Rishikesh

The view across the bridge to the main Hindu temple in Rishikesh
A hippy type figure

A day trip to Rishikesh was juct enough. It takes an hour or so by bus and then a short auto rickshaw ride to the main ghat temple. The temple here is like a multi story affair, with many of the deities on disply in their own little shrines - great for swotting up on the gids and goddesses. I think I can recognise the difference between a Vishnu and a Shiva now, or a Durga and a Kali.

Apart form westerner hippies and wanna-be spiritualist who are no doubt running away from something or other , or young gap year kids dressed in the apparently required baggy coullottes or trousers and kurtas, (all this makes me cringe) Rishikesh is quite pleasant. Being further north than Haridwar the river flows quickly and again looks clean. There are ashrams and yoga and meditation classes at every turn, but I found that the peace and quite on a riverside beach meditative enough....