India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (362 page)
Where to Stay & Dine
Set on the outskirts of town,
Claridges Nabha Residence
(
0135/263-1426,
-1427, or 011/2301-0211; fax 011/4133-5133;
www.claridges-hotels.com
; doubles from $250, breakfast and dinner included; ask about off-season discounts) is Mussoorie’s best option, though not in the same class as its Delhi namesake. It is located on a serene and lovely estate (ca. 1845), once used by the Maharajah of Nabha for his summer escapades, and surrounded by cedar forest, where langur monkeys perform acrobatic feats watched by visitors lounging on the terrace—a welcome break from the buzz of Mussoorie. Accommodations are large and comfortable but fittings (particularly in bathrooms) looking a little tired; the best are room nos. 110 through 115, which enjoy attractive forest views (no. 114 is the biggest room). The hotel conducts courtesy pick-ups from the Mall (about 10 min. away) throughout the day. If this old charmer is full, or you’d rather be in the heart of town, consider
Park Plaza Sylverton
(
www.parkplaza.com
; from Rs 7,000 double), a good and very popular option with Delhites—located right on the Mall, it does offer some of the best Doon Valley views (ask for a room with one), but we prefer the more characterful stately mansion
Kasmanda Palace Hotel
(0135/263-2424
or -3949;
www.welcomheritagehotels.com
; doubles from Rs 4,000; you can negotiate a 20% discount on a double room in low season). The well-preserved former holiday palace of the Maharajah of Kasmanda, it’s packed with antiques, animal skins, and hunting trophies, including an elephant’s-foot piano stool. Ask for rooms with views of the Doon Valley, but be warned that you’ll have to put up with stuffed animal heads mounted on the walls and a liberal use of gaudy floral fabrics; service can also be very laid-back. On the budget front, there are tons of choices, of which
Padmani Nivas
(Library, The Mall.0135/2631093;
www.hotelpadmininivas.com
; doubles from Rs 1,300) is arguably the best—almost next to the Mall, it screens off most of the chaos with its cocoon of greenery and has great views with one side overlooking the valley; food (vegetarian only) is also good.
Note
:
The summer months (Apr–June) and October are extremely popular with domestic tourists, and hotels everywhere in the hills tend to cave under the strain of rampant business, and what would otherwise be a quiet environ can turn into a nightmare for those looking for a peaceful retreat.
RISHIKESH
238km (148 miles) NE of Delhi
The Beatles, who came here during the 1960s to visit Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (a visit that inspired much of
Sgt. Pepper
), put Rishikesh on the map, and today the town is full of ashrams and yoga schools catering to Westerners who want to fine-tune their spiritual tool kits.
Sadhus
(holy men) in red and saffron robes, hippies in tie-dyed cheesecloth, and backpackers with plenty of time (and plenty of First World credit) gather on the banks of the Ganga to talk about the evils of the West and the failure of capitalism. By day, it’s a spiritual Disneyland, where the commercial excesses of packaged meditation hang heavily about the concrete ashrams, bedecked with gaudy statues of Vishnu and Shiva. The place to concentrate your time is around the Lakhsman Jhula area, where there are plenty of simple eateries and stores selling all kinds of devotional paraphernalia; books and CDs in particular are worth browsing for. To get to the far side of the Ganga, where the most interesting
ghats,
ashrams, and people are concentrated, you’ll need to cross the suspension bridge on foot. Here you can undertake any and every sort of self-improvement course, from yoga and reiki to cooking and music. A visit here in time for the sunset
Ganga Aarti
on the
ghat
of the Parmarth Niketan Ashram is highly recommended (see “The Real Happy Clappies,” below)—to the accompaniment of hypnotic prayers and harmonious singing, Rishikesh undergoes a magical transformation, reminding all that this really is a spiritual retreat.
Soul Searching: Top Ashrams
Most genuine spiritual retreats shy from any kind of media attention, which while understandable means that it is hard for the newcomer to differentiate between the great masters and masters of fraud. All over India, and in Rishikesh particularly, ashrams have increasingly begun to cater to Western aspirations for spirituality, doling out a mere part of the magnificent ancient Indian concept of Yoga, namely, the physical exercises known as yogasanas. Combine these with deep-breathing techniques and meditation and you have a package ready to be delivered, but it’s worth noting that this is far from completing a journey (and not considered as even necessary by the serious adherent) along the spiritual path. It can nevertheless become a useful stepping-stone for the first-timer. Rishikesh offers all manner of courses, schools, ashrams, and holy men—other than contributing to general bewilderment, some of these are highly suspect, and you should only sign up with an organization or person who comes personally recommended by someone you trust. Or choose from the following; while by no means comprehensive, these Rishikesh ashrams are safe, solid options.
The Divine Life Society
(
http://sivanandaonline.org
) although the most “true” to the ideal following the great master Sivananda, sadly offers yoga courses only to men. Also for serious students (open to all genders), the
Yoga Niketan Ashram
(
www.yoganiketanashram.org
) is an excellent place to learn, but demands serious commitment as it follows a rather strict disciplined schedule, with sessions as early as 4:30 in the morning. More relaxed but a tad commercial, the
Anand Prakash Yoga Ashram
(
www.anandprakashashram.com
), offers its share of courses to both learn and teach, while the
Parmarth Ashram
(
www.parmarth.com
), will woo you with its lovely arti in the evenings (attracting hordes of visiting tourists; see box) and courses that have obviously been fine-tuned to suit the average Westerner—the latter is the most expensive and, driven by serious marketing strategies, in many ways the most user-friendly. All options offer courses ranging from 2 weeks to several months and offer in-house staying arrangements with meals.