Very busy and often congested, lots of daily life activities
Main bus stand to other parts of India
Known to the locals as "the market", it is the main Rishikesh city area where not only a big market is located but also where the local transportation hub, main bus stand and local business and shopping areas are. It is also where most locals in Rishikesh live. The city is a very busy, non-tourist area except if you intend to visit a selected few ashrams here. Or if you have some business to attend to. There are a few simple restaurants and street stalls where you can try some real local food (as opposed to Indian food in tourist restaurants) but be prepared for the spiciness in some dishes. A real gem here is the excellent high quality Indian sweet shop on the main road. Come Diwali, this shop sells hundreds of colourful Indian mithai to rival any candy shop in the world. If you are in the city, it is worth bringing a few boxes home as gifts.
If you intend to stay in Rishikesh for a longer period, knowing the city area can be useful especially when you need to buy household items for example, or regular clothing items, fresh ingredients for cooking, etc. Or if you need a bank, medical services or pharmacies. The areas are somewhat organised according to the types of business. Though quite spread out, the city is walkable and interesting to explore if you wish to know more about Rishikesh beyond yoga.
The shared autorickshaws from Laxman Jhula through to Ram Jhula goes into the city area as well. The fare is the same no matter where you start and end and you can flag them down or alight anywhere on the main road.