Rishikesh, also spelt as Hrishikesh, is a city near Dehradun in the Indian state Uttarakhand. The northern part of Rishikesh is in the Dehradun District while the southern part is in the Tehri gadwal district. It is situated on the right bank of the Ganges River and is a pilgrimage town for Hindus, with ancient sages and saints meditating there in search of higher knowledge. There are numerous temples and ashrams built along the banks of the river.
The city has hosted the annual International Yoga Festival on the first week of March since 1999 Rishikesh is a vegetarian-only and alcohol-free city.
The Tehri dam is located 86 km (53 mi) away from Rishikesh. Uttarkashi, a popular yoga destination, is 170 km (110 mi) uphill on the way to Gangotri. Rishikesh is the starting point for travelling to the four Chota char dham pilgrimage places: , Gangotri, badrinath Kedarnath and Yamunotri. It is also a starting point for Himalayan tourist destinations such as Harsil ,Chopta ,Auli, as well as summer and winter trekking destinations like Dodital, dayara Bugyal, Kedarkantha and Har ki Dun.