Satsangs in Rishikesh

Beyond being a hotspot for yoga, many tourists also come to Rishikesh for the famous satsang gatherings. What are satsangs? Basically it is a gathering of like-minded, spiritual people to listen to an expert speaker talk about topics in spirituality.

In Rishikesh, the main satsang season runs from October till March when the climate is cooler and dryer. There are a few famous satsang speakers who do annual sessions or are based part of the time in Rishikesh:

Shanti Mayi speak at the Satcha Dam Ashram near Laxman Jhula - she caters mostly to the English speaking crowd.

Mooji currently draws the largest crowd, usually in February or March. He speaks at the Swami Swatantranand Ashram in Rishikesh market area.

Sri Prem Baba is a spanish speaker. His satsangs are concurrently translated into English. He speaks also at the Satcha Dam Ashram in a different hall as Shanti Mayi. They both sometimes have sessions at the same time.

Most satsangs end or begin with kirtan singing which is very enjoyable. As with the talks, it really depends on what you are looking for. All the 3 speakers above have their own youtube channels and websites where you can also listen to them for free. Maybe try them out online first to decide who suits you?

Booking a guesthouse when any of these 3 speakers are in town, especially Mooji, is often very difficult as they have all been pre-booked by their followers. If you know you want to go to Rishikesh during the satsang season, do book your room ahead of time. Rooms can also become more expensive then. Restaurants do become full and waiting time is long. These speakers do command a crowd into town! And this is on top of the usual yoga crowd!

Check out here for more details on the satsangs.