Holy cities abound in India and coming in a close second to Benares are the cities of Haridwar and Rishikesh in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand. Haridwar literally means ‘the abode of Lord Vishnu’ and millions of people flock here every year to take part in an annual pilgrimage. Rishikesh is another perfect weekend getaway endowed with natural beauty. Haridwar and Rishikesh are meat and alcohol free cities because of their holy nature.