Rishikesh Now and Then | Life and History of Rishikesh in India

Namaste, my name is Neha, I am from Rishikesh. I have been living here for 25 years. Rishikesh in the Uttarakhand and it’s a place of Lord Vishnu. This is situated on the bank of river Ganga and surrounded by the shivalik range of Himalayan mountains. This is a very beautiful place with full of natural beauty and the spiritual energy. So many sages come here to do meditation, do yoga practice and seeking the higher knowledge.

As I was born here in Rishikesh, so my childhood was spent by making fun and playing with my friends, with my brother. And I remember like, often, most often at the time, on the weekends, I used to visit Ganga Aarti and Lakshman Jhula, Ram Jhula, Triveni Ghat with my family members. So yes, it was a very nice time that I spent in my childhood, especially in Rishikesh, in like the lap of river Ganga and in the nature, like always seeing the mountain from from the terrace, sunrise and sunset from the terrace. So hearing the chirping of the birds. So it’s a very beautiful place. And as the time is changing, we are also becoming now like 25 years past. So there are lots of like greenery, trees, very less pollution. And now it’s like the time changed and due to modernization you can say growth and development. Yes, it’s little deforestation that happens here and it’s like more pollution, little more pollution you can say.

It’s natural because if you lead to development then some of the compensation you have to make with the nature. So these different changes happening in the Rishikesh and but it’s like nowadays it becomes so much famous like after when our Honorable Prime Minister named this place as the yoga capital of the world. So, so much tourist attracts towards this place. It becomes so much famous for yoga and spirituality. The people start knowing this place and coming here from worldwide and learning yoga, doing meditation and also for refreshment, for mental healing, peace, because yes, the environment naturally heals the person. So, there are so many changes that are happening here and now you can also enjoy some of the adventurous sports like river rafting, like bungee jumping, that used not to be like for the older time. So, it’s changed, but in spite of all these things, the aura of the Rishikesh, it’s so much healing and the spiritual energy is here. And you can feel all these energies when you do the meditation in the bank of river Ganga flowing, it’s a kind of meditation and just hearing the voice of the water flows, so it’s really very mesmerizing. And this space, yes, it heals the people, it’s having a certain kind of energy because so many saints, they come here and do their tap, do their sadhana. So all these energies of chanting mantras and you know their sadhanas they immerse the energy.

So all these energies they are absorbed in the atmosphere on this place. So you can easily feel the energy when you are doing Ganga Aarti or you are sitting on the bank of river Ganga or you are going to the temple. So you hear the mantras, you hear the chantings, you hear the kirtans, all the people are like the doing these spiritual things over here. So you can easily feel this spiritual energy. So all these things, it makes the Rishikesh beautiful and it makes the Rishikesh different from other areas. And it’s a place of sages. So yes, it’s like I’m feeling very grateful. I’m very happy like I born here. And I like practice yoga. I practice meditation. I used to go to, and also I like whenever I feel like I want to go, then I go to the river Ganga and do the meditation. So it really heals me too. So, yes, all these things, it makes me more connected. I try to align my life according to the nature, according to the nature laws. I try to live and do mantras, the yagya and all, it makes me so much connected to my root and I enjoy the reality and I being so real in this materialistic world by connecting to myself, by spreading love, by spreading happiness and being kind to the people, being kind to like everyone, not only the people, animals also. So all these things, it makes me like connected to myself, connected to my roots, being authentic in this materialistic world.

So the last I want to say, thank you to God that I spent so many years here and learning a lot. I’m also wishing you all the blessings of Lord Shiva, so many blessings of Lord Shiva for you. Thank you. many blessings of Lord Shiva for you. Thank you.