Discover how Rishikesh, known as the Yoga Capital of the World, influenced Anand Mehrotra’s journey and shaped the vision and philosophy behind Sattva Yoga Academy.
Rishikesh, the pilgrimage town where the Ganga leaves the Himalayan foothills, is widely called the “yoga capital of the world”. Anand Mehrotra was born and raised there, and the school he founded, Sattva Yoga Academy, sits in the hills near the town. He is a teacher whose personal history and institution share the same landscape.
How a Town Became a Capital
Rishikesh lies on the banks of the Ganges in Uttarakhand, and its temples and ashrams make it one of India’s major spiritual centres, according to Outlook Traveller. The magazine adds a useful caution: the town is often called the “birthplace of yoga”, though verifiable sources for that claim are hard to find. What is better documented is the 1968 visit by The Beatles to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s ashram, which brought the town worldwide attention and, in Outlook’s account, changed Western attitudes toward Indian spirituality.
Today the town hosts an annual International Yoga Festival, held in the first week of March according to Wikipedia’s account of Rishikesh, and its title as yoga capital is as much a product of global attention as of local tradition.
Beyond the Studio
Visitors find a town organised around the river as much as around yoga. Outlook Traveller describes Parmarth Niketan’s daily programme of yoga, meditation and satsang, capped by the Ganga Aarti ceremony at sunset, and notes that Rishikesh is also a hotspot for adventure sports such as river rafting and bungee jumping. Wikipedia adds that the city is vegetarian-only and alcohol-free. The result is an unusual mix of pilgrimage, practice and tourism, and one in which a school must decide what kind of experience it wants to offer.
A Native Teacher
Against that backdrop, Mehrotra’s biography reads differently from that of the many teachers who arrived in Rishikesh from elsewhere. His Academy biography describes him as born and raised in the city, and his presenter profile for the International Yoga Festival says he was mentored by his guru from childhood and, as a young man, travelled across India studying Vedic and Tantric teachings. He has taught in the United States, Australia and Europe, and has himself presented at the Rishikesh festival.
A School in the Hills
Sattva Yoga Academy teaches within what it calls the Himalayan Yog-Vedantic tradition. Outlook Traveller’s 2025 round-up of Rishikesh retreats lists the Academy among places to consider, noting its roots in Vedanta and Tantric traditions and describing shorter stays — a Panchakarma detox package and a kirtan retreat — for visitors who are not training as teachers. The Academy’s residential partner, Sattva Retreat, sits roughly 30 minutes from the town centre, as DNA India’s feature on the retreat explains.
Rooted in More Than Practice
Mehrotra’s connection to the town extends beyond teaching. Khushi Charitable Society, which he founded in 2002, funds tuition-free schooling and vocational training for local families. The Sattva Collection, a lifestyle brand co-founded by Academy teacher Annemarie, is described on its website as created in Rishikesh and providing employment to local artisans. For a teacher whose institution draws students from abroad, those local ties are part of how the school describes its relationship to the place with the intention to create pieces of art which are genuinely inspired by the magnificence of our existence.
That mix is also why independent coverage matters. A school’s own description of itself is one source; a travel magazine’s round-up, and a festival’s presenter page are others. Taken together, they let a prospective student check a school’s claims against more than its marketing.
Choosing a School in a Crowded Town
Rishikesh offers a wide range of options, from Parmarth Niketan, which Outlook Traveller describes as the town’s biggest ashram with 1,000 rooms, to small residential schools. For a prospective student the town supplies the setting; the school’s method and teachers decide the experience. The Academy’s own answer is a curriculum that treats asana, pranayama, meditation, mantra, kriya and philosophy as one integrated practice, as laid out in Republic World’s look inside the teacher training.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Rishikesh called the yoga capital of the world?
Rishikesh is a pilgrimage town on the Ganges in Uttarakhand with many ashrams and yoga schools. It gained worldwide attention after The Beatles visited Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s ashram in 1968, and it hosts an annual International Yoga Festival each March.
Where was Anand Mehrotra born?
Anand Mehrotra, founder of Sattva Yoga Academy, was born and raised in Rishikesh, India, according to his Academy biography.
Where is Sattva Yoga Academy?
Sattva Yoga Academy is a yoga school near Rishikesh in the Himalayan foothills of Uttarakhand, India, founded by Anand Mehrotra.
When is the International Yoga Festival in Rishikesh?
The festival is held annually in Rishikesh, in early March according to widely cited accounts. Dates for each year should be confirmed with the organisers.