Rishikesh
STAY 7th Heaven Inn
EAT Beatles Cafe
VISIT Trivani Ghat for Aarti
EXPLORE Lakshman Jhula Bridge and Ram Jhula
The giant majestic murti of Shiva over Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar next to the banks of the Ganges river bathing ghats
Cows and Bulls are sacred in India and they are honored always by being allowed to roam free, being fed and of course inspiring holy cities that are vegetarian by law, like Rishikesh
JULIO
Nestled at the base of the Himalayas and perched above the flowing Ganges river Rishikesh is a holy pilgrimage site for Hindus and Westerners alike. Being the site of many scenes from the Ramayana and Mahabaratha its banks are dotted with temples, Ashrams and guest houses to field the thousands arriving daily to bathe in the Ganga, begin a yoga retreat or just go river rafting. Being instrumental in India's campaign to take ownership of Yoga and the site of the International Yoga Conference it has been dubbed "Yoga capital of the world". There is deep spirituality and history here but the title seems to add to the common confusion of classical Indian philosophies where people do not know the difference between Vedanta, the predominant school of modern India and Samkyha the strongly rationalist, duelist founding school of Yoga. It does seem evident that the Indians are hamming it up for the Western Yoga enthusiasts and most of the recent graduates I met and spoke with, seemed more confused than when they started. Negating the main intention of Yoga, which aims to to assist with better discernment and clear up confusion. All this aside India can be a challenging country to visit and Rishikesh has more available to keep Westerners in the ways that they are accustomed to making it a great place to hang and begin your relationship with India. This being why we chose to return and make it our base at the head of this trip.
We arrived in India a day before the spring festival of Holi which was such a feast for the eyes, heart and spirit. Thousands gather in the streets and smear brightly colored chalk on the faces of friends, neighbors and strangers. Us being western looking made us major targets of many Indians (mostly boys) approaching us smiling and saying Happy Holi while smearing us with every color of the rainbow. Suffice to say it was a warm and memorable welcome.
There is a general feeling of sexual and physical repression in India. Social norms do not allow touching between men and women in the same ways we are accustomed to in the West. This repression rears its head during Holi's sometimes drunken revelry and many women are groped or sometimes even raped. In the religious pilgrimage destination of Rishikesh were many go to bathe in the Ganges this energy could be felt and we witnessed personally. Regardless, this day was like no other and full of joy and spectacle that can only be experienced in India.
We spent two whole months in Northern India this go and it was completely different from our last. This trip was more about deepening relationships, getting focused on our projects, and getting re-accustomed to the traveling life.
We were blessed to reconnect and solidify our relationships with artisans and textile producers to launch our Himalayan accessories project Didi Darling. After developing friendships with local women and girls in the area we realized how different, difficult and important the roles of women are in the region. Daily life duties are all given to women: fetching water from the nearest river or well, cleaning, cooking, farming are all given with very little concern for our Western ideas on human rights . With great honor and love for the Indian culture, it was difficult to see how hard it was for girls to stay in school, or for a woman to divorce an abusive husband and survive, or for teenage girls to escape possible rape or abuse. Our main idea to give back was to try to assist these women directly but the long arm of corruption seems to be everywhere and nearly impossible to escape. We decided best to go give directly to the highly vetted UN Women so that we could be more certain of the benefits of our giving.
India is perhaps my favorite place in the world and its people are the highlight of the show. Suffice to say, I cannot wait to get on the plane when its time to go. The moment the plane takes off, I miss it and every smiling face I encountered painfully. The best and the worst all in one truly making it "Incredible India".
Christina was a big hit and took at least a hundred selfies with revelers.
A group picture at Lakshman Jhula bridge with the Trayambakeshwar temple in the background.
As you can see there are almost no Indian women present as a lot of drunken revelry and mischief ensues.
Julio's head became a canvas of sorts for every color of the rainbow
Christina, Maria, Julio and Sam. We spent Sam and Julio's birthday going from cafe to cafe sampling there finest pastries and finished with veggie momos on the street. Delicious!
We made friends with many of the local cows, this is Curly.
Julio's favorite restaurant in Rishikesh - Rajasthan Sweets.
We were adopted by an amazing Jain family and were invited to their home for a traditional Jain Rajasthani meal cooked by mom. The best! She made lunch for us
Jain food is only cooked during daylight to protect insects and is strictly vegetarian. Only homemade ghee is used. No potatoes, onions or garlic or agitating foods. It was really delicious and they would not stop serving.
Our dear friend Susan who organized a trip to the town of Kankal to the site of revered mother saint Anandamayi Ma.
Inside the ashram at the temple site of a saints Mahasamadhi
Our friends Marcy, Christina and Susan on the banks of the Ganges outside of Santosh Puri.
While touring the temple complex of Dakshmandir many pictures where taken with many families
Julio clowning around with some new friends at Ramana's Garden.
Beautiful Christina in the sunset light on the banks of the Ganges River
Making the Digital Nomad lifestyle look good.
Everyday the Jains graciously invited us for lunch. All served in a metal tiffin that would arrive piping hot from Mother Jain's kitchen full of Rajasthani delicacies
Our dear friend and textile baron ALOK sipping on chai tea
Julio was graciously invited to participate in the Jain parade on the occasion of Mahavir Jayanti. This day celebrates the birth of Jain saint Mahavira
Marching bands filled up the air to wild devotional dancing and celebration
One of the many floats in the parade showing the stages of the great saint's life
Maria and Christina learning to cook Indian food from Master Chef Amit Jain of Cooking Masala cooking school
Dal Fry, Saag Paneer, Kadai Paneer and Paneer Butter Masala
The fruits of our labor served on a dried leaf plate
Locals and Indian tourists coming to bathe in the Ganges
the iconic Lakshman Jhula named after the brother of Rama just outside of Tapovan where we stayed.
The hazy view down the Ganges towards Rishikesh town from Tapovan
Powerful resin Incense burning on dried chickpea snacks from a street seller.
The famous and cherished dish from Mumbai called Pav bhaj which consists of spiced mashed veggies on hot buttered buns. Just fabulous and decadent.
Every morning Julio would go up to this chai stand and drink tea with the locals. His favorite time of the day except when he was gored by a mad bull in the side. Thank good it was only a minor injury. Many people are killed every year by wild bovines of which there are over 9 million roaming India freely.
Julio's favorite - the Bihar Baba chai walla - we built the roof over the chai stand together and by the end of our trip it was like Vegas.
Julio and Sam following behind "Ole One horn"
Ole One Horn bidding us goodbye on our way out of town
Julio, Christina and Maria getting ready to explore the riverbed slum. It was a real experience where all smiled, were welcoming and there was a deep sense of dignity.
We went to Satsang with Prem Baba.
World famous ashram Parmarth Niketan on the banks of the Ganges
Wild horses, Donkeys and animals of all kind come to drink at the Ganges
A monk or Sanyassin at prayer during Aarti at Parmarth Niketan Ashram
One of the hosts at the iconic CHotiwalla resteraunt near Ram Jhula
the footbridge at Lakshman Jhula where you must contend with many pedestrians, cows, monkeys, motorcycles and scooters to get to the other side.
Although controversial due to its impact on the holy river, Rishikesh has become a popular destination for river rafting on the Ganges for tourists.
The statue of Shiva in the square.
FOOD FACTS: Rishikesh food is mostly akin to North India's cuisine and hard to describe since India's regional dishes are so region specific and diverse. Rice, vegetables and pulses of all kinds are cultivated here and Rishikesh itself is vegetarian by law.