Rishikesh. Pilgrims flock to this gorge-centered town, 40 km from Dehra dun, where the Ganga pours out of the Himalayas. Ashrams, or religious retrage centres, rise in wooded slopes, offering lessons in meditation, and treatment for a variety of  stress-induced ailments using the ancient medical techniques. It has grown into a base for enthusiasts seeking the challenges of adventure sport.

Rishhikesh is also the gateway and the start-off point for journeys to important religious places like Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamnotri- Rishikesh is also acquiring greater significance as a center for white water rafting, other rivering sport, a base for treks and hikes in the beautiful Garhwal Himalayas and trips to the Sikh Gurdwara at Hemkumd Sahib and the Valley of Flowers.

Rishikesh can be visited all round the year. The winters are short and not so severe. Cottons insummer and light-to-medium woollens in winter are required.