Rishikesh vs Varanasi: which of these two riverside Indian cities should you visit?

28.05.2024 - 15:05 / lonelyplanet.com

Two Indian cities along the Ganges each have claims to fame. 

Dubbed the “yoga capital of the world” for its numerous ashrams and yoga teacher training courses, Rishikesh is particularly popular among spiritual seekers (as well as those who are just in need of a good stretch). Follow the Ganges south and you'll find Varanasi, one of the holiest cities in Hinduism and a place that has drawn pilgrims for thousands of years.

In case you're not able to visit both, we asked two travel writers to go head-to-head, giving the case for the city closest to their hearts.

During her six-year stint living in India, travel journalist Margot Bigg visited Rishikesh countless times, and once spent an entire month studying yoga in the city. Rishikesh remains one of her favorite weekend destinations from Delhi to this day.

The holy city of Rishikesh on the banks of the Ganges River — and its proximity to Uttarakhand’s four famous pilgrimage temples, collectively known as the Char Dham — has drawn in a steady flow of Indian travelers for many generations, but it wasn’t until the 1960s that Western visitors began coming here in great numbers.

Although the hippie trail has come and gone, one relic of the flower-power era remains: the ruins of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Ashram, nicknamed the “Beatles Ashram” in honor of the time that the Fab Four spent here studying Transcendental Meditation under the tutelage of the Maharishi himself. While you used to be able to slip a few rupees to a watchperson and explore the once-ramshackle grounds on your own, the ashram has since been taken over by the Rajaji Tiger Reserve. Today it operates as a proper tourist attraction, complete with signage, well-maintained passageways, a photo gallery and a small cafe.

The Beatles Ashram aside, most of Rishikesh’s historic ashrams and temples are active, thriving, and welcoming to all — including foreigners — unlike Varanasi, where temples either charge hefty fees for overseas visitors or simply ban them from entry altogether. Rishikesh is a friendly, welcoming place for seekers (and the spiritually curious), irrespective of their origin. Foreign visitors can hike up to the Neelkanth Mahadev Temple, study the teachings of Swami Sivananda — who wrote all his tomes in English — at the Divine Life Society or join the masses at the evening aarti ceremony (the auspicious lighting of lamps or candles) on the banks of the Ganges in front of the Parmarth Niketan Ashram, all without having to worry about being treated as unwelcome or inferior.

If you’re super into yoga, there’s no better place to be in India than Rishikesh. Here you’ll find all sorts of places to practice your asanas, from small schools teaching beginner-friendly classes in Hatha, Iyengar and