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International Yoga Festival, Rishikesh
Rows of yoga mats on an ashram ghat, and the Ganga aarti at dusk
The International Yoga Festival is a week of yoga classes, talks and evening satsangs at Parmarth Niketan, an ashram on the Ganga in Rishikesh. Next edition: 9–15 March 2027. It is held every year in early to mid-March; the ashram publishes the dates months ahead. You can come for the whole week with a festival pass or for a single day, and the Ganga aarti on the ashram's ghat at sunset is open to everyone without a ticket.
The festival is the most visible moment of the year in which Rishikesh's ashram tradition and the international yoga world meet in one place. It is a festival, not a ritual: the daily Ganga aarti continues inside it as the ritual element.
Parmarth Niketan publishes the dates of each edition on the festival website months ahead, usually by the autumn before.
The legend
Rishikesh, or Hrishikesh, takes its name from Vishnu as "lord of the senses": legend says the god appeared so to the sage Raibhya here.
In February 1968 the Beatles come to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's ashram and write many songs of the White Album here.
The first International Yoga Festival is organised in 1989 by Uttar Pradesh Tourism, and for ten years it moves between hotels.
In 1999 the festival moves to the Parmarth Niketan ashram. Just twenty people turn up, and every one of them chooses to stay at the ashram.
Since then, every first week of March Rishikesh gathers yogis from many countries, and the town has been nicknamed the Yoga Capital of the World.
Customs
Yoga from dawn
The first classes begin before breakfast, at 6:30, with several different schools running in the same hour.
Many schools
In one week you can try Kundalini, Iyengar, Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Nada yoga and yoga nidra.
Ganga aarti
At six in the evening everyone goes down to the river for prayers, singing and a short talk by the ashram's spiritual head.
Satsang and kirtan
In the evenings spiritual teachers talk with participants, and then everyone sings kirtan together.
Shiva on the ghat
A statue of Shiva some four metres tall stands at the water's edge by the ashram's ghat.
Words of the festival
योग
yoga
from the Sanskrit root yuj: to yoke, to join
आसन
asana
a yoga posture; literally "sitting", "seat"
आश्रम
ashram
a hermitage for spiritual life; Parmarth Niketan has over a thousand rooms
सत्संग
satsang
"the company of the good": a gathering with a spiritual teacher
कीर्तन
kirtan
group singing of devotional songs
True or myth
❌ Myth. For its first ten years, from 1989, it was held in hotels; it moved to the ashram only in 1999.
✅ True. Rishikesh is a vegetarian-only and alcohol-free town.
✅ True. In 2011, for example, over four hundred participants came from thirty-six countries.
Where to celebrate
Rishikesh
For a week each March, Parmarth Niketan in Rishikesh fills with yoga classes from 6:00, the Ganga aarti on its ghat at sunset and evening satsangs with spiritual teachers.
What the festival is
By the organisers' count, the week brings more than 70 hours of classes and nearly 2,000 participants from more than 100 countries. Styles run side by side, among them Hatha, Iyengar, Vinyasa and Kundalini, with talks, kirtan and cultural performances in between. Attendance is optional, so you build your own day from the timetable.
It is a festival, not a religious rite. The ritual element is the daily Ganga aarti on the ashram's ghat, which goes on as it does all year.
It is not the International Day of Yoga on 21 June, nor the International Yoga Festival in Puducherry, a separate January event of the Government of Puducherry.
A day at the festival
Classes start at dawn, with several schools running in the same hour, and the programme alternates practice, workshops and talks through the day. Meals are vegetarian, with vegan options such as dal, rice, salads, vegetables and fruit. The detailed schedule is released shortly before the festival and can change at short notice.
At sunset everyone goes down to the ghat for the Ganga aarti, with prayers, singing and a short talk by the ashram's spiritual head, beside the statue of Shiva at the water's edge. The evenings end with satsang, a gathering with spiritual teachers, and kirtan, group singing of devotional songs.
Passes and booking
Passes are sold on the festival's official website, where the registration page shows the prices.
- Choose a pass
The full-week pass covers classes, lectures, performances and meals. A day pass covers one chosen day, opening and closing ceremonies included, with meals. Indian resident citizens can buy a cheaper week pass with ashram accommodation (ID required). Groups of 20 or more get 10% off full-week passes.
- Book early
Buy in advance: passes may be sold on site if any are left, but buying there delays entry. Swargashram is fully booked in festival week, so book accommodation months ahead.
- Ashram rooms
Festival accommodation at Parmarth Niketan opens on the afternoon before the opening day and runs to midday after the closing day. Bedding and towels are provided, and private rooms are limited; extra nights before or after can be booked on selected dates with the pass. Arrive the day before the opening: that evening already has its own programme and the aarti.
Ashram rules and safety
Parmarth Niketan is a working ashram, and its rules apply to every participant.
- Food and intoxicants — No alcohol or other intoxicants, eggs or non-vegetarian food inside the ashram; onion and garlic are discouraged.
- Dress — Shoulders and knees covered at all times, classes included. No see-through clothing; tight or revealing clothes are discouraged, especially at the aarti. More in temple dress code in Rishikesh.
- No tipping — Tipping staff is against ashram policy. Donations go only through the main reception desk, with a receipt.
- After dark — The organisers advise against walking into the forest before dawn or after dusk, as elephants and leopards live there, and advise women not to go alone to deserted areas. The UK Foreign Office warns of strong currents in Indian rivers. Emergency number: 112.
Getting there and where to stay
Parmarth Niketan is in Swargashram, on the east bank of the Ganga. The nearest airport is Jolly Grant at Dehradun, which the organisers put at about 45 minutes from the ashram by taxi. By train, Haridwar Junction has several daily trains from Delhi and is about an hour from the ashram by taxi. Drivers can leave the car at the Muni ki Reti parking by Ram Jhula, cross the footbridge and walk a few hundred metres. All routes are in how to get to Rishikesh.
Stay at the ashram if your pass includes it, or elsewhere in Swargashram; when it is full, the fallback is Muni ki Reti across Ram Jhula. See ashram stays in Rishikesh and where to stay in Rishikesh; for classes outside festival week, yoga in Rishikesh.
How the festival began
The first International Yoga Festival was organised in 1989 by Uttar Pradesh Tourism, when Rishikesh was still part of Uttar Pradesh, and for ten years it moved between hotels. In 1999 it moved to Parmarth Niketan, where it has stayed.
FAQ
When is the International Yoga Festival in Rishikesh?
Next: 9–15 March 2027. It runs for seven days every year in early to mid-March at Parmarth Niketan.
Where is the International Yoga Festival held?
Only at Parmarth Niketan ashram in Swargashram, Rishikesh.
Can I attend for just one day?
Yes. A day pass covers one chosen day of the festival, including meals, and passes may also be sold on site while they last.
Is accommodation included?
It depends on the pass: the Indian-citizen week pass includes a room at the ashram. Rooms are limited, so many participants stay elsewhere in Swargashram or in Muni ki Reti.
Is it the same as International Yoga Day?
No. International Day of Yoga is 21 June and is marked all over the world; the Rishikesh festival is a week-long event in March.
Can I watch the Ganga aarti without a pass?
Yes. The aarti at Parmarth Niketan's ghat at sunset is open to everyone every evening, all year.
Sources (6)
Facts checked: 21 October 2026. Prices and hours are approximate; check locally.