Places near Rishikesh

If you are travelling to Rishikesh, we recommend you visiting the following nearby places which can be visited as a day trip from Rishikesh. Include these nearby places in your itinerary and make your visit to Rishikesh more memorable.

Rajaji National Park(19 kms / 30 mins)

Rajaji National Park is an Indian national park and tiger reserve that encompasses the Shivaliks, near the foothills of the Himalayas. The park is spread over 820 km2., and three districts of Uttarakhand: Haridwar, Dehradun and Pauri Garhwal. In 1983, three wildlife sanctuaries in the area namely, Chilla, Motichur and Rajaji sanctuaries were merged into one.Rajaji National Park has been named after C. Rajagopalachari (Rajaji), a prominent leader of the Freedom Struggle, the second and last Governor-General of independent India and one of the first recipients of India's highest civilian award Bharat Ratna (in 1954).Tiger reserve statusFinal approval was accorded to Kudremukh and Rajaji for declaring as a tiger reserve in 15 April 2015. Rajaji became the second tiger reserve in Uttarakhand.
Its important to take permissions and tickets from the forest department before entering the premises of park. Jeep safaries are offered for 3 hrs each time in morning and evening from sunrise to sunset twice everyday inside park approximately in open jeeps through rugged terrain on unmetalled treks through "Raus" and over hills giving you opportunity to see wild life and birds in different habitats in Mundal,Mithawali,Khara and other ranges of park.
The lodges located at the edge of the park also offer bird watching ,treks,walks outside the park and plunge in streams, rafting in Ganges under expert guides like offered in Wild Brook Retreat located near Gohari range

Best season

The park is open from mid-November to mid-June. Winters are the most pleasant time to visit the park i.e. between November and March, when the temperature ranges between 20-250C during the day. In summer, temperatures can be as high as 480C. During winter, making it convenient to visit the park. The park remains closed in the rainy season, when there is an average 750 mm. of rainfall.

Accommodation

Sanctuary Asia encourages sustainability in travel, so you can choose from one of the TOFTigers, PUG eco-certified lodges in the park vicinity and help sustain this destination.

Haridwar(18 kms / 45 mins)

Haridwar is one of the primary areas where river Ganges emerges from the mountains and enters to the plain areas. Lush green forests and crystal clear water of river Ganges and background of mountains create the charming beauty of this holy city. In the evening ghats looks beautiful as hundreds of diyas (lamps) and marigold flowers float and light up the river Ganges. The Rajaji National Park is just 10 kms from Haridwar. Its an ideal destination for wild life and adventure lovers. "Agar apne paap dhone hai to Haridwar mein Gangaji ki dubki lagao" (If you want to purify yourselves take a holy dip in the water of river Ganges at Haridwar. All your sins will be purified). This is most common thing which you can hear about Haridwar in all over India.
Haridwar contains two words Hari and Dwar. Hari means god and Dwar means gate. Haridwar means gateway to the god. There are four holy temples Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath on the hills also known as chardham. Haridwar is like a entry point to these chardham. People visit Haridwar before visiting these temples so the town was became famous as Haridwar. Shaivites call it Har Dwar Gateway to Lord Shiva (Kedarnath Temple) and Vaishnavites call it Hari Dwar Gateway to Lord Vishnu (Badrinath Temple) It is also said that Haridwar is blessed by the presence of all three major Gods of Hindus namely Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwar. Thus, with all these mythological links attached to its name, it's little wonder why Haridwar is often referred to as 'gateway to god'.

Haridwar Attractions

Haridwar City attracts a lot of travelers during the year. Har ki Pauri is the centre of action in Haridwar city and many Hindu ritual and ceremonies executed on the banks of Ganga here. And the genuine beauty is of the evening Ganga Aarti when the ghats of Har ki Pauri command rapt attention from the viewers and other attractions here include the Chandi Devi Temple on top of the Neel Parvat and Bharat Mata Temple towering over the small town. Then there is Shanti Kunj, with its Gayatri Temple housing 24 photos of Gayatri. Markets of Haridwar city display vermilion, rudraksh, vessels containing Ganges water, Ayurvedic medicines and precious stones. The popular market includes Moti Bazaar, Upper Road and Jwalapur.

Mountains Near Haridwar

Gauri Parvat (25443 feet), Nar Narayan (20380 feet), Chaukhamba (20000 feet), Nanda Devi (25660 feet), Nandakot (23144 feet), Doonagiri (23144 feet), Trishuli (23406 feet), Tungnath (12071 feet), Bandarpoonchh (20731 feet), Yamunotri (20938 feet), Srikanth (20140 feet), Satopanth (23660 feet), Swargarohini (20295 feet), Gandhmadan (22840 feet), Badrinath (20380 feet), Kedarnath (11759 feet) and Gomukh (13200 feet).

