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The Sivananda Ashram is located in the township of Muni-ki-Reti,
two kilometres north of Rishikesh. Rishikesh is itself 250 kilometres
from New Delhi, 26 kilometres north of the pilgrim city of Haridwar, and
at an elevation of 330 metres.
The weather is very hot in summer (May, June), and in winter (December,
January, February) the nights and early mornings are cold, but otherwise
the weather is usually pleasant. Even in the winter months, once the sun
is up, the daytime high temperature can be quite comfortable. Sample average
daily highs and lows would be: November 28-11C (84-52F), December 23-9C
(70-48F), January 21-8C (68-46F), February 22-10C (72-50F), May 40-28C
(104-83F), June 40-29 (104-85F). Monsoon rains come generally in early
July and last through mid to late September.
Transportation connections from New Delhi to Rishikesh are quite good
and train service is provided on a regular schedule. The Shatabdi Express
departs daily from New Delhi Train Station at 7:10 am arriving in Haridwar
at 11:09 am. Breakfast is provided, and all seats are 2nd class A/C and
cost approximately 500 rupees. One can then hire a taxi to Muni-ki-Reti
(approximately 350 rupees), or if you are feeling economical, you can
come with an auto-rickshaw for 20 rupees, or take a public bus from the
Haridwar Bus Stand for 15 rupees. The Mussorie Express is an overnight
train leaving Old Delhi Train Station at 10:20 pm and arriving in Haridwar
at 5:40 am. If neither of these trains is available, you can take the
Bombay-Dehra Dun Express which leaves daily around noon from New Delhi
Train Station and takes about 7 hours to Haridwar.
Another alternative when coming from Delhi is a public bus from the Interstate
Bus Terminal (ISBT) to Rishikesh for approximately 120 rupees. Buses leave
each 30 to 60 minutes from the bus stand at ISBT. One can also hire a
taxi from New Delhi to the Ashram, and generally the one-way fare is between
1,800 and 2,000 rupees.
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