Ganga Sand Beach below Vashishta Gufa (Arundhati Cave)

Roughly 22 kilometres upstream of Rishikesh, where the Rishikesh–Badrinath highway (NH7) hugs the emerald Ganga past Shivpuri and Byasi, a short path drops from the roadside Vasishtha Guha ashram to one of the loveliest and least-crowded stretches of river sand in the entire Garhwal foothills.

• This fine, pale beach — formed where the Ganga slows and widens in a gentle bend near Gular Dogi village — is a serene, family-safe riverside sit-out: warm sand underfoot, clear shallows at the margin, forested hills rising on the far bank, and none of the crowds that throng the ghats of central Rishikesh.
• It is the kind of place travellers stumble on, sit down for an hour, and remember for years.
• The beach takes its character from the two ancient meditation caves just above it.
• Vashishta Gufa (Vasishtha Guha, the "cave of Vasishtha") is associated with the sage Vasishtha, one of the Saptarishi — the seven great seers of Hindu tradition — who is said to have performed tapas (austerity) here in deep antiquity.
• The long, dark, naturally cool cavern was revived in the twentieth century by Swami Purushottamananda, a Kerala-born ascetic who settled here and established the Vasishtha Guha Ashram; seekers still sit before its Shiva-linga in near-total silence.
• A few steps away, tucked into the hillside beside the river, is the smaller Arundhati Cave (Arundhati Gufa), named for Vasishtha's devoted consort Arundhati and used as a quieter meditation nook.
• The sand beach directly below completes the picture.
• Reached by a gentle downhill walk of a few minutes from the ashram gate, it invites nothing more strenuous than a barefoot stroll, a family picnic, some quiet reflection, or a cautious dip at the very edge.
• The Ganga here is mountain-cold and its currents can be deceptively strong, so wading should stay ankle-deep and children must be watched closely — this is a place to sit and contemplate, not to swim out.
• As part of the greater Rishikesh region, the whole stretch is a holy, strictly vegetarian and alcohol-free zone, and visitors are asked to keep it pristine: carry your litter back out, avoid soap or plastic near the water, and dress and behave modestly out of respect for the meditators.
• There are no shops or cafes at the beach itself.
• The ashram sometimes offers simple satvik (pure-vegetarian, often no-onion-no-garlic) prasad or a bhandara meal to visitors by donation — timings vary, so ask at the gate.
• Otherwise, carry your own water and snacks, or plan a vegetarian thali at the modest highway dhabas around Byasi and Shivpuri on the drive back toward Rishikesh.