Hello Rishikesh!

Paradise found. Technically Rishikesh is in India, but it is so far from the India of my first three weeks that I suspect I have changed countries. Rishikesh fashions itself the yoga capital of the world. Each year in March the town hosts the International Yoga Festival, and 400 people from around the world come to enjoy the charm and marvels of this place.

Rishikesh is located on the holy Ganges river. Holy to Hindus that is, and after sitting by its side for several hours, I now understand the appeal. The Ganges river winds through Northern India after leaving the Himalayas just south of Rishikesh, and it continues all the way to Calcutta and the sea. Along the way, 26 cities dump their raw sewage into the river. In the holy city of Varanassi, down river even farther, bodies are cremated non-stop, and the ashes and unburned parts are swept into the river. Thousands of people bathe in the river every day, but I am using the shower at my hotel. Perhaps the reason is obvious.

The Ganges in Haridwar, next big city down river from Rishikesh, is the site of the Kumhb Mela, which takes place there every 12 years. The Kumhb is a major Hindu pilgrimage, and millions of people come to bathe in the river on auspicious, important days between 14 January and sometime in April. Symbolically, a dip in the Ganges washes away all your sins. It also freezes you to the bone, as northern India has been registering record low temperatures for the last month. Arezo and I hope to attend the Kumhb Mela on 12 February in Haridwar. This is the first of the royal bathing days of the Kumhb. I don't know exactly what that means, but five million people are expected, so it just might be cool. (And by cool I mean crowded.) I will be back with stories and photos...

As for the Ganges in Rishikesh, the river is no less important. Each night prayer ceremonies take place along its banks. The biggest - and possibly most touristy - is at the Parmarth Niketan Ashram. We attended the ceremony, or aarti, last night, along with a very important man from Japan who is a leader in that country's Buddhist community. I was a bit disappointed when we found out who he was; the president of South Korea is currently in India, and I was hoping that was him. (No offense.) Photos of the ceremony to follow once I get the internet computer to cooperate.

Hinduism is unique amongst the world's major religions in that it teaches that there are many (and I mean many) ways to the Divine. The Hindus worship thousands of gods, all of which are manifestations of the one god, Brahma, and followers are encouraged to pick their favorite. It all seems a bit much to me, as India is liberally sprinkled with icons of all these deities, and I don't recognize most of them. But who am I to judge. What I do like is the inherent inclusiveness of Hinduism. All religions are accepted as valid, and all are respected.

Back to the yoga capital of the world. My stated objective in coming to Rishikesh was to find an ashram to tuck into for a month or so to do yoga, meditate, eat vegetarian food, and get enlightened. Or whatever. Now that I am here, I realize the ashram life isn't quite what I am after, so I suspect I will stay at the Hotel RajPalace (no space) and take advantage of their on-site yoga classes. To be honest, the food options here are just too good to miss by eating ashram food. And as an added bonus, Arezo is a yoga instructor, so we have decided to hold our own classes in the beautiful yoga and meditation hall at the hotel. We also agree we want to walkwalkwalk around the area, to the local waterfalls, through the various parts of the town, seeking out local treasures at the markets, and sampling all the restaurants we find. Arezo leaves to return to the US on 17 February, and then all bets are off. But for now, this is heaven, and if you want to find me, check Rishikesh.