Diving into our Soul!

When was the last time you had a spiritual trip full of heart pumping adventure? Incredible India might just be the only place on Earth to offer you that combo. This journey of ours has been a long overdue on my part to pen it down. Without revealing more, let me take you to our adventure past winter (December, 2021) right from where we left off!

After a delightful breakfast with the Tiger, we headed for one of the most ancient city in the world - the Gateway to Gods, Haridwar. Regarded as one of the seven sacred cities in Hindu culture, Haridwar is where the Holy Ganga enters the Indo-Gangetic plains.

After about four hours of ride, we were at 'Har ki Pauri' ghat.

Legend has it that Lord Vishnu had visited here and when we walked down the steps and touched Ganga, we could feel His presence and aura around us. One could feel their soul connecting with the One. A phenomenal and humbling experience indeed.

To our misfortune, the famous Ganga aarti had concluded by the time we reached. But, the atmosphere was so pious and pure that we could still feel the flames flaring in the air.

After a soul warming experience in Hardiwar, we headed for our final stop.

Rishikesh.

It's about an hour's drive to Rishikesh from Haridwar and we reached this holy town late evening. After a long ride, we were all completely exhausted until we drew down the curtains on our hotel room's windows and the above view enchanted us! What you're witnessing above is a picture of Ram Jhula above the Holy Ganges from our hotel window. Stunning view, isn't it?

In that split of a second, all the fatigue just went out of the window and we jumped out to explore this beautiful place at night.

We started exploring the heart of Rishikesh with its fancy shops filled with tourists and lights. In my humble opinion, this town exploration devoid of any worries and full of friendly smiles, it always a high note of any vacation.

After walking for about twenty minutes or so, we reached one of the most famous spots in Rishikesh, Laxman Jhula.

With the weather turning colder with the night, the bridge became almost deserted which makes it brilliantly easy for exploration. As we start making our way across the 450ft suspension bridge, we could feel the icy breeze on our face and hear the Ganges rumbling at a mighty speed just a few feet below us. This chilling experience reached its zenith when we were in the middle of the bridge. You could literally feel the scary swinging! And yet, you would want to stay there for just another minute to enjoy the panoramic view. Even though the view was covered in dark, the experience was surreal!

And, oh yeah, throughout this no-so-little walk of ours, we did let our tummies enjoy the delicacies of the streets!

With all the fun and smiles, it was time to wrap up the evening. The jokes and PJs keeping the spirit high!

A peaceful evening gave way to an adventurous dawn. You might be aware that Rishikesh is not only famous for meditation and spiritual significance but also for many thrilling adventure sports. And, we were about to try out two of them. Guessing which ones? Take a look at the cover pic (if you haven't already yet!) and you will get it. Yes, I am talking about the very popular white-water river rafting!

Water rafting at Rishikesh is a 16km long heart-pumping ride through some enthralling rapids. An amalgamation of picturesque mountains and heart-stopping flow of the clean Ganges is what makes this rafting so mouth watering!

The journey starts off with a 30 minutes ride to the starting point where all the enthusiasts converge in. Next we are divided in group of eight and then, the rafting begins. There are about 7-8 rapids in between the complete the journey. Each one of them will make you skip a beat! But none other than the one you see below. Damn, You could feel the power of just a small portion of nature in this! The adrenaline rush is at its peak and so is the joy in our hearts when the chilly holy water runs through us!

And as if the rapids weren't enough to test your heart, here's comes the next challenge

Cliff Jumping

Located at about a mile's distance from Laxman Jhula, this cliff is at a height of about 20 feet. Definitely not an activity for weak hearted, this voluntary activity offers a unique opportunity to experience gravity! It took us a while to decide if we are daring enough to do this, and interestingly it was Sagorica who went down first! If ever you needed a proof that girls are daring enough, there you have it!

Climbing up the cliff is a cake walk but when you stand at the helm of your destiny and realise what is about to come, you can feel you legs shaking, quite literally! You are instructed to look straight but when did we Indians ever followed rules, eh? All one can see is the rumbling water below and think how stupid I am to do this. But the moment you let off go, that crazy fear goes and for an instance you feel your heartbeat racing faster than Tom Cruise on a Kawasaki Ninja! A surreal experience indeed.

After an electrifying experience, we were back on the raft closing in on our destination. With the clock hitting beyond half past 4, we were in for a treat for the sunset was at the horizon. With the flow getting smoother, the last few minutes in the raft were all one needed to relax, smile and capture a memory!

The touch of the sunset brought perfection to this moment!

With one last stop on our books on the last day, we were all set to bid adieu to this soulful place. Situated on the outskirts of Rishikesh, is a small waterfall called 'Patna waterfall'.

This waterfall situated in the midst of a hills, asks its visitors for a small hike of less than 2 kilometres or about 20-30 mins one way.

The waterfall is quite tall but lacks a heavy flow of water. But maybe this is what makes it unique as you can experience the refreshing jet streams pretty close.

Patna waterfall allows you to explore the Rajaji Forest on the banks of the Ganges, escape the town and enjoy the scenic beauty of the jungle within a couple of hours. And oh yeah, enjoy the good ol' company of friends while the light hearted trekking!