Shri Gangotri Temple

Shri Gangotri Temple is dedicated to the Goddess of Ganga, The Mother River Ganga is the holiest river of Hindus and a respected mother, It appears first in Uttarakhand, north state of Bharat, The River covers the length of 2525 km till it meets with the Bay of Bengal. The Temple is the second pilgrim site on the ancient Char Dham Yatra, It is believed that the goddess Ganga first descended on the earth and the place is known as Gangotri. River Ganga is also called Bhagirathi till it does not meet with Alaknanda River at Devpyrag where Alaknanda meets the Bhagirathi River and both rivers thereafter flow on as the Ganga river.

Gangotri Temple: The Present Temple is built with white granite on the left bank of the Bhagirathi River the hight of the Temple is 20 ft and is located at an altitude of 3415 meters. The temple was built in early 18th century by the Amar singh Thapa , a Gorkha General and was renovated in 20th century by the ruler of Jaipur. As per mythology Legends, Pandavas, performed the great ( Deva Yagna’ here to atone for the death of their relatives killed during the battle of Mahabharat.

In this belief, Pilgrims take a holy dip in the river gang to clear all their sins and get the blessing, Later they proceed to the temple for Pooja rituals. The priests of the temple belong to the Brahmin community from Mukhwa village. The shrine closes for the winter due to heavy snowfall. The last puja at the shrine is performed on Diwali (Oct./Nov.) and then the goddess retreats to Mukhba (12 km. downstream), where daily prayers and rituals are conducted. Every year the Temple is reopened on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritya ( April/ May) for performing Puja and Darshan.

Legends of Ganga

Ganga is of great religious importance to every Hindu and is an inseparable part of Hinduism. It is not only the river of life but also the river of Moksha, as every Hindu wishes to die on the banks of the Ganga, and its believed if the ashes are immersed in the sacred waters of the river, the soul gets mokhsa and receive Heaven.

As per Hindu Mythology, Goddess Ganga manifested herself in the form of the river over here to absolve the sins of King Bhagirathi’s ancestors It is also said that once King Sagar performed the holy Ashwamedha Yagya to establish his dominion. His 60,000 sons born of Queen Sumati and one son Asamanjas of Queen Kesani accompanied the horse released after the ‘yagya’. Lord Indra felt jealous and threatened by king Sagara’s act. He stole the horse and tied it in the ashram of sage Kapil, who was in deep meditation. The 60,000 sons of king Sagar stormed into the ashram of the sage to recover the horse and disturbed him. The angry sage opened his eyes and reduced the 60,000 sons of Sagar, except Asamanjas into ashes. Anshuman, the grandson of king Sagar successfully retrieved the horse and was told that Sagar’s sons will attain heaven only if Ganga descends on the earth and their ashes are washed by the water of the holy river. Then the herculean task of bringing river Ganga on the earth began.

Anshuman and later on his on failed in all their attempts but in the last his grandson King Bhagirathi was succeeded after undertaking penance of 4,440 Years. Lord Shiva was requested to receive the Ganga into his matted locs to minimize the impact of her fall on the earth. But the river remained suspended in the locks of shiva. Bhagirath then prayed to Shiva to release the river and finally Ganga came on the earth from Shiva’s hairs in seven streams and the most sacred stream on the earth came to be known as Bhagirathi.

Nearby Sightseeing :

Gaumukh (19 kms.)

The Gaumukh is the source of River Ganga, which is located at an altitude of 4200 Metres, It is a 24 km long trek from Gangotri Temple, There is a Glacier that looks like the face of a Cow, That why the source is named Gaumukh it is 6-8 km wide. that melts and comes in small streams and you can’t believe the small streams can make a huge source of water and make Tehri Dam and fulfill all water requirements while it flows from the mountain toward field Aread for Drinking and cultivation purposes.

The amazing trek route passes through dense forest, lush valleys, and towering peaks chirbasa, is 9 km from Gangotri and it is mid point from Gangotri and Bhojwasa. It affords awe-inspiring views of the glaciated heights of Gaumukh. Bhojwasa, 14 kms. trek from Gangotri is known for the forest of Bhopatra trees. In ancient times the bark of the Bhojpatra trees was used as a substitute for paper for writing.

Kedartal (18 kms.)

The trek to this enchanting lake surrounded by majestic peaks is quite tough. The Thalayasagar and Sphatikling peaks in the background add to the beauty of the lake.

Bhaironghati (10 kms.)

The beautiful site amidst thick forests is famous for the temple dedicated to Bhairon devta, the gateway deity of Gangotri. It is the last base camp for Gangotri and affords fine views of the snow-clad peaks, deep gorge of Jahanvi and Bhagirathi rivers.

Nandanvan-Tapovan (28 kms.)

These two attractive spots opposite to Gangotri glacier lie further up from Gaumukh and can be reached after a difficult trek. Nandanvan is the base camp or Bagirathi peak and provides a spectacular view of the majestic Shivling peak. A trek across the south of the Gangotri glacier leads to Tapovan famous for its beautiful meadows encircling the base of the Shivling peak.

Altitude: 3,415 metres (11,204 ft)
Best Time: May-June & Sept-Nov
Darshan Timing: 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Places to visit: Bhagirath Shila, Bhairov Ghati, Gaumukh, Tapowan, Shivling Parvat, Harsil Valley , Gartang Gali
How to reach: Haridwar – Uttarkashi – Harsil – Gangotri Temple.
Where to Stay : Gangotri, Harsil & Uttarkashi
Trek / Walking : 500 meters walking distance from parking to Gangotri Temple.