Rishikesh, India Photo Gallery -- National Geographic Traveler

Retreat Scene
Photograph by Peter McBride
Holy men, traditional architecture, and lush gardens set the scene at Parmarth Niketan Ashram, a sprawling spiritual retreat by the town of Rishikesh, India.
Read more in “Here Comes the Sun” from the October 2012 issue of National Geographic Traveler.
Monkey Business
Photograph by Peter McBride
A rhesus monkey looks for an opportunity to snatch food or shiny objects from pedestrians on Laxman Jula suspension bridge, slung across the Ganges River near the town of Rishikesh.
Read more in "Here Comes the Sun" from the October 2012 issue of National Geographic Traveler.
Spiritual Exercise
Photograph by Peter McBride
Young residents of Parmarth Niketan Ashram practice yoga above the Ganges River near a statue of Shiva. The ashram provides housing, food, and academic and spiritual education for some 200 impoverished boys.
Read more in "Here Comes the Sun" from the October 2012 issue of National Geographic Traveler.
Ceremonial Moment
Photograph by Peter McBride
A candle is lit in a flower-filled bowl that will float down the Ganges during the evening aarti ceremony of prayers and singing on the banks of the river near Rishikesh.
Read more in "Here Comes the Sun" from the October 2012 issue of National Geographic Traveler.
Spiritual Illumination
Photograph by Peter McBride
A small temple glows on the banks of the Ganges in Haridwar, one of the sacred cities of India, which attracts hundreds of thousands of religious pilgrims every year.
Read more in "Here Comes the Sun" from the October 2012 issue of National Geographic Traveler.
Tea Time
Photograph by Peter McBride
A cow completes an afternoon tea scene in Rishikesh, India, where cattle are revered by Hindus.
Read more in "Here Comes the Sun" from the October 2012 issue of National Geographic Traveler.
Water Fun
Photograph by Peter McBride
Illuminated by a low sun, people bathe and play in the Ganges River in Rishikesh, where the water temperature is bracingly cold.
Read more in "Here Comes the Sun" from the October 2012 issue of National Geographic Traveler.
Warming Up
Photograph by Peter McBride
On a chilly morning, a vendor pours freshly made chai in the village of Neelkanth, India, near Rishikesh, in the foothills of the Himalaya.
Read more in "Here Comes the Sun" from the October 2012 issue of National Geographic Traveler.
Meditative View
Photograph by Peter McBride
From the Anand Lok Retreat Centre in Sirasu, India, guests are treated to a misty morning view of the Ganges River as it winds through the Himalayan hills.
Read more in "Here Comes the Sun" from the October 2012 issue of National Geographic Traveler.
Swing Time
Photograph by Peter McBride
Kids on their way to school in Sirasu, India, pause for play with a guest from the Anand Lok Retreat Centre. Sirasu has no roads; only a pedestrian bridge and seasonal ferry service connect it to the outside world.
Read more in "Here Comes the Sun" from the October 2012 issue of National Geographic Traveler.