Introduction: As the world remains clutched with the pandemic, we often hunt for solutions to beat the deadly Covid virus. Right from grabbing nutritious meals to strictly following the hygiene norms, everyone seems to rush to boost their immunity levels. Indeed, it’s high time when we must adapt our age-old practice of strengthing the body, the practice of YOGA. The postures are said to let you release all your stress and pain out of your body! In the past few years, we have witnessed an influx of several Yoga Destinations in India and the world. The places have started gaining the attention of not just the domestic practitioners but foreign tourists too! Here, we have brought you the top yoga destinations that you must visit in 2021. Pretty sure you’ll not just strengthen your body but your mind too as you enjoy your stay here! Let’s get started!
- Dharamshala: Dharamshala is a beautiful hill station situated in the Himachal Pradesh State of Northern India. The hill station consists of rich flora and fauna while offering you mesmerising views of the Himalayas. Dharamshala houses a considerable size of the ‘Tibetian population’ that has been practising yoga and meditation here for years. The easy availability and well-trained yoga guru-led training centres make Dharamshala one of the best Yoga Destinations in India. You may plan to enrol yourselves at a yoga centre in Dharamkot or Bhagsu. These two beautiful hamlets sit within 10 kilometres from Dharamshala and offer the best courses to nurture your yoga skills. Here, you may either plan to stay at the ‘yoga centre’ or choose a homestay. The pricing can be as less as Rs 400/day to some thousand bucks.
Dharamshala is covered with thick cedar forests and offers beautiful sights of Dhauladhar mountain ranges. The town is well connected with some major cities as Delhi and has its airport too. You may also board the bus directly from Delhi to reach Dharamshala and cover the distance overnight.
- Rishikesh:Whether you are a fan of adventure or spirituality, you must have crossed your paths with Rishikesh at some point in time. Rishikesh (the city of sages) sits by the banks of the river Ganges in the Uttarakhand state of India. The city is known to promote the practice of yoga for ages and houses several yoga centres. Today, not just India but Rishikesh is considered the Yoga capital of the world.
Evenings are lively at Rishikesh as you attend the grand ‘Aarti’ by the banks of the Ganges. As you recite kirtans while enjoying the evening ‘Aarti,’ every single atom inside is filled with positive vibes. You may also plan to join a rafting course or a bungee jumping session after completing your yoga classes. Even during the pandemic, some of the yoga centres have been providing online yoga classes. However, we suggest you visit Rishikesh to experience the true essence of yoga.
- Auroville:Auroville is a town located in Southern India (shared by Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry) and is famous among the communities practising spirituality. Spending a day at Auroville (also known as the city of dawn) will pump you tonnes of positivity. The city is known to provide shelter to people from different religions, regions and races working towards a single goal. Today, when the pandemic seems to kill most of us mentally, Auroville should be your go-to place. You can enrol for yoga courses that include Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Iyengar and Hatha styles. The superior guidance of highly-trained masters will make your learning much memorable. What’s more interesting is that Auroville sits at a distance of just ten kilometres from Pondicherry. You may plan to visit here and roam around this beautiful former French territory on weekends. To reach Auroville, you can take a flight to Pondicherry and hire a taxi from there. The second nearest airport to Auroville is in Chennai that is around 150km away.
- Chopta: Chopta is a small hill station located in the Uttarakhand state of India. The hill station is surrounded by lush-green meadows called Bugyals and mighty snow-capped Himalayas. Chopta is also the base camp of TungnathMahadev Temple, the world’s highest Shiva temple. Legend has it that Lord Rama meditated at Chandrashila (near Tungnath) after killing the demon king Ravana. Hence, the place is of high spiritual importance and holds a special status in Indian Mythology. In the last few years, Chopta has seen the footfall of foreign tourists who can be found practising ‘Yogasanas’ here. As you spend a night camping in Chopta, you get a crystal clear view of the milky-way galaxy. What makes your experience at Chopta unique is the lesser crowd, the green cover and sublime views! You may also plan trekking to some famous destinations around that include RohiniBugyal, SyalmiBugyal, Deoriatal, Nandikund, Tungnath&Chandrashila. Pretty sure, covering each one of them will boost your cardiovascular strength to a great level. As the pandemic hits the world, Chopta has also become a preferred ‘Work from Home’ destination for most people! The nearest airport to Chopta is Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun (~170km away.) You can easily find taxis from the airport to reach Chopta.
- Mysuru: Mostly known for its rich culture and mammoth monuments, Mysuru (or Mysore) is a city located in the Karnataka state of Southern India. Interestingly, Mysuru is famous across the world for offering the best courses on Ashtanga yoga. The yoga is said to improve your cardiovascular strength while reducing stress/anxiety and managing your focus. Similar to all the yoga destinations in India, Mysuru witnesses a heavy footfall of tourists every year. Most of the people come here to explore the Indian culture and practice spirituality. In the past few years, Mysuru has seen the influx of several teacher training centres (TTCs.) These generally offer a four-week yoga programme where the guru and the yoga disciple live in a common space and work on the skills. You can easily book your courses either online or visit the centre directly. Additionally, if you’re in Mysuru, you must not forget to visit the famous Mysore Palace and the Brindavan Gardens!
Conclusion: As you finish reading about the top five Yoga destinations in India, you must be excited to travel to these places and work on increasing your immunity levels too! The best part is that almost all the destinations covered here will let you explore yourselves in multiple dimensions. Don’t wait! Pack your bags (with yoga gears, indeed) and rush towards tonnes of positivity!
