It is situated on the right bank of the Ganges River and is a pilgrimage town for Hindus, with ancient sages and saints meditating there in search of higher knowledge.

Rishikesh is the starting point for traveling to the four Chota Char Dham pilgrimage places: Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri.

In September 2015, Indian Minister of Tourism Mahesh Sharma announced that Rishikesh and Haridwar would be the first "twin national heritage cities".

Lakshmana, Rama's younger brother, crossed the Ganges using two jute ropes at the point where the present Lakshman Jhula (लक्ष्मण झूला) suspension bridge stands today.

In 1927, it was replaced by the current, stronger bridge built by the United Provinces Public Works Department, connecting the Tapovan, Tehri, and Jonk, Pauri Garhwal districts.

[citation needed] The Gazeteer of Dehradun, written by Indian Civil Service officer HG Walton, describes the site as "beautifully situated on the right bank of the Ganges, on a high cliff overlooking the river.

The historical records mention that some pilgrims used to stay at Rishikesh, either seeking the site itself or using it as a resting place before moving onwards to the Himalayas.

After flowing 249 km (155.343 mi)[21] through narrow Himalayan valleys, the Ganges emerges at Rishikesh before debouching onto the Gangetic Plain at the pilgrimage town of Haridwar.

[32] Rishikesh, though known for its natural beauty and spiritual significance, has been facing several environmental challenges due to increasing tourism and urbanization.

Despite being relatively unaffected by pollution at its source, the river shows high levels of contamination in the urban stretches of Rishikesh and Haridwar.

[33] A study by Doon University found "very high presence of pollutants" in these areas, including anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, and other pharmaceutical compounds.

Despite these initiatives, Rishikesh continues to struggle with bringing PM10 levels within prescribed limits, indicating the need for more stringent air pollution control strategies.

The landfill's central location poses environmental and health risks, potentially contributing to soil and groundwater pollution, as well as attracting disease-carrying pests.

While efforts are being made to improve waste management, the landfill's central location remains a major environmental and public health concern for Rishikesh, a city renowned for its spiritual and touristic appeal.

[35] In the 2021-2022 fiscal year, Rishikesh had the highest revenue per hotel room among Indian tourist leisure destinations with an average of ₹10,042 per night.

Although Rishikesh has always been a popular tourist destination due to its status as the birthplace of yoga, the city gained more notoriety when the Beatles visited in 1968.

Since ancient times, the location has served as a haven for yogis, saints, and practitioners who come there to learn about this traditional Indian practise, advance their understanding of it, become instructors, or even find enlightenment.

Environmental activists allege that these camps, which are established as temporary sites, do not have adequate sewage and sanitation facilities, disturb the habitat of wild animals, and "affect the peace, tranquility, and serenity of the forest area.

"In a 2008 study on the beach camps between Kaudiyala and Rishikesh, experts from the Govind Ballabh Pant Himalayan Environment and Development Institute—R.

A bench headed by the National Green Tribunal chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar on 1 April 2015 heard a plea filed by the non-governmental organisation Social Action for Forest and Environment (SAFE).

[57][58] AIIMS Rishikesh is one of the six healthcare institutes being established by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) with the aim of correcting regional imbalances in quality tertiary level healthcare in the country and attaining self-sufficiency in graduate and postgraduate medical education and training.

[63] Private and shared taxi services travel between Rishikesh and most major north Indian cities like Delhi, Chandigarh, and Shimla.

[64][65][66][67] The riverside has spiritual and religious significance because it represents the emergence of the Ganges after the confluence of the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda rivers at Devprayag in the Garhwal Himalayas.