The Clean Himalaya Society

Hello Everyone!

Greetings from Rishikesh.

The term “Eco-Tourism”, may be defined as "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and education" (TIES, 2015).

Its Purpose is to educate the traveler, to provide funds for ecological conservation, to directly benefit the economic development, and political empowerment of local communities, or to foster respect for different cultures and for human rights.

Since the 1980s, ecotourism has been considered a critical endeavor by environmentalists, so that future generations may experience destinations relatively untouched by human intervention. 

We at Rishikesh Inside, believe that “With Great Power, comes Great Responsibility”.

One such Organisation promoting it all is “Clean Himalaya Society”.

The Clean Himalaya Story

In the year 2000, deeply concerned with the Degradation, some students of American spiritual teacher Andrew Cohen  at the EnlightenNext Centre in Rishikesh, began picking up plastic bottles themselves on the roadsides.

 Later they informally organized rag pickers to collect the bottles and other dry waste from local guest houses. Gradually this service grew into a small enterprise under the supervision of one of Andrew’s Indian students, Jitendra Kumar.

It was given the very apt name, “Clean Himalaya.”



In 2006, Swami Amritarupananda, a Canadian disciple of Swami Chidananda of The Divine Life Society in Rishikesh, began helping Jitendra with the project and soon became completely involved.

With her help a proposal was made to The World Bank India 2007 Development Marketplace Competition for grass roots initiatives for management and protection of Natural Resources.

In May 2007, Clean Himalaya was one of twenty out of 2500 grassroots projects selected for the World Bank Award.

Their Objectives - 

http://www.cleanhimalaya.org/article.php?aid=1&sid=9

Elements of their Work :-

Collections

Segregation


Community Public Service

Education


Paid Workers

Volunteers 

To know more :- 

http://www.cleanhimalaya.org/article.php?aid=1&sid=10

The Team - 

http://www.cleanhimalaya.org/team.php?aid=4

In September 2007, Clean Himalaya became a Society and is now officially called "The Clean Himalaya Society".

Volunteers are always Welcome - 
You can join them for a Clean-Up!

Ganga Clean-Up :-

Every Thursday Morning
Meeting Place - Ram Jhula Boat Ghat (Near Madras Cafe)

Timings - 

• Summers - 07:00 - 07:45 am
• Winters - 07:30 - 08:15 am.    

Tapovan Clean-Up :-

Meeting Place - Infront of Sara Guest House, Tapovan Sarai.

Days and Timings :-

Winters

• Every Saturday - 02:00 - 03:00 pm

Summers

• Every Thursday - 08:00 - 09:00 am

Attention: 

• Days and Timings for the Tapovan Clean-Up can change during the Summers, so please confirm.
• Please Call Swami Amrita (09897946696) ahead of Time, so she can bring extra Gloves and Bags.

 

http://www.cleanhimalaya.org/article.php?aid=6&sid=24

What began as the spontaneous response of a few individuals is now a growing non-profit venture managed by Jitendra Kumar with six hired workers and the help of a growing number of volunteers, serving almost 300 hotels, restaurants, ashrams, shops and households.





Contact Information - 

• Website - www.cleanhimalaya.org

• Facebook Page - www.facebook.com/cleanhimalaya

• Email - mansi.pictures@gmail.com

                           amritarupananda78@gmail.com

• Phone - +91-9897946696

• Address - Swami Amritarupananda (Swami Susan) Secretary of Clean Himalaya, Clean Himalaya Society (Regd) Om Kutir, The Divine Life Society, P.O. Sivanandanagar 249 192 Distt: Tehri-Garhwal, Uttarakhand (INDIA)

We at Rishikesh Inside, strongly recommend you to Participate with the Clean Himalaya Society, when in Rishikesh!

Cheers!

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!

An Evening in Laxman Jhula

Hello Everyone!

"One Good thing about Music, when it Hits You, You Feel No Pain" - Bob Marley

Music is the Language of the Heart, that's why our Hearts have Beats!

For all you People out there, who believe that Music is the Language of Love and Peace, an Evening in Laxman Jhula, Rishikesh is all you need!

Every Evening, from 6 to 9 pm, Tourists and Locals Gather on the Ganga Ghat Next to the ChillOut Cafe & Freedom Cafe, for the an Evening of Diversity.

More than 200 People are present for this Blissful Company every Evening.

