Gangotri is a town and a Nagar
Panchayat (municipality) in Uttarkashi District in the state of Uttarakhand,
India. It is a Hindu pilgrim town on the banks of the river Bhagirathi (Ganga).
It is on the Greater Himalayan Range, at a height of 3,100m.
This
small town of Gangotri is centered around the temple of the goddess Ganga. It
is visited by lakhs of pilgrims every year. A number of ashrams are located on
the other side, some of which provide accommodation facilities to the visitors.
Ritual duties are supervised by the Semwal family of priests. The Aarti
ceremony at the Gangotri is especially impressive, as is the temple, a stately
affair that sits on the banks of the rushing Ganges. Adventurous pilgrims can
make an overnight 18 km trek to Gaumukh, the actual current source of the river
Ganges. For a large number of tourists, Gangotri town serves as the starting
point of the Gangotri-Gaumukh - Tapvan and Gangotri- Kedartal trekking routes.
Places of
Attractions
Gangotari
Temple:
Gangotri,
the origin of the River Ganges and seat of the goddess Ganga, is second of the
four Char Dham Temples in the Chardham Yatra in Himalayas or Chardham
Pilgrimage in Uttarakhand. Gangotari is located at at distance of 99 kms from
Uttarkashi District of Uttarakhand, approximately 300 kms from Dehradun and 250
kms from Rishikesh. Couched in the magnificent Garhwal hills, Gangotri is at an
altitude of 3048 meters above sea level. It is on the northernmost part of the
state of Uttrakhand and is very near the Indo-Tibetan border. The summers are
relatively cool and winters are freezing cold, with rains in the months of May
and June. For the devotees and tourists, the gates of the temple are open only
in the months of May to November.
The
temple is dedicated to Goddess Ganga and was constructed on the banks of
Bhagirathi in the 18th century. The temple of Gangotri is located at a 20-feet
high structure of white granite, and is around 300 years old. The river is
called Bhagirathi at the source and acquires the name Ganga (the Ganges) from
Devprayag onwards where it meets the Alaknanda. The origin of the holy river is
at Gaumukh, set in the Gangotri Glacier, and is a 19 km trek from Gangotri.
The
legend is, Goddess Ganga took the form of a river to absolve the sins of King
Bhagiratha's predecessors, following his severe penance of several centuries.
But earth could not sustain the immense flow of Ganga and soon it was water
everywhere. Lord Shiva then took the flowing Ganga in his hair locks to reduce
the impact, henceforth, it flowed down in 12 streams of water. The stream at
the source came to be known as Bhagirathi (named after Bhagirath), flowing like
this since centuries, absolving the sins of mankind. The Bhagirathi, 'Shila' is
located near the temple of Ganga where the holy Ganga first descended on earth
from heaven. Hence the place is known as Gangotri. The temple of Bhagirathi was
erected by the Gorkha General, Amar Singh Thapa in 18th Century at the source
of Ganga.
Gangotri
can be reached in one day's travel from Rishikesh, Haridwar or Dehradun, or in
two days from Yanunotri, the first site in the Char Dham circuit. More popular
and important than its sister site to the east, Gangotri is also accessible
directly by car and bus, meaning that it sees many more pilgrims than
Yamunotri.
Submerged
Shivling:
Submerged
in the river, this natural rock shivling is the place where, according to
mythology, Lord Shiva sat when he received the Ganga in his matted locks. It is
visible in winter months when water level decreases. The other places of
pilgrimage are Surya Kund, Vishnu Kund and Brahma Kund located in the vicinity
of Gangotri.
Gomukh:
Gomukh
is also referred to as "Gaumukh" or "Gomukhi". The word
"Gomukh" literally means "Mouth of a Cow". According to
some sayings, earlier the snout exactly looked like "Mouth of a Cow".
It is 18 km from Gangotri in the foot hills of Bhagirathi at a height of 4255m.
