Rishikesh Rafting – Challenge to the Powerful Ganga!

Since I moved to Delhi from my home-town Bhiwani, it’s not so far away—just 120km, I was dying to go on an adventure tour to Rishikesh. I had been to this gracious city before, but it was for religious sightseeing and not for the ones I am always passionate about – fun, adventures and doing daring tasks. I’m a kind of adventure-enthusiast and love to try new things. I usually dream fresh air hitting my face, rough waves crusading with my torso and rugged terrains challenging me to cross over. But due to any reason, I have been alienated to these enthrallments.

This time we all decided to do some serious planning, and one fine day we (a group of five peers) were off to Rishikesh.  Everyone was excited and was with a unique sense of happiness mixed with a bit fear of the risks involved. Whatever it was, we were enjoying and enjoying it to the fullest.  We drove there in Maruti Astar owned by one of my friends. The distance from Delhi to Rishikesh is about 225km, and it takes 5 hours to cover this distance with smooth drive by car. Right according to our tour itinerary, we were in Shivpuri at about 9:00 am. We hired a room in a budget Rishikesh hotel, and get refreshed before moving ahead. First we planned to discover religious sites of Rishikesh. Unlike Delhi, this town was quite silent and pace of life was slow, at least at that moment of time. People were warm and friendly; I noticed a few of them passing us smile when we asked them of the way to our targeted destinations. 

Entire Rishikesh was post-card picturesque. Lofty hills overlooking shimmering rivers and green paddy field were looking stunning. Fresh air and mountainous greenery was refreshing, and spirituality could be inhaled with every breath. We all were really enjoying this pristine beauty, and I could feel this through an unfamiliar silence between us. Perhaps everyone was talking to himself, or may be missing someone special (this came to know when one of us told that he was missing his girlfriend). First of all, we visited Bharat Mata Mandir. This spectacular shrine is awesomely designed and is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. After that, we went to Rishikund, Ram Jhula and Geeta Bhawan, and visit to these destinations was worthwhile. Enchanting scenery, refreshing environment and a unique feel of spirituality at Luxman Jhula was a treat for the eyes and senses. We spent the entire day exploring natural splendors and religious fervor of Rishikesh.

The next day was the day we all were waiting for long. Little bit tired but full of enthusiasm, scared but fully excited, we reached the spot from where we had to start rafting. The powerful Ganges was roaring in front of us. We could see the water in tempestuous mood: dying hard to move ahead as swiftly as possible, making ups and downs and fighting strongly with rocks coming on the way. The scene was tremendous, in fact eye-opener for first timers.  We took a few snaps, and went down in water.  

Now, it was time when we realized real value of our life, trying as best as possible to be safe in the battle field where bone chilling waters at top speed was trying hard to drown us. Really, you can never imagine the power of water from outside.  We were shouting and moving ahead along with swinging water waves. On the way, we stopped at a point, indicated by our rafting manager, for ‘cliff jumping’.  The cliff from distance appeared to be small, and it seemed no so difficult to jump from there, but when I climbed on it, my legs started to be trembling. My heart and mind were fighting, but I was there to do that, and I did that. The feel was awesome, and is really hard to describe in words. After completing the rafting, we went to the hotel and took lunch.

After a break of 2-3 hours, we went for nearby sightseeing. Evening was fixed for shopping in Rishikesh’s lively markets. On the very next morning, we packed our bags and left the hotel to come back to Delhi. Rishikesh River Rafting was awesome trip, and was the travel experience of my lifetime. Even today, we recall the sweet memories which we collect during the tour, and a smile spreads on our face.