A short drive from Dehradun lies the town of Rishikesh, sitting at the foothills of the Himalayas and near the source of the Ganges River, the holy river of the Hindus.
Rishikesh is the self-proclaimed yoga capital of the world and there was certainly no shortage of ashrams and institutes offering yoga, meditation, Ayurvedic treatments, and spiritual guidance.
Eric was excited to be in Rishikesh and see the place that inspired the Beatles' writing of their White Album, much of which they wrote at an ashram that is now abandoned.
We spent the evening of the Winter solstice with hundreds of pilgrims, watching an aarti ceremony of light on the river, in dedication to the river goddess, Ganga, led by Chidananda Saraswati, one of Rishikesh's most famous gurus.
After much walking around town and attempting to capture its uniqueness with the many wandering sacred cows, sadhus seeking spiritual enlightenment, and pilgrims bathing in the Ganges, I gladly made time for an Ayurvedic massage and a morning yoga session - exactly what this weary, traveling pregnant woman needed.
