The journey went very quickly and we got off the train with our cases to be met by the toweringly tall Pradeep Singh Jassal, our Uttarakhand Tour Guide. We left Haridwar railway station, depositing all the leftover breakfast items we could muster with the children that greeted us. Jumping straight into three vehicles we passed the Shiva statue in front of the station, and then again we saw him over the Ganges.
Soon we arrived at the Yoga Niketan Ashram on the hillside above the Ganges, it's lush gardens overlooking the wide river and Parmath Niketan Ashram on the opposite bank. The rooms were tidy, but with the usual austerity and very solid beds! We ate immediately and straight into Ashram routine washing up our metal trays and cups.