About Muni Ki Reti

Muni Ki Reti is a rapidly growing town located on the bank of River Ganges in the state of Uttarakhand. It lies adjacent to the holy city of Rishikesh and consequently many people take this small town as an extension of the city. However, the fact is that while Rishikesh is located in the Haridwar district Muni Ki Reti is situated in the Tehri Garhwal and functions under a separate nagar panchayat.

Geography of Muni Ki Reti

Muni Ki Reti is located at the geographical coordinate of 30.07° North latitude and 78.16° East longitude in the foothills of the Himalayas. It has two rivers flowing in close vicinity. While the town is located directly on the bank of River Ganges it also has River Chandrabhaga flowing on its right.  The town is spread over an area of 6 sq km.

The Topography of Muni Ki Reti

Muni Ki Reti is surrounded by prominent Shivalik hills. The town has an uneven terrain slopping towards the two rivers.  While the average elevation of the town is 356 meters above the seal level, there is a difference of 50 m between the highest and lowest point of the town. Moreover, the area around the town is covered with a forest of sal trees.

Climate in Muni Ki Reti

Muni ki Reti experiences four distinct seasons. The summer season begins in May and continues till June. The temperature during this period ranges from 20°C to 30°C. The monsoon starts from the end of June and continues till September.  The average rainfall recorded during this period is 435 mm. Winter sets in after a brief autumn. The temperature begins to drop from the month of November and the winter season continues till February. The average temperature during this period varies from 5°C to 8°C. Spring sets in after that and continues till the end of April.

History of Muni Ki Reti

Not so long ago, Muni Ki Reti was a dense jungle mostly inhabited by hermits, traditionally known as munis and wrishis. Covered by deep forest, the place offered the right atmosphere for their meditation. They lived here in solitude to contemplate about the Almighty. It is even said that King Bharata, the younger brother of lord Rama, did penance in this place.

Muni Ki Reti since late 19th Century

The scenario began to change from the end of the nineteenth century. In 1880, the famous saint Dhanraj Giri established Kailash Ashram in Muni Ki Reti. Slowly other ashrams began to come up in and around this region. With the establishment of so many ashrams and arrival of more and more pilgrims, a settlement began to grow here. What was once a haven for recluses slowly emerged into a vibrant township.

Mini Ki Reti in 20th Century

Muni Ki Reti became a Nagar Panchayat on 30th November, 1949. However, communication was still a problem there. People had to cross the River Ganges on boats and that caused difficulty in certain seasons.  To mitigate such a problem a suspension bridge made out of iron was constructed across the river in 1986. Once it was commissioned, the town began to grow at a faster pace.

Muni Ki Reti at Present

The town today has two distinct faces. With so many ashrams as well as temples located within its periphery, it is natural that Muni Ki Reti would be enveloped with spirituality. At the same time, the town has also become a center for adventure sports and people from all over the world come here to try their hand at river rafting.  In addition, it has also developed as a getaway for Char Dham Yatra, encompassing Badrinath, Kedarnth, Gongotri and Yamuntri. This has boosted the hospitality industry to a great extent.

Ram Jhula in Muni Ki Reti

The bridge across the River Ganges in Muni Ki Reti has been named Ram Jhula.  It is one of the landmarks of the town. Although it looks similar to the Lakshman Jhula of Rishikesh, with a span of 230 meter (750 feet) it is much larger in size.

Business and Economy in Muni Ki Reti

Many people are of the opinion that the economy of Muni Ki Reti depends mainly on hospitality industry. While that is true to a large extent, the area in and around the town also have many small scale industries manufacturing different kinds of products.  Let us however, start with impact of tourism on the economy of Muni Ki Reti.

Hospitality Industry in Muni Ki Reti

As per government sources, Muni Ki Reti is visited by thousands of tourists every day. While the majority of them are here for pilgrimage purpose a good number of them also come here just for sightseeing. River rafting is an important sport here and this too draws a significant number of tourists. The process has been hastened by the development of suitable infrastructure. Indeed, the town today has many hotels and dharamshalas, restaurants and dhabas, travel agents and adventure tour organizers etc. They together employ a good percentage of the population, which in turn has considerable impact on the economy of the town.

Trade and Commerce in Muni Reti

With the daily influx of tourists, trade and commerce in Muni Ki Reti has also got a huge boost. All kinds of shops have now opened up in the town. They sell everything from essential items to souvenirs. This in its turn has enhanced the economy of the town to a great extent.

Small Scale Industries in Muni Ki Reti

As we have already mentioned, Muni Ki Reti also houses number of small scale industries.  Following are three of them:

Kailash Rosin Factory
Manufacturer of Rosin Oil and Varnish
Address: Kailash Gate ,
Muni Ki Reti
District: Tehri Garhwal
State: Uttarakhand
Pin Code: 249201
Phone No: 0135-2430628 / 2430711

Shiva Rosin & Turpentine Factory
Manufacturer of Rosin Oil
Adress: Kailash Gate
Muni Ki Reti
District: Tehri Garhwal
State: Uttarakhand
Pin Code: 249201
Phone No: 0135-2430711

Todaria Home Pipe Industry
Manufacturer of Pipes
Address: Kailash Gate,
Muni Ki Reti,
District: Tehri Garhwal
State: Uttarakhand
Pin Code: 249201
Phone: 0135-2431811

In addition, an Industrial estate has been established in Dhalwala, located at a distance of 2.4 km from Muni Ki Reti. It houses different kinds of industries, which employ a considerable number of people.  You may refer to our page on Dhalwala Industrial Estate near Muni Ki Reti for a list of such industry.

Fact File of Muni Ki Reti

Tehsil: Narendranagar
District: Tehri Garhwal
State: Uttarakhnd
Geographical Coordinate: 30.07° N, 78.16° E
Mean Elevation: 356 meters
Pin Code: 249201
STD Code:  0135