Rishikesh became popular as the place where the Beatles went to experiment with Eastern philosophy and religion, staying in an ashram and catapulting Maharishi Mahesh Yogi to fame by adopting him as their guru. With that in mind, I expected it to be a "hippie hangout," bristling with a new age atmosphere packaged for the consumption of Western seekers.
I was thus pleasantly surprised to find Rishikesh--Swarg Ashram, to be precise--to be a tranquil town tucked between thickly wooded hills and the Ganges. True there were many foreigners among the saffron clad saddhus, but they weren't at all the wild backpackers I was expecting to find.
As I left the place, I actually found myself thinking that it would be lovely to be able to go back there someday and stay a few weeks or months. With such lovely surroundings and a gentle pace of life, it's the kind of place where it seems very possible to find enlightenment and peace of mind.
I was thus pleasantly surprised to find Rishikesh--Swarg Ashram, to be precise--to be a tranquil town tucked between thickly wooded hills and the Ganges. True there were many foreigners among the saffron clad saddhus, but they weren't at all the wild backpackers I was expecting to find.
As I left the place, I actually found myself thinking that it would be lovely to be able to go back there someday and stay a few weeks or months. With such lovely surroundings and a gentle pace of life, it's the kind of place where it seems very possible to find enlightenment and peace of mind.
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