Rishikesh

temple in rishikesh

Rishikesh, also spelled Hrishikesh, Rushikesh, or Hrushikesh, is a city and a municipal board in Dehradun district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is located in the foothills of the Himalaya in northern India and attracts thousands of pilgrims and tourists each year, from within India, as well as from other countries.It is also known as the gateway to the Himalayas and is located around 25 kilometres away from another holy city, Haridwar. "Hṛṣīkeśa" is a name of Vishnu that means 'lord of the senses' The place gets its name after Lord Vishnu who appeared to 'Raibhya Rishi' as a result of his tapasya (austerities), as Lord Hrishikesh. In Skanda Purana, this area is known as 'Kubjamrak' 

river ganga

as Lord Vishnu appeared, under a mango tree. Rishikesh has been a part of the legendary 'Kedarkhand' (the present day Garhwal) Legends state that Lord Rama did penance here for killing Ravana, the demon king of Lanka; and Lakshmana, his younger brother, crossed the river Ganga, 

at a point, where the present 'Lakshman Jhula'  bridge stands

today, using a jute rope bridge. The 'Kedar Khand' of Skanda Purana, also mentions the existence of
Indrakund at this very point. The jute-rope bridge
was replaced by iron-rope suspension bridge in 1889, and after it was washed away in the 1924 floods, it was replaced by a stronger present bridge.

Lakshman Jhula

The sacred river Ganga (Ganges) flows through Rishikesh. It is here that the river leaves the Shivalik mountains in the Himalayas and flows out into the plains of northern India. Several temples, ancient as well as new, can be found along the banks of the Ganges in Rishikesh.