Capturing the Spiritual Charm of Haridwar and Rishikesh
I joined up with a close friend of mine from Bangalore in South India to take a trip to the foothills of the Himalayas. Neither one of us had ever been to this region of India before. The entrance to the Himalayas in Uttarakhand is through Haridwar also known as Hari-ki-pauri (The Gateway of Lord Hari).
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Haridwar (The Gateway of Hari)
We arrived in Haridwar in the evening and found the ghats and temples along the banks of the Ganges river packed with pilgrims. They gathered for the evening arti ceremony which is an offering of lamps and prayers to Mother Ganga.
Although this was not a special festival or planned event in Haridwar, people numbered in the thousands. This type of worship of the Ganges and other holy rivers in India goes on in many towns and villages around India.
Ganga Arti – The Worship of Mother Ganges
The Ganga Arti is a daily ritual performed at Har Ki Pauri ghat in Haridwar. The ceremony involves lighting huge towering ghee lamps, chanting hymns, and waving incense sticks by priests and the pilgrims. It creates a powerful atmosphere, with the sight of the river Ganges illuminated by lamps and the fragrance of incense adding to the experience. This Ganga Arti holds significant importance both culturally and spiritually for all involved. The Ganga is the source of life for the many civilizations that have grown along her banks for thousands of years.
Rishikesh (Hrishikesh hṛṣīka/senses - īśa/master)
Rishikesh gets is named after the ‘Master of the Senses’ Lord Vishnu who is considered to be supreme amongst all gods.
After Haridwar we spent the following three days in the hills around Rishikesh further up the Ganges river valley. We spent most of our time exploring the hills and valleys around Rishikesh rather than in the town itself. From here the Ganges river winds it’s way up through the hills and valleys to it’s glacial source in the mountains.
The Foothills of the Himalayas
The town of Rishikesh itself feels like it’s become very busy with tourism as compared to what I’ve heard from friends and fellow travelers who had visited years before. It’s grown a lot and continues to get more international visitors coming for yoga, whitewater rafting, bungee jumping, ziplining etc. We didn’t come to Rishikesh for any of that but rather just to explore and experience the serene Ganges river and the mountains surrounding. Next time we will plan to go further up into the white capped peaks of the himalayas themselves.
Final Thoughts…
Although we avoided the hustle and bustle of the town of Rishikesh this journey did not dissapoint. We spent a lot of time exploring up and down the valley on the motorbike and took daily swims in the Ganges.
We look forward to returning to the Himalayas!
The Prints
The most rewarding part of these journeys is to find the few photos that really stand out to us and can be counted amongst the our prints for sale. You can check out all our prints here www.indiaphotoprints.com/prints
Click on any of the pictures below to check out the prints in more detail in our print store.
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