Rishikesh, known as the yoga capital of the world, was made internationally famous by the Beatles in 1968 when they stayed at the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's ashram.  Today the town has a large number of ashrams and yoga classes.  The town is situated on the banks of the Ganges river just below where this sacred river leaves the Himalayas.  The town is the gateway to this part of the Himalayan foothills, some of which are luxuriously wooded as a result of the heavy monsoon rains, whilst others have been cleared for settlement and cultivation.  Relatively short treks from the roadhead will be rewarded with views of the snow-capped Himalayan peaks, if visibility allows.

The Ganges is believed to provide a powerful purification for Hindus who bathe themselves and submerge the cremated remains of their dead in her waters.  Hindus believe that Lord Shiva caught the descending river, which had previously only flowed in heaven with the gods, on his head, thus reducing its great power which would otherwise have destroyed the earth.  Along the road from Rishikesh, which affords spectacular views of the river below, you will see mendicants (sadhus) in saffron robes on their pilgrimages to the source of the river.