What a great city. Reminded me a lot of Ujjain. Very active, very friendly. The ghats are a hive (or hub, I still don't know what is the correct expression) of activity. The old town has winding, narrow side streets that are very colorful, full of puja shops with great prices. The sundown ceremony on the Ganges is more of a spontaneous thing than the carefully orchestrated performances at Varanasi or at Ujjain. In that sense, they are more fun, but they are also more difficult to photograph. I did what I could. We went one day to Rishikesh and it was not as interesting. If you're in the area, I would say don't bother with Rishikesh. Haridwar is much more interesting. It's not a backpacker hangout, it's a pilgrimage town so it's got a nice sense of authenticity sadly lacking in Rishikesh.