Gomukh is the terminus or snout of the Gangotri Glacier, from where Bhagirathi
River originates. The Bhagirathi River here is pretty speedy. Around the snout,
nature presents a wild topography. There are bolders scattered here and there
with some pieces of broken snow, along with the hard clayey snow of the
glacier. The place is situated at a height of 13,200 ft. It is one of the
largest in the Himalayas with an estimated volume of over 27 cubic kilometers.
Bhavishya
Badri Temple:
Bhavishya
Badri, also spelt as Bhabisya Badri, is located in a village called Subhain at
a distance of 17 kilometres from Joshimath, beyond Tapovan and approach is
through dense forest, only by trekking. It is situated on an ancient pilgrim
route to Mount Kailash and Mansarovar, along the Dhauli Ganges River. The idol
of Narsingha (the god with the head of lion) is enshrined here. Traditionally,
it is believed that a day will come when the present route to the Badrinath
will be inaccessible and the Lord Badrinath will be worshipped here and this is
why the place is called Bhavishya Badri.
Nandanvan:
Nandanvan
is a 6-km tough trekking route along the glacier and gives a view of the
Shivling. Across the snout of the Gangotri glacier is the sylvan Tapovan, which
is known for its exquisite verdure encircling the base of the Shivling peak.
From here, one can go to Vasuki Tal, Kalindikhal, at a height of 5590 meters
and reach Badrinath.
Gangotri
Glacier:
Gangotri
glacier is straightforwardly accessible. It is well linked by motor able road
up to Gangotri temple. From Gantotri Temple there are steps upto the main trail
going to the ice cave of Gaumukh and one has to take these steps to reach
Gomukh. The about 19 km long restrain path follows along the right bank of the
Bhagirathi river to Gaumukh, the nose of the glacier. There are no temples at
Gaumukh. The terrain is rough and the path is narrow and the fall is steep. The
first step involves a walk up to Chirbasa (7 km) which is slow as the ascent is
very steep. From here to Bhojbasa which is another 5 km is a relatively smooth
walk. The mountain view changes dramatically but remains breathtaking
nonetheless.
Gangotari,
the origin of the sacred river Ganges, is a famous glacier in Garhwal division
of the Uttarakhand, located in Uttarkashi district. Gangotri glacier originates
at the northern angle of Chaukhamba range of peak. This Glacier is one of the
largest in the Himalayas with an estimated volume of over 27 cubic kilometers.
The Glacier is about 30 kilometers long and 2 to 4 kms wide. Gangotri Glacier
is not a solitary valley glacier, but it is a grouping of various other
glaciers that are feed to it and form a huge accumulation of ice. Around the
glacier are the peaks of the Gangotri Group, including several peaks notable
for extremely challenging climbing routes, such as Shivling, Thalay Sagar,
Meru, and Bhagirathi III. It flows roughly northwest, originating in a cirquie
below Chaukhamba, the highest peak of the group.
It
is one of the most significant glaciers in Garhwal district as it is dependable
for feeding the head tributary of the holy river Ganga.
The
terminus of the Gangotri Glacier is said to resemble a cow’s mouth, and the
place is called Gomukh or Gaumukh. Gomukh, which is about 18 km (11.2 mi) from
the town of Gangotri, is the precise source of the Bhagirathi River, an
important tributary of the Ganges. Gomukh is situated near the base of
Shivling; in between lies the Tapovan meadow.
The
Gangotri glacier is a traditional Hindu Pilgrimage site. Devout Hindus consider
bathing in the icy waters near Gangotri town to be a holy ritual, and many make
the trek to Gomukh and Tapovan.
Gangotri
glacier flows at a moderate gradient apart from for a few ice stockade and
crevices developed in the higher regions of the glacier where, as in the lower
part of the glacier is roofed by fragments, which imparts a grubby emergence to
its surface.
Reaching
to Gangotri Gaumukh Glacier
The
distance between Uttarkashi to Gangotri is 105 km which can be covered by bus
or taxi. Buses are available daily during season from Haridwar to Uttarkashi
via Bhaldiana. The distance is 173 km and takes about 6 hrs by taxi.
