Yoga is an ancient art of striking a balance between the chords of body and the mind and the International Yoga Festival organised every year in Parmarth Niketan Ashram, the largest ashram in Rishikesh invites people who are passionate practitioners of this art to come to gather and spend a week starting from 1^st March 2020 to 7^th March 2020 rediscovering themselves amidst the mystic foothills of Himalayas.

About the festival

In 1999 when Rishikesh was still part of Uttar Pradesh, International Yoga Festival was created as a part of Uttar Pradesh tourism. The Uttar Pradesh government approached Parmarth Niketan Ashram to host the festival at the ashram. Renowned yogis and spiritual gurus like Pujya Swami Veda Bharatiji gave enlightening discourse and led meditation sessions while yoga sessions were conducted under the guidance of Yogacharya Bharat Bhushanji and his team.

Over the years the common thread of yoga has connected thousands of people across

#International Yoga Festival (IYF) in 2018

The year 2018 saw about 2000 practitioners from over 100 countries immersing themselves in a week-long series of events ranging from getting up early in the morning to attend meditation and yoga classes focusing on different themes and requirements for the body to relax and rejuvenate to satsangs and gatherings for learning lifestyle techniques for spiritual healing and attaining balance in life.

Credit: Eventbrite

What to expect this year?

Balancing your chakras

The festival will include yoga classes that will bind together your chakras in the optimal alignment through 70 hours of yoga classes from world-class yoga teachers teaching many styles including – Kundalini Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga and Iyengar Yoga between 4 am to 5 pm daily.

Divine words

Revered saints and spiritual masters from around the world will impart valuable life lessons on a variety of uplifting and inspiring subjects which can be absorbed by a sound mind after the yoga sessions during the morning.

Special evening Ganga Aarti

As the sun descends along the banks of river Ganga, the river reflects back the glow emitted from the Aarti led by Pujya Swami Ji, Sadhavi Abha Ji, and Parmarth Rishikumars. The devotees send their wishes and prayers floating into the river with flame and flowers in holders made of leaves.

Immerse yourselves in the culture

Satsangs, cultural programmes, kirtans, and campfires will quench your soul with the cultural richness and keep you warm through the night until 10 pm. Dance and sing along to your heart’s content to the ecstatic drum beats here at the international yoga festival.

The environment and company

On the banks of Holy River Ganga, away from busy roads and connected to market streets lies the lush beautiful grounds of Parmarth Niketan Ashram where hundreds of revered yogis, spiritual gurus, and practitioners new and old will gather to share and enrich their knowledge and strive towards the common goal of attaining balance of the body and mind.

How to reach IYF?

Being a busy tourist spot, Rishikesh is a well-connected place.

By air

Jolly Grant airport in Dehradun, which is approximately 20.7 kilometres away via Dehradun-Rishikesh road, is the nearest airport to Rishikesh.

By railways

Nearest railway station to Rishikesh is in Haridwar which is approximately 20.8 kilometres away. Also, Haridwar is a well-connected tourist destination to all the major cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Lucknow, and Varanasi. Some of the popular trains are Shatabdi Express, Jan Shatabdi, AC Special Express and Mussoorie Express. It is advisable to take a train till Haridwar and from there book a cab/ bus ride to Rishikesh.

By bus

Important places like Haridwar, Dehradun and New Delhi connect to Rishikesh by bus services.

By car

The distance between Delhi and Rishikesh is 225 kilometres which can be covered in about 6 hours. So if you are feeling adventurous and up for a long drive then driving your private car or booking a car/traveller to reach Rishikesh can be a good idea.

Tip: plan your route and time of leaving according to the traffic patterns and required stopovers.

For precise landmarks en route to Parmarth Niketan Ashram, you can check the following link.

Credit: https://www.parmarth.org/ashram/directions/

Rishikesh has something for all. It is the city where the world of devotion, calmness and serene beauty collides with the world of excitement, sports, and adventure. So along with attending the International Yoga Festival, you can spare some time participating in adventure sports, visiting popular places like the Ram Jhula, the Laxman Jhula and Neelkanth Temple etc. or just wander around the local terrain.

Come and join people from all around the world in celebrating a life towards health and happiness in the International Yoga Festival 2020.