The Barrage

Hello Everyone!

“The earth has music for those who listen.”
― George Santayana

Its 5 in the Morning, I get Dressed, Pick up my Camera and leave for a walk on the banks of the Ganga. The roads are deserted; all I can hear is the sound of the River, Birds chirping. I walk for miles and i reach a place known as the "Barrage" (said by the locals) and trust me; the long walk was totally worth it.

The  Barrage.

I stand on the Barrage to dig in the Panoramic View of the Ganga and the Himalayan range. The cold Breeze, Serene landscape, the Peaceful Surroundings force me to come here again and again. For hours I stood there looking as far as I could and admire the work of nature. I took out my Camera to capture this moment but the Security Personnel reminded me that Photography was prohibited on the Barrage. That might have been a Speed bump, but wasn’t the end of my scouting.

So I begin to explore the area around Barrage and the first place I reach is the Aastha Path, a long Path built on the banks of the Ganga. Reach there in the morning and you will find a whole bunch of Joggers, Kids playing all over, People sitting in groups, and what not. Aastha Path is a never ending road and I was already tired from all that extra miles I covered, so I decided to give my feet some rest. Searching for a quiet spot on Aastha Path early in the morning was a challenge in itself. So to find a nice spot where I could spend some time alone I reached Barrage Colony. It’s situated on the opposite side of Aastha Path, near the Barrage itself. 

The Aastha Path
Picture Credits - Mr. Rahul Talwar (Rahul Talwar's Photography)
We Thank You for Your Love & Support towards Us, Mr. Talwar :)

The Ghat in Barrage Colony.

Trees on either side, a narrow road mostly covered with grass, Ganga on my left and a magnificent view of the Himalayas is the ideal situation for me. An empty road led me to a Ghat built around 500 metres from the Barrage. A proper man made Ghat (huge stairs built on the banks of Ganga) was a delight to find as it’s next to impossible to find an empty Ghat in rishikesh. I guess only a handful of people knew about that Ghat (or people residing in Barrage colony). I sat there for hours and hardly saw a human. 

The View of Barrage from the Ghat.

After an eventful day, I decided to go back to Barrage Colony to sit by myself. It wasn’t a wise decision I must say. No Street lights, a few wild animals, completely dark surroundings were not something I was expecting. It didn’t take me a minute to decide to go back where I came from. So try to go there in day light, it gets risky when the sun goes down.

The Right Side View from the Ghat.

It was a good experience altogether on either side of Barrage. It’s a pretty decent place to hang out alone, with friends or family.

It is not difficult to reach Barrage, it is located around 5-6 kilometres from Laxman Jhula, so we will suggest that you travel by your Vehicle or Local Auto rickshaw service. The parking around the area is sufficient; the roads are mostly empty at any time of the day. The entire area is pretty clean and well maintained. You might not find a decent place to eat near the Barrage, but local Vendors, ice cream vans can be easily spotted.     

Rishikesh Inside suggests you to give this place a try, and you might come back here again and again.

Cheers from Rishikesh Inside!