Field Trip: Haridwar and Rishikesh...and introducing Little Howda

Thank you all for your comments and emails with your suggestions for naming my sidekick. There were a lot of beautiful Indian suggestions and some fun plays on words...but, Tabitha...after reading Little Howda...he was annointed. Thank you!

Little Howda

I'd like to show you where we found Little Howda, so I'm going to take you on a bit of a field trip. Traveling north on the way to Haridwar and Rishikesh we passed many temples and ashrams along the way. The first of these was the Matri Smriti Museum and ashram, home to the relics of Sri Sri Anandamayi, a guru who was visited by many, including members of the Nehru and Gandhi families.

Matri Smriti Museum

As we drove closer to the Himilayas, the number of temples, shrines, and ashrams seemed to grow by the minute. We continued until we came to Har ki Pauri on the River Ganges where Lord Vishnu himself washed his feet. The Ganga is considered sacred and worshipped by Hindus, who believe sins and sickness of many lifetimes are washed away by the waters. 

Cleansing sin & sickness in the Ganga

I plucked up the courage and gingerly stepped down to dip a toe...although the cleansing of my sins would require a full dip and a bit of a soak, but perhaps another time.

Yep, that was the extent of my immersion.

Every six years, this is the site of the Kumbh Mela, when millions...yes, millions...of devotees visit over about a six-week long bathing fest. Me...I was happier to visit while things were a little quieter.

Quieter still, was the VIP viewing area a little further along. We had to show credentials to get passed the guards; but once in, we could completely relax and even had our own little hut from which to escape the heat.

The view as enjoyed by the other half. I did not repeat my dip.

What else to do in a major tourist mecca, but a spot of shopping at the local bazaar...and that's where we found Little Howda!

Malls are so yesterday!

Just look at that vermillion powder! Isn't it magnificent?

And...ever on the lookout for provisions, I found some spice boys...er...that would be spices. Saffron, asafoetida, and a house blend of garam masala.

The Charming Spice Boys 

And...gadgets! I did pass on this one for making my daily yogurt as there's far too much elbow grease involved.

Honestly, I think our guide was pulling my leg!

Peering down a side street...

...I think I now know why it takes so long to get routed to a call centre.

The Haridwar Bazaar was absolutely incredible; I could have windowless shopped for hours as it went on, and on, with stalls for everything under the brutal sun. But, the boys had had enough, and so on we went.

Looking across to Rishikesh with the Himilayas behind.

The whole area is filled with tourists and definitely has a buzz about it. In fact, there were a few corners where it was hard not to get a buzz just breathing. Above is one of the bridges, Lakshman Jhula, that we crossed. Here's a closer look.

You can't see them, but motorbikes and animals use this crossing as well. Quite snug.

The bridges swing a little and we were told that the Ganga goes to about 80 ft deep in parts below. Never mind, we crossed one, Ram Jhula, walked up to Rishikesh, then hiked upwards to cross the other. Utterly amazing views!

The Ganges and Himilayas - so majestic and serene from the madness of the bridge.
As ever, India is full of contrasts.

View from the Lakshman Jhula...the iron suspension bridge.

Monkeys are very clever, and like to hit all the tourists for favours. They were everywhere!

Thanks for coming along and viewing the holiday snaps. I have had major troubles with my camera, which went off to for mending to Delhi for a couple of weeks but is still not right. So, between the wonky lens and the ancient iPhone camera, the pics can only give you a small idea of the real thing. Hope things will be better for the next field trip!