A holy spiritual place to reconnect with yourself, with your soul is the expression that I’d use to describe this truly incredible haven, located on the banks of the holy river Ganges and in the lap of Himalayas. This place is surreal, it is away from the hustle-bustle of the city and provides not only outer peace but inner peace as well. It helps you reconnect with your God, with your spiritual side, with your inner soul.
The Ashram provided yoga and meditation classes on the banks of the river Ganges. One can select the number of days that they’d like to stay, make the booking, and then lose themselves in the magical land of peace and spirituality.
The word ‘Ashram’ which is derived from Sanskrit means a place where one can practice meditation, yoga, connect with his/her inner self or with the divine almighty, and the word “Parmarth’ means ‘the highest good’. The Parmarth Ashram is one of the most popular Ashrams in Rishikesh that offers yoga courses, meditation classes, and accommodation to all its travellers and preachers.
Every evening the Ashram people along with the devotees and the visitors conduct prayer ceremonies at the private bank of the river Ganges and it is a sight to see. The evening prayer rituals are so beautiful and so surreal. The Ashram is located near the Lakshman Jhulla and although one never really wishes to leave the premises of the beautiful haven, the Ashram is located a drive away from the main attractions of the city of Rishikesh.
A lot of one or two events are organised in the Ashram like reciting of the chapters of the Bhagavad Gita ( the holy book for Hindus) and is followed by a discussion on the interpretation of the text. Various Yoga and meditation-related events are organised from time to time. I happened to be there when a two-day yoga event was being organised. I used to wake up early in the morning and take a stroll around the complex before the morning tea was served in the dining area. After that, we used to have a 02-hour long yoga session wherein not only I felt every muscle of my body but I also connected with myself during the meditation time. After breakfast, I attended one of the seminars that were on healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle. It taught me about food and nutrition on so many various levels and I am glad to have attended that.
Two afternoons of my three-day trip were usually spent in one of the corners of the Ashram reading my book and enjoying the serenity and peaceful environment of the Ashram. I went early to the banks of the river Ganges to save my spot to witness the evening Aarti ceremony at the river Ganges which is conducted during dusk time. The day usually ended with dinner in the dining area and then a stroll around the complex again. Those three days were one of the most peaceful days I have had in my life and I would love to go back to the Ashram to reconnect with myself.