Lakes Near Haridwar

Deoria Tal (Ukhimath), Vasukital (Kedarnath), Satopanth (Badrinath), Roopkund (Bedni Bugyal), Vishnutal (Badrinath), Benital (Adi Badri), Sukhtal (Ghat), Jhaltal (Ghat), Chaurabadi Tal (Kedarnath), Birahi Tal (Birahi Ganges), Bhenkal Tal (Badhan), Masartal (Tehri), Sahastratal (Tehri), Aachharital (Valley of flowers), Lingtal (Valley of flowers), Yamtal (Tehri), Dodital (Gangotri), Nachiketatal (Dhanari), Kanatal (Gangotri), Dugdhtal (Dudhatoli), Rispanatal (Rispana), Kansarotal (Raiwala), Chandbadital (Dehradun), Manibhadra (Birahi), Bindulake (Bindumati River), Divya Sarover (Bilva Mountain), Nainital (Nainital), Bhimtal (Nainital), Naukuchiatal (Nainital), Sattal (Nainital), Khurpatal (Nainital), Shymalatal (Champavat), Sartal (Uttarkashi), Kedartal (Uttarkashi) and Hemkund (Chamoli).

Shivpuri (18 kms / 45 mins)

An ancient town and a sacred place in Madhya Pradesh, Shivpuri was earlier known as Sipri. A long holiday trip to Shivpuri will undoubtedly be very tremendous not only because of its lovely landscape, but also because of its various tourist attractions in the city. Its name derives from the Lord Shiva. The history of this place dates back to the Mughal period. The dense forests of Shivpuri were once the royal hunting grounds. Located at a height of 478 meters above sea level, the city is coupled with some of the most exotic attractions, which makes it a very peaceful destination for tourists.
As per the legend, the city named after Lord Shiva, served as the heaven of Kachhawaha Rajputs till 1804 and by and by it was ruled by Scindias. Also, it holds a historical importance to the pre-Independence times as it is the place where the great freedom fighter Tatya Tope was hanged till death.
Set amidst inclined hills and broadleaf forests, the forests of Shivpuri were formerly the hunting fields of the Mughal Emperors. A trip through the wilderness of its forest is very daring and adventurous. Whether you're on a leisure or adventure tour, you'll simply love the short journey amidst thrilling wildlife and historical places.

New Tehri(76 kms / 2 hr 15 mins)

The Tehri Dam is the Highest dam in India and one of the highest in the world. It is a multi-purpose rock and earth-fill embankment dam on the Bhagirathi River near Tehri in Uttarakhand, India. It is the primary dam of the THDC India Ltd. and the Tehri hydroelectric complex. Phase 1 was completed in 2006, the Tehri Dam withholds a reservoir for irrigation, municipal water supply and the generation of 1,000 megawatts (1,300,000 hp) of hydroelectricity

History

A preliminary investigation for the Tehri Dam Project was completed in 1961 and its design was completed in 1972 with a 600 MW capacity power plant based on the study. Construction began in 1978 after feasibility studies but was delayed due to financial, environmental and social impacts. In 1986, technical and financial assistance was provided by the USSR but this was interrupted years later with political instability. India was forced to take control of the project and at the first it was placed under the direction of the Irrigation Department of Uttar Pradesh. However, in 1988 the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation was formed to manage the dam and 75% of the funding would be provided by the federal government, 25% by the state. Uttar Pradesh would finance the entire irrigation portion of the project. In 1990, the project was reconsidered and the design changed to its current multi-purpose.[3] Construction of the Tehri Dam was complete in 2006 while the second part of the project, the Koteshwar Dam was completed in 2012.

Dehradun

Uttarakhands capital Dehradun is a hill town in the foothills of the Shivalik ranges in the Garhwal region with two perennial rivers flowing through it. Dehradun finds immense significance as one of the more important educational hubs in India along with a Military Training College.
Dehradun is well connected to Himalayan tourist destinations and serves as a gateway to places like Mussoorie, Auli and Holy Indian cities like Haridwar, Rishikesh and the popular Himalayan Pilgrimage circuit of Chota Char Dham.

History

The history of the city of Uttarakhand, Dehradun (nicknamed "Doon Valley") is linked to the story of Ramayana and Mahabharata. It is believed that after the battle between Ravana and Lord Rama, Lord Rama and his brother Lakshmana visited this site. Dronacharya, the legendary Royal guru to the Kauravas and Pandavas in the epic Mahabharata, is believed to have been born and resided in Dehradun.[8] Evidence such as ancient temples and idols have been found in the areas surrounding Dehradun which have been linked to the mythology of Ramayana and Mahabharata. These relics and ruins are believed to be around 2000 years old.
Furthermore, the location, the local traditions and the literature reflect this region's links with the events of Mahabharata and Ramayana. Even after the battle of Mahabharata, the Pandavas had influence on this region as the rulers of Hastinapura with the descendants of Subahu ruled the region as subsidiaries. Likewise, Rishikesh is mentioned in the pages of history when Lord Vishnu answered the prayers of the saints, slaughtered the demons and handed the land to the saints. The adjoining place called Chakrata has its historical impression during the time of Mahabharata.In the seventh century this area was known as Sudhanagara and was described by the Chinese traveller Huen Tsang. Sudhanagara later came to be recognised as the name of Kalsi. Edicts of Ashoka have been found in the region along the banks of river Yamuna in Kalsi indicating the wealth and importance of the region in ancient India. In the neighbouring region of Haripur, ruins were discovered from the time of King Rasala which also reflect the region's prosperity. Before the name of Dehradun was used, the place is shown on old maps as Gurudwara (a map by Webb, 1808) or Gooroodwara (a map by Gerard, 1818). Gerard's map names the place as "Dehra or Gooroodwara". Surrounding this original Sikh temple were many small villages that are now the names of parts of the modern city.