Rishikesh (Hindi: ऋषिकेश; Sanskrit: हृषीकेश) is a city, municipal board and a tehsil in Dehradun district of the Indian state,Uttarakhand. Located in the foothills of the Himalayas in northern India, it is known as The Gateway to the Garhwal Himalayas.[1] and yoga capital. Rishikesh is surrounded by three other districts namely Tehri Garhwal, Pauri Garhwal andHaridwar. It is located approximately
25 km north of the city Haridwar and 43 km south-east of the state capital Dehradun. According to Census of India, 2011 Rishikesh had a population of 102,138 making it the 7th largest city also being largest municipal board in the state of Uttarakhand. It is known as the holy town and regarded as one of the holiest places to Hindus. Sages and saints have visited Rishikesh since ancient times to meditate in search of higher knowledge. It has an average elevation of 372 metres (1,745 feet)
The Tehri Dam is just 80 km uphill on the way to Gangotri. Rishikesh is the starting point for travelling to the four Chota Char Dham pilgrimage places — Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri. Rishikesh is also famous for ayurvedic treatments. Many Ayurveda centre are run where ayurvedic classes are given by Ayurvedic doctors. According to Köppen-Geiger climate classification system, its climate is humid subtropical (Cwa). Despite the pollution of the Ganges, the water in Rishikesh is relatively unaffected by the pollution as the major polluting points are down the course of the river in the neighboring state of Uttar Pradesh.
