Picture: Bridges crossing the Ganges at Haridwar.

3 distinctly different towns approaching the headwaters of the Ganges and on the edge of the Himalayas. Going north from Delhi 300 km the first city is Haridwar then one hour north is Rishikesh and climb into the mountains to reach the “hill station” of Mussoorie.

The city of Haridwar is situated about 200 km northeast of Delhi. It is located on the banks of the Ganges in the state of Uttaranchal. Millions of Hindu devotees visit Haridwar every year to have a holy dip in the river Ganges.

The town of Rishikesh straddles the Ganges, is 228 km northeast of Delhi, 24 km north of Haridwar and called the “Yoga Capital of the World”. The Ganges at this point is fast flowing and very cold since it is fed by the Gangotri Glacier 200 km to the north. It is inhabited by many westerners following in the fame created by the Beatles who in February 1968 traveled to Rishikesh to study and meditate with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The town has many Ashrams for meditation and yoga training.

Mussoorie is a very popular hill station in the northern part of the country. It is most notably popular during the hot summer months — its 1800m elevation makes it a cool escape from the northern planes. It was first discovered by a young military officer called John Young in 1827 — soon after it became a popular hill resort for the British during the British Raj in India (again to escape from the summer heat).

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View of the Himalayas from Mussoorie Hill Station