People from Different Caste and Creed Join Together and Play Different Musical Instruments in a Harmony, the Sound of which Echoes in all of Rishikesh.

People play Instruments like the Djembe, Flute, Tambourine, Didgeridoo, Bagpipes, Guitars, Tabla's etc and make the Environment full of Peace and Love.

Every Evening, on the Ganga Ghat next to the ChillOut Cafe, from 6 to 9pm.

Rishikesh Inside Strongly Urges you to Live An Evening in Laxman Jhula, when in Rishikesh!
Cheers!

Flying Fox-Zip Tour

A Participant with the Safety Instructor.

Hello Everyone!


"It is only in Adventure that some People succeed in Knowing Themselves - in Finding Themselves." - Andre Gide

Zip Line Number 1.

Did you have a Long Lost Dream? A Dream to have a Bird's Eye View of the River Ganges? An Aerial View, like an Eagle in the Sky, which can See Everything? We sure Did!

And Finally, your Dream can be Fulfilled, all thanks to Our very Own, "Flying Fox"!
And that too, in a very Heart-Pumping Way, via Two Zip Lines!

The View.

Ready to Zip?

Flying Fox set its Foot in India, when its First Zip Tour was built in the Neemrana Fort Palace in Rajasthan, and was Inaugurated on 18th January, 2009.

Slowly and Swiftly, Flying Fox extended its Branches to more Exhilarating Places like the Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur, the Kikar Lodge in Punjab, the Kerwa Dam in Bhopal, and finally, in the Holy City, Rishikesh!

The Zip Tour Site.

Flying Fox Zip Tour in Rishikesh was started in January, 2014, in the scenic Landscape of Shivpuri.

Flying Fox set a Big Mark in the History of Adventure as these Wires are the First to Cross over the River Ganges.

Zip Crew.

The Zip Tour Site is located around 22-23 kilometres from the Rishikesh Market Area, in Shivpuri.

The Zip Tour consists of Travelling through Two Zip Wires :-

1. Crossing the River Ganges
2. Coming back to the Zip Launch Area.

Zip Number 2 is the Highest Zip Line in India, which is around 70 Metres above the River Ganges.

The Site Manager is Mr. Dinesh Thakur, a very Hospitable and Humble Lad.

The Procedure :-

• Registering for the Zip Tour
• Getting Ready and Safety Equipped
• Practicing on a Safety Zip Line
• Climbing to the Terrace for the First Zip Line
• Crossing the Ganges and Getting Off the Zip
• Trekking for 2 Minutes to the Second Zip
• Zipping back to the Zip Tour Office Terrace.

The Zone of Fear.

Safety :-

• Zip Lines are designed by Switzerland's Leading Zip Line Engineers,
• Safety Equipment imported from Petzl, France,
• Installations Inspected everyday,
• Operations confirm to the latest European Standards,
• Sites managed by Trained Professionals,
• Safety briefing and Practice on Short Zip Line before the Actual Tour.

Landing Ramp.

The Practice Zip.

Specifications of the Zip Tour :-

• Weight of the Participant - Not more than 115 Kilograms
• Height of the Participant - Not less than 4 feet 7 inches
• Maximum Speed of the Zip Line - 40-50 kilometres/hour.

Mr. Thakur teaching a Participant about the Safety Measures.

Tariff (Inclusive of the Whole Zip Tour i.e. Two Zip Lines) :-

• Adults - Rs. 1600
• Students - Rs. 1500 (Only with Student Identification Cards
• Minors - Rs. 1400 (Only above the age of 12).

If you visit Flying Fox, don't forget to tell them that you read about them on Rishikesh Inside!

Contact Information :-

Website - www.flyingfox.asia

Email ID - dinesh@flyingfox.asia

Phone - +91-9568943116 (Mr. Dinesh Thakur)
             +91-1378261605 (Office)
Address - Flying Fox, Shivpuri, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India.

P.S.  For Bookings regarding the :-

• Neemrana Fort Palace - Rajasthan
• Mehrangarh Fort - Jodhpur, Rajasthan
• Kikar Lodge - Punjab
• Kerwa Dam - Bhopal,

please visit the same Website, i.e., www.flyingfox.asia

We at Rishikesh Inside, Strongly Recommend You to Experience the Heart-Pumping Flying Fox Zip Tour, when in Rishikesh!
Cheers!