Rishikesh
Rishikesh | |
|---|---|
City | |
Left to Right; Top to Bottom : Triambakeshwar Temple, Muni Ki Reti, Parmarth Niketan, Janki Setu, Evening aarti at Triveni Ghat, the Ram Jhula and AIIMS Rishikesh | |
| Nickname(s): Yoganagari and Yognagari | |
| Coordinates: 30°06′30″N 78°17′50″E / 30.10833°N 78.29722°E | |
| Country | India |
| State | Uttarakhand |
| District | Dehradun and Tehri Garhwal |
| Municipality | 1952 |
| Named after | Hrishikesha |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipal Corporation |
| • Body | Rishikesh Municipal Corporation |
| • Mayor | Shambhu Paswan (BJP) |
| • Lok Sabha MP | Trivendra Singh Rawat (BJP) |
| • MLA | Premchand Aggarwal (BJP) |
| • Municipal Commissioner | Rahul Kumar Goyal |
| Area | |
• Total | 11.5 km2 (4.4 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 340 m (1,120 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 102,138 (urban agglomeration) 70,499 (City as per Census 2,011) |
| • Rank | 7th |
| • Density | 8,851/km2 (22,920/sq mi) |
| • Male | 54,446 |
| • Female | 47,672 |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Hindi |
| • Native | Garhwali |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 249201 |
| Telephone code | +91-135 |
| Vehicle registration | UK-14 |
| Literacy (2011) | 86.86% |
| • Male | 92.21% |
| • Female | 80.78% |
| • Rank | 2nd |
| Sex ratio (2011) | 875 ♀ / 1000 ♂ |
Rishikesh, also spelt as Hrishikesh, is a city near Dehradun in the Indian state Uttarakhand. The northern part of Rishikesh is in the Dehradun district while the southern part is in the Tehri Garhwal district. It is situated on the right bank of the Ganges River and is a pilgrimage town for Hindus, with ancient sages and saints meditating there in search of higher knowledge. There are numerous temples and ashrams built along the banks of the river.
It is known as the "Gateway to the Garhwal Himalayas" and "Yoga Capital of the World". The city has hosted the annual International Yoga Festival on the first week of March since 1999. Rishikesh is a vegetarian-only and alcohol-free city.
The Tehri Dam is located 86 km (53 mi) away from Rishikesh. Uttarkashi, a popular yoga destination, is 170 km (110 mi) uphill on the way to Gangotri. Rishikesh is the starting point for travelling to the four Chota Char Dham pilgrimage places: Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri. It is also a starting point for Himalayan tourist destinations such as Harsil, Chopta, Auli, as well as summer and winter trekking destinations like Dodital, Dayara Bugyal, Kedarkantha and Har Ki Dun.
In September 2015, Indian Minister of Tourism Mahesh Sharma announced that Rishikesh and Haridwar would be the first "twin national heritage cities". As of 2021, Rishikesh has a total population of 322,825 within the tehsil including the city and its 93 surrounding villages.
The city is governed by Rishikesh Municipal Corporation and tehsil.