HIMALAYAN FOOTHILLS
India is not only geography, history, nation or country - it is poetry, metaphor, something invisible that can be felt and touched. A vibration of certain feelings that is not found anywhere else in the world. A trip to the foothills of the Himalayas will help you experience this more than any other tour.
Date: during all year
RISHIKESH is the starting point for those going on a pilgrimage to the Himalayan shrines. The city is located 24 km from Haridwar. Surrounded on three sides by hills, it is located at an altitude of 356 m above sea level on the banks of the Ganga. Also known as the "yoga capital of the world", Rishikesh attracts many people who want to retire and understand all the secrets of yoga. According to legend, Lord Vishnu appeared in the guise of Rishikeshi (the lord of the senses) to the sage Raibhya, who was performing great penance. Here Lakshman, the brother of Prince Ramachandra, the hero of the epic Ramayana, indulged in asceticism. In the 60s, the Beatles visited Rishikesh. They lived in the ashram of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, which is still open to visitors. The city itself is divided by the Ganga into two parts: Ram Jhula and Lakshman Jhula. Two bridges - Shivanand Jhula (Ram Jhula) and Lakshman Jhula cross the Ganges, connecting the two parts of the city. The Lakshman Jhula Bridge was built in 1939 and is a favorite destination for visitors to Rishikesh. On a hot summer day, standing on the bridge, you can enjoy the cool breeze from the Ganges. And the beautiful view of the surrounding area is amazing. Nearby there are two majestic temples - Swarg Niwas and Sri Trayanbakshwar, like castles from a fairyland. A variety of deities are installed on each of the 13 levels of the temples. On the other bank of the Ganga is the Lakshmana Temple.
HARIDWAR (Uttarachal State) - in ancient times, the Tirtha "Gateway of the Ganga" was a sacred city located at the place where the Ganga, flowing like a rapid stream from the mountains, enters the plain. Haridwar means "Divine Gate" in Sanskrit. This is the starting point of pilgrimage to the four Himalayan Shrines: Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath. Crowds of pilgrims flock to this holy city to take a bath in the fast-flowing Ganges. “Then, O scholar of dharma, having bowed (along the way) to the great mountain, let the pilgrim go to the Gate of the Ganges, which is truly equal in holiness to the Gate of heaven. Let him, spiritually concentrated, take a bath in the Koti tirtha; then he will obtain the fruit of the pundarika sacrifice and rise above destruction his kind" (Mahabharata, Aranyakaparva, ch. 82)
DEVAPRAYAG is the confluence of the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers. It is in this place, 70 km from Rishikesh, that the Ganges River originates. In total, the Ganges is formed by five sacred prayags. Devaprayag is the last of them, and besides him, Rudraprayag, Karnaprayag, Nandaprayag and Vishnuprayag are sacred. According to Hindu beliefs, in ancient times the Vedic sage Devasharma performed austerities in this place for a long time, which is why the place was named Devaprayag.[3] On the terrace at the top of the village is the Raghunathji Temple, built of huge stones, which has a pyramidal shape.
COST: 980 USD for 4* accommodation (6 nights) per person Included in cost - Private Russian speaking guide - Sightseeing in a comfortable air-conditioned car - All parking fees, tolls and taxes, incentives, fuel and interstate taxes - Meeting at the hotel/airport/train station - Private bus with driver - Parking cost - hotel with breakfast - all taxes
Not included in price - Entrance fees to the monuments - Souvenir photos - Luggage storage - Food costs that are not included in the tour - Alcoholic drinks - Personal expenses - flight to Delhi and back - visa - insurance - meals, except breakfast
4* HOTELS these or similar
Rishikesh – Holy River Hotel
Haridwar – Fortune, Sterling Mantra Haridwar
Delhi - Radisson Blue Dwarka
