India Photo Tour Extension: Haridwar & Rishekesh

Haridwar and Rishekest are located in the foothills of the Himalayas, near the point where the Ganga reaches the plains. Haridwar is an ancient pilgrimage site, held in reverence for centuries. Temples and Ashrams dot the town and a visit to Haridwar is like stepping into a totally different world. Rishekesh is another town, about one and a half hours up-river of Haridwar.

Every evening, “Aarti”, a Hindu puja ceremony is performed in Haridwar. We all had a great time attending and photographing the action.

After photographing Aarti, the following morning we did another “morning photo expedition” on the streets near our hotel. It’s always a pleasure to photograph in the morning, before the streets are full of pilgrims and vendors, it’s the only time when things are a bit more sedate. We then traveled to Rishekesh.

At Rishekesh there is a suspension iron bridge named Lakshman Jhula which was build in 1929. The swaying bridge is a great photo opportunity especially when the resident monkeys are present. One can enjoy the spectacular surroundings, great views and the cool breeze while standing on the bridge.

Rishekesh gained notoriety when the Beatles visited in 1968 to attend an advanced Transcendental Meditation training session at the ashram of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Amidst widespread media attention, their stay at the ashram was one of the band’s most productive periods.

Here are selected images from Aarti in Haridar, our morning photo walk, and our visit to Rishekesh.

Digvijay (DV) our guide, crosses Lakshman Jhula bridge under the watchful eyes of monkeys (Rhesus Macaques)

Yvonne getting up close and personal with a Rhesus Macaque on  Lakshman Jhula bridge