This tiny and remote village is a treasure trove for Hindu pilgrims. Lying 12 km from Baba Baidyanath Dham, Rikhiapeeth, also called Sri Sri Panch Dashanam Paramhansa Alakhbarah, is among the oldest yoga ashrams in the country. Established by Swami Satyananda Saraswati, a follower of Swami Shivananda Saraswati, the ashram has been home to many enlightened sages. It is known as tapobhumi, a place of intense spiritual practices and austerities of Swami Satyananda. The peace and serenity enveloping the place can be attributed to the presence of sages and their spiritual practices. The word peeth means the seat of higher learning, thus Rikhiapeeth, in keeping with the word rishi from which Rikhia is derived, aims to disseminate the ancient spiritual knowledge as propagated by the Vedic lineage of rishis in the Vedas, Upanishads and Puranas, as well as impart modern skills to all regardless of caste, creed, nationality, religion and gender. The ashram is a must-visit during Sita Vivah and a grand fair that are organised annually during November and December.