Rishikesh It is often called spiritual heaven, and it is easy to understand why. So, when my husband chose it as the destination for our 16th anniversary, I was pleasantly surprised. Although we are both spiritually inclined, we don’t often discuss it openly, so this option felt really new and special. I was so happy to hear that he had booked our accommodation Taj Rishikesh Resort & SpaKnown for its hospitality, especially important since we were traveling with children.

Our drive from Delhi was beautiful. As we passed through Haridwar, we noticed that the river bed of the Ganges was unusually empty; Probably it was being cleaned. Soon, we were embraced by the stunning Himalayan hills and a fresh breeze approached us, a refreshing change from the polluted air we were used to in Delhi-NCR. On the way we saw signs pointing towards Badrinath and Kedarnath, which added to our sense of adventure. We were soon greeted by signage Taj Rishikesh Resort and spa on our right.

Set in a serene landscape with hills surrounding us and the Ganga flowing peacefully nearby, the Taj welcomed us with the perfect blend of luxury and tranquility.

After checking-in, we went straight to our cottage and were thrilled to see the classic mountain range that we had once drawn in our drawing books as children – majestic peaks of one mountain after another. And just below flowing through the valley was the stunning, blue-green Ganga River. The room was immaculate, with floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding doors that opened onto a small terrace where you could often see monkeys having a good time.

The view from the window or should I say door was so welcoming that we couldn’t resist heading towards the river bank, which is 100 steps away from the lowest level of the resort.

Honestly, the scenery was beautiful and overwhelming at the same time. The depth and swift flow of the Ganga along with the immense power of the Himalayas forces us to come face to face with the vastness of nature and the mystery of life.

Talking about food, the resort gave us an amazing taste of the local flavours. We had our first meal at its main restaurant, Rock Floor, which was a delightful meal, but the highlight was our dinner at the Riverside Restaurant, which served “Gangetic and Provincial Himalayan” cuisine. We got to taste the local food, which did not disappoint us, but what disappointed us was that the place they called the Riverside Restaurant opened around 7 pm, by which time it gets dark over the hills and you can see the river. If you can’t see, you will only be able to see the river. To see the pool. But the Pahari Spinach Meat, Pahari Raita, Ragi Roti, Pahari Dal and Parantha were all exceptional in taste.

The resort also offers daily yoga and meditation classes, and every evening at sunset, guests can attend the Ganga Aarti, a beautiful ceremony in honor of the river.

The staff was incredibly friendly with kids and told us about a Shiva temple right across the Ganges. We remembered seeing a man with a boat taking people to the other side, so we decided to take a ride too. Once on the other side, it took a short walk to reach the old temple. It was peaceful and gave us a chance to escape in peace. We were also able to visit the Neelkanth temple on the day of Diwali and hence the journey took only 20 minutes, which was much less than the 1-2 hour waiting time that we had heard about.

The time spent there left us feeling refreshed with memories of nature, spirituality and warm hospitality, which made our anniversary truly unforgettable.

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