Rishikesh

Sunday July 6^th – Wednesday July 9^th

Rishikesh is one of three Hindu holy cities along the Ganges (Haridwar and Varanasi are the others) but it is much smaller and quieter than the other two. Rishikesh lies further upstream in the low foothills of the Himalayas. The town is built so it straddles the river which runs North-South. Along the river, especially upstream, the banks and surrounding hills are very steep which gives the city a feeling of being wrapped up by the hills with the river in the middle. This layout also has the effect of channeling all the wind that comes down from the mountains through the river-valley. We experienced that effect in full force as we crossed one of the two suspension bridges just after a storm was passing through. These bridges are for walking or motorbikes only and are about 50 feet above the river. Plenty of monkeys hang out on the bridges and cows like to walk on them also. The monkeys steel food from people or accept it when offered. The cows eat whatever the monkeys don't get first.

The suspension bridge

He probably stole that mango

Cow on the bridge

Monkey on the bridge

Different kind of monkey on the bridge

Being enlightened or discovering gravity?

Rishikesh is relatively well-known in the western world for two major reasons. The first is that it is the yoga-capital of the world and hosts the annual international yoga festival. There are also many yoga ashrams where you can stay and do yoga for as many days as you like. There are also classes for meditation, massage and rekei healing for those who are so inclined. The second reason it is well known is that Rishikesh is where the Beatles stayed at the Maharishi Mahesh ashram during the '60s and wrote a majority of the white album. That ashram is closed but still remains, overgrown by forest, for anyone who wants to check it out.

When we arrived in Rishikesh we found our way to the Sri Sant Seva yoga Ashram where a three person room cost us 400 rupees ($6.70) per night. The Ashram is a large complex that sits right on the banks of the Ganges, very close to one of the suspension bridges that takes us to the side of the river where there are many restaurants. When we arrived it was a Sunday (which apparently is a holiday) so no yoga classes were taking place. We decided to relax and shower and enjoy the view of the river that the ashram has.

Communal area in the ashram

The Sri Sant Seva ashram. view from the bridge

View from just outside our room

The next morning, we took our first Yoga class at 7:30 AM. The class was Hatha yoga and was instructed by a young yogi by the name of Mohan. Mohan is short, thin, and extremely flexible. He has been doing yoga for five years and has been teaching classes for the past two. He starts every class with a series of “warmup exercises” which involve rotating your wrists hands, shoulders, waist and knees. Each exercise is done first in the “clockwise” direction and then we switch to “counter clock”. Those directions are used even when they have no real meaning such as swinging both arms in circles like we are swimming freestyle or backstroke. When the exercise is started, Mohan will encourage us by saying “keep continue” and he will keep continue the exercise with such vigor that it looks like he may hurt himself. The next part of the class is a series of 4-6 sun salutations where we count our breaths, 1-12. Next, Mohan takes us through a series of poses first on our back, then on our stomach, then sitting poses, and finally standing poses. Between each pose, we “make the relaxation pose” which is Shivasana on our backs (laying down with arms and legs spread, eyes closed), on the stomach you put your hands under you cheek, spread your legs with heels pointed in, eyes closed), and standing you spread your legs, hold your arms six inches from your hips, eyes closed. Many of the poses are just glorified ab exercises and Mohan will tell us to “make deep feeling in your naval muscles” but to “not cross the limit, you can come back at any times”. About one hour in to the hour and fifteen minute class, we do one final Shivasana, and then we come to a sitting position where we welcome “the new....energy, the positive.....energy” into our bodies and then “bring a smile onto our face and be happy”. Lastly we chant “Om” Three times and then have one round of “Om Shanti Shanti Shanti”. Shanti means peace so the first Shanti is for me, the second is for my family and the third is for the world. The classes happen twice each day and we attended both of them for three days in a row. Each class has the same form but Mohan chooses different postures to focus on each time, sometimes coming back to the ones that he thinks we have struggled with.

Yogi Mohan's business card

The yoga hall

On the second morning of our stay I felt it was time to get wet in the Ganges. I had been told many times to not swim in the rivers in India because they are so polluted but I had seen so many other people doing it and I felt we were high enough upstream that I threw caution to the wind and woke up extra early to take a dip. The Ganges is glacial melt from the Gaumukh glacier and Rishikesh is only about 100 km from the source so the silty water was very cold. It was really refreshing, however, and I felt it was a perfect way to start the day. I showered with soap right after to make sure I didn't get a rash or anything and so far there have been no problems.

After our yoga session that morning, we grabbed breakfast and decided to go check out the Beatles ashram. We walked downstream from our ashram for a few kilometers and made it to a long alley way that had some shops and a ton of Sadhus. Sadhus are Hindu holy men who travel around the country mostly praying and begging money from people. This time of year, Haridwar and Rishikesh are popular destinations for the hairy, bearded, tan men who come to bathe in the Ganges (possibly the only time they bathe all year, or so it seems). Sadhus wear saffron (bright orange, and the holiest of Hindu colors) lungis (man-skirts that can be adjusted to become pants or shorts and may be the most versatile and comfortable of all clothing options) and often carry staffs. Most have not trimmed their hair or beards in many years but are quick to greet you with a smile and a “namaste” but then often ask for money.

A sadhu bathing in the Ganges

A particularly explicit sadhu around a bunch of white people

When we followed the river downstream for anther kilometer or so, we came across a walled compound that had about 50 sadhus hanging around. We asked them where the Beatles ashram was and one of them pointed down this path to an old looking gate. There was a sign that said it was a protected area for the national forest and no entry was allowed. The same sign was outside of the compound that had so many holy men and after talking to a few more of them we felt it was safe enough to go inside anyway. A sadhu told us the place had been closed for three years which was contradictory to what the Lonely Planet guidebook said but either way we didn't think any security would show up. The fine would have been 5000 rupees or ~$80 so we weren't too worried. We hopped the wall surrounding the ancient-looking ashram like three brightly colored ninjas. We landed on the other side in a wooded area by the main path through the compound. We walked up the path and checked out some of the abandoned rooms and what looked like possible a yoga hall. All of the roofs were made of river rocks and had weeds growing out of them, giving the place a natural but surreal feel. We saw an open gate at the back of the ashram and we thought that it might be the real entrance to the place. Not wanting to get caught sneaking in, we went back down the way we came, over the fence, and back to safety.

The front gate of the Beatles ashram

The main pathway with one of the rooms up on the right

Creeeeeeeepin

Like a ninja

A little less like a ninja

One of the rooms

Later that day, during our 4:30 yoga class, a storm came out of nowhere. In the middle of the class we heard a few thunder claps and rain started coming down in sheets. The power quickly went out and we did the rest of the class in the semi darkness of dusk with the windows open and the rain pounding outside. We waited for it to stop and when it did, walked across the suspension bridge to get dinner. On the way back, the wind picked up while we were on the bridge and we took a harrowing walk across with the bridge swaying with the gusts. It seemed safe enough but it was still humbling to feel that power.

Sagar left the next morning (Wednesday) to head back to Delhi for the night and then to Bangalore. I will see him again on August 7^th when I head down that way but it was goodbye between him and Leslie. For the first time in our trip, Leslie and I were without a guide and free to go where we pleased. The next stop we will take will be to the source of the mighty Ganges, which will be a 12 hour bus ride and a two day hike away.

Three things I learned:

1) These monkeys store food in their cheeks for later (or for other monkeys) when they eat.

2) Ringo hated India and left after only three weeks because he didn't like the vegetarian food

3) Only people in Holy places seem to say “namaste” as a general greeting. Everywhere else people just say “hallo”.