Lakshman Jhula is a

suspension bridge A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck is hung below suspension cables on vertical suspenders. The first modern examples of this type of bridge were built in the early 1800s. Simple suspension bridges, which lack vertical ...

across the river

Ganges The Ganges ( ) (in India: Ganga ( ); in Bangladesh: Padma ( )). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international river to which India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China are the riparian states." is ...

Geography

It is located north-east of the city of

Rishikesh Rishikesh, also spelt as Hrishikesh, is a city near Dehradun in Dehradun district of the Indian state Uttarakhand. It is situated on the right bank of the Ganges River and is a pilgrimage town for Hindus, with ancient sages and saints meditat ...

in the Indian state of

Uttarakhand Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and ...

. The bridge connects the villages of Tapovan to Jonk. Tapovan is in

Tehri Garhwal district Tehri Garhwal is a district in the hill state of Uttarakhand, India. Its administrative headquarters is at New Tehri. The district has a population of 618, 931 (2011 census), a 2.35% increase over the previous decade. It is the 7th ranked dis ...

, on the west bank of the river, while Jonk is in

Pauri Garhwal district Pauri Garhwal is a district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Its headquarters is in the town of Pauri. It is sometimes referred to simply as Garhwal district, though it should not be confused with the larger Garhwal region of which it ...

, on the east bank. Lakshman Jhula is a pedestrian bridge also used by motorbikes. It is located on the outskirts of the city. It is a landmark of Rishikesh. A larger bridge downstream from Lakshman Jhula is

Ram Jhula Ram Jhula ( hi, राम झूला) is an iron suspension bridge across the river Ganges, located north-east from the town Rishikesh in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. The bridge connects the Sivananda Nagar area of Muni Ki Reti in Tehri ...

History

As of November 5, 2020, this bridge is restricted to pedestrian access and is set to be closed permanently when a replacement is built parallel to it. Barriers on both sides prevent vehicular traffic including motorcycles and scooters. It is said that the Hindu deity

Lakshmana Lakshmana ( sa, लक्ष्मण, lit=the fortunate one, translit=Lakṣmaṇa), also spelled as Laxmana, is the younger brother of Rama and his loyalist in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He bears the epithets of Saumitra () and Ramanuja (). ...

crossed the Ganges on jute ropes where the bridge is found. Lakshman Jhula was completed in 1929. Two plaques exist at the foot of the west side of the bridge. The first plaque reads: The second plaque reads:

Gallery

File:Laxmanjhula.jpg, A view of the bridge. File:Rishikesh view across bridge.jpg File:Sunset - Lakshman Jhula.jpg File:CZTC6561.jpg, the bridge and area before major commercial development

References

Tourism in Uttarakhand Bridges over the Ganges Bridges completed in 1939 Bridges in Uttarakhand Tehri Garhwal district Suspension bridges Rishikesh Transport in Rishikesh 20th-century architecture in India {{India-bridge-struct-stub