Religious Places
Lakshman Jhula
Lakshman Jhula, the famous hanging bridge across Ganga, is about 3 km from the main township of Rishikesh. It is 450 feet long and is situated at a height of 70 feet from the river. As per mythological tales, once Lakshman, the younger brother of Lord Rama, crossed river Ganga at the same site where the bridge now stands. At that time, there was only a suspension bridge, made of jute. After this incident, the bridge came to be known as ‘Lakshman Jhula’. With time, the jute bridge eroded and a new iron bridge was built along the same path in 1939.
Saptrishi Ghat
Saptrishi Ashram is a beautiful, quaint old, a bit delapidated ashram about 5kms before Haridwar. Founded in 1943 by Goswami Guru Dutt, it belongs to the Sanatan Dharam Pratinidhi Sabha of Punjab. It is meant to work for the revival of Hindu traditions. Housed in the complex is a residential hostel for poor students and a college where Sanskrit is taught. At the time of our visit, there were 180 students in the college, 120 of them being residential.
Gita Kutir Ashram Pawan Dham
Pawan Dham is located about 500 mt further, along the Rishikesh road. The temple is famed for it’s fantastic glass and mirrorwork and it’s elaborately garbed idols. Pawan Dham Temple is situated just two km from Haridwar, along the Rishikesh road, in Uttarakhand. The temple is noted for the exquisite mirror and glasswork. The elaborately decorated idols in the temple are worth visiting.
Swarg Ashram
As the name connotes, it is a beautiful place situated in picturesqe surroundings at the foothills of Himalayas. On the left bank of the Ganges between Rishikesh and Laxmanjhula, Swarg Ashram is the spiritual “ground zero of Rishikesh, filled with a concentration of ashrams and temples. The areas is known for its healthly and satvic living environment. It is this spot from ages of yore the famous Yogis and Rishis have been performing Tapasya. Numerous mentions of this spot occurs in the holy scripture Puranas.
Shantikunj
Shantikunj is the headquarters of the spiritual and social organisation All World Gayatri Pariwar (AWGP). Established in 1971 at Haridwar, it has emerged over the years as a center of the global movement of Yug Nirman Yojana (Movement for the Reconstruction of the Era) for moral-spiritual regeneration in the light of hoary Indian heritage. Situated at the bank of holy Ganges and between the Shivalik ranges of the Himalayas, it is also a place of attraction for tourists and seekers of spiritual guidance.
