Festival · Rishikesh, Garhwal
Ganga Dussehra, Rishikesh and Haridwar
Ganga Dussehra marks the day the river Ganga is said to have come down from heaven to earth. In Rishikesh and Haridwar lakhs of pilgrims bathe at the ghats, float leaf-boat lamps at the evening aarti and give alms. It falls in late May or June, in the hottest weeks of the year.
Photo: Anindya2018 (Anindya Moitra) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · CommonsHindu tradition holds that King Bhagiratha's penance brought the Ganga down from heaven to free the souls of his ancestors, and that she descended on the tenth day of the bright fortnight of Jyeshtha. The festival is called Dussehra, from das, ten, because a bath on this day is believed to wash away ten kinds of sin. Some temples hold ten days of ritual leading up to it.
Haridwar, 25 km south of Rishikesh, takes the largest crowds, with the ghats around Har Ki Pauri packed from before dawn. Rishikesh is calmer: pilgrims bathe at Triveni Ghat and at the steps below Parmarth Niketan and Swarg Ashram, and the evening aarti at both ghats is larger than usual. Upstream, the Gangotri temple marks the day with its own worship, close to where Bhagiratha is said to have meditated.
For visitors, the day is a chance to see the river at the centre of local life. Expect heat of 35–40 °C, closed roads around the main ghats and full hotels in Haridwar. Traffic diversions for the Char Dham yatra run at the same time. The date follows the lunar calendar; check current status before you travel.
Tips for the day
- Stay in Rishikesh and visit Haridwar's Har Ki Pauri early in the morning, then retreat before the midday heat and the largest crowds.
- If you want to bathe, use ghats with chains and lifeguards; the current is strong in June when snowmelt raises the river.
- Buy leaf-boat diyas from ghat-side sellers rather than plastic offerings, and leave footwear at the stands provided.
Where it happens
Rishikesh
Rishikesh is the town at 340 m where the Ganga leaves the Himalaya, and the start of almost every Garhwal trip. Come for yoga, the evening aarti, rafting from mid-September to June, and the 5 am buses to the Char Dham. Stay two or three nights; October to April is most comfortable.
Stay nearby
Photo: McKay Savage from London, UK · CC BY 2.0 · Commons
Budget
Zostel Rishikesh (Tapovan)
A backpacker hostel in Tapovan, between Lakshman Jhula and Ram Jhula, with dorms, private rooms, a rooftop cafe an…
Photo: Roliwrites · CC0 · Commons
Mid
Aloha on the Ganges
A riverside hotel on the Badrinath road in Tapovan, near Lakshman Jhula, with rooms and apartments facing the Gang…
Questions
About Ganga Dussehra, Rishikesh and Haridwar
When is Ganga Dussehra?
It falls on the tenth day of the bright half of Jyeshtha in the Hindu calendar, usually late May or June. The exact date changes each year, so check current status before you travel.
Is Rishikesh or Haridwar better for Ganga Dussehra?
Haridwar's Har Ki Pauri is the main bathing ghat and takes the biggest crowds. Rishikesh, 25 km upstream, is calmer, with bathing at Triveni Ghat and a larger evening aarti at Parmarth Niketan. Many visitors stay in Rishikesh and visit Haridwar early in the morning.
Is it safe to bathe in the Ganga on Ganga Dussehra?
Bathe only at ghats with chains, rails and lifeguards, and do not go beyond them. The river runs fast and cold in June from Himalayan snowmelt, and drownings happen every year. Keep children by the hand.
Do hotels get full on Ganga Dussehra?
Haridwar fills up, and Rishikesh is busy because the festival falls in Char Dham season and school holidays. Book a week or two ahead and expect higher weekend rates.