If Laxman Jhula is the postcard, Ram Jhula is the real life. The second of Rishikesh’s great suspension bridges sits a little downstream, and crossing it takes you to the Swarg Ashram side: a car-free stretch of ashrams, ghats, market lanes, and one of the most moving evening rituals in India. It deserves more than the quick look most visitors give it.
Crossing to Swarg Ashram
The bridge itself is a pleasure: the Ganga wide and green below, pilgrims and scooters weaving past each other, and the far bank stacked with ashram rooftops. Once across, the pace drops immediately. Swarg Ashram is one of the oldest ashram quarters in Rishikesh, and its riverside walkway is made for slow, aimless walking: ghats on one side, gardens and old ashram gates on the other.
The evening Ganga aarti
This side of the river hosts the famous evening aarti at the ghats by Parmarth Niketan, where fire, song, and the river meet as the sun goes down. Arrive a little early, find a step with a clear view, and stay through the last verse. If you are choosing between ceremonies, our guide to morning vs evening Ganga aarti breaks down what is actually different. On our own retreats the aarti happens at Sai Ghat with your host, but the Swarg Ashram aarti is the grand version every visitor should see once.
The market lanes
Between the bridge and the ashrams runs a market that sells everything Rishikesh is known for: rudraksha malas, singing bowls, wool shawls, spiritual books, and chai in small glasses. It is calmer and easier to browse than the tourist strips, and the shopkeepers are used to slow lookers. Go with time, not a list.
Swarg Ashram is the side of the river where Rishikesh stops performing and simply carries on with its evening.
The Bhootnath climb
Above the Swarg Ashram side rises Bhootnath Temple, a multi-storey Shiva temple reached by a short, steady climb through the trees. Each floor opens onto a wider view, until the top looks out over the whole river bend: both bridges, the ghats, and the hills folding away behind them. It is the best effort-to-reward viewpoint in central Rishikesh, and it is quietest in the late morning.
Doing it in one unhurried loop
The classic route: walk the river path from Tapovan, cross Ram Jhula, browse the market, climb Bhootnath, and come back down in time for the evening aarti at the ghats. That loop is woven into every Explore Rishikesh package, and the one-day First Hello package ends with exactly this aarti evening. Your host handles the timing so you just walk, look, and sit down at the right ghat at the right hour.
