Gangotri is the main religious places among the four Char Dham pilgrimage circuit, situated in Uttarkashi, is closely related to Goddess Ganga, the river that we know as Ganges.
The shrine of Gangotri is situated at an elevation of 3048 mts, amidst sylvan surroundings, constitutes one of the most important pilgrimages for the devout Hindus and emits a highly pious aura.
Gangotri is the place where holy river Ganga descended on the earth. Gangotri Dham is located in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, India. It is set among tall Garhwal Himalayan peaks, glaciers, deep forests, and is one of India's holiest pilgrimages. Gangotri is the home place of many ashrams, small shrines and temples.
The Gangotri Temple is dedicated to Goddess Ganga and located on the banks of River Bhagirathi. It lies close to the holy rock or the "Bhagirath Shila" where King Bhagiri had worshiped Lord Shiva.The river's actual source is at Gaumukh in the Gangotri glacier, 19 kilometres from Gangotri and can be accessible by trekking. The water from Gangotri is taken to Lord Shiva as an offering and is said to contain nectar that soothes Shiva's throat after he swallowed the poison.
About Gangotri Temple
Ganga, the stream of life, touched earth for the first time in the Himalayas. The Gangotri shrine, dedicated to the Goddess, is located along Bhagirathi's right rear. The Gangotri temple, which stands at a height of 3042 metres, was built in the early 18th century by a Gorkha commander named Amar Singh Thapa.
According to Hindu mythology, “Goddess Ganga assumed the form of a river to atone for the misdeeds of King Bhagiratha’s forefathers after his centuries-long penance. Lord Shiva took her within his matted hair to soften the blow of her fall. At her mythological origin, she was given the name Bhagirathi”. There are many legends associated with the history of Gangotri. Legend says that Ganga, a beautiful vivacious young woman, it is said, was born out of Lord Brahma’s kamandalu (water vessel) There are two versions about the birth of Ganga. One says that Brahma washed Lord Vishnu's feet after getting the universe rid of the demon Bali.
History of Gangotri Dham
According to Hinduism, the Gangotri Yatra, or pilgrimage excursion to the Gangotri temple, is one of the four renowned and holy temple tours (Chardham Yatra). The opening date of Gangotri temple is usually on AkshyaTritya day. This year, Gangotri Dham Opened at 7:31 a.m. on May 15, 2021.
The opening of the Gangotri temple is preceded by a special Ganges Puja performed both inside the temple and on the river bank. It is believed that the Goddess retreats to Mukhwa, her winter abode. Gangotri temple is a shrine dedicated to River Ganga along with Badrinath, Kedarnath and Yamunotri. The shrine remains closed during the peak winter season from November to April. But special puja is done on Janamshtami, Vijaydashmi and Diwali.
Open/ Close Date of Gangotri Temple
Gangotri is located in the Himalayas of Uttarakhand, India, at an elevation of 3048 metres. Gangotri lies in the northern section of Uttarkashi District, close to the Indo-Tibetan border. It is roughly around 300 km from Dehradun, 250 km from Rishikesh, and 105 km from Uttarkashi.
Gangotri is well connected to Haridwar, Rishikesh, Dehradun, Kotdwar, Roorkee, Chamba, Tehri, Barkot, Hanuman Chatti and Janki Chatti. There are bus services of Samyukt Rotaion Yatayat Vyawastha Samiti available as well, that connects Gangotri with many major centres in the region like Haridwar, Rishikesh, Tehri, Uttarkashi etc. Gangotri is easily accessible by air, rail and bus.
How to Reach Gangotri
The average maximum temperature of Gangotri is about 10 to 15 degrees Celsius. Warm and woollen clothes are a necessity almost all round the year. The average minimum temperature easily goes below the zero-degree mark.
The best time to visit Gangotri is from April to June and September to November. The temple is open from last week of April to second week of November. The Weather in Gangotri is pleasant throughout the year. Summers in Gangotri are cool, while winters are considerably cooler.
Gangotri Weather
The sacred temple and its surrounds provide a stunning view of the Himalayas and the ever-beautiful River Ganga. Other than that, there are many pilgrimage and tourist places near Gangotri Dham, some of them are high altitude lakes, glaciers and trekking destinations.
Gangotri has long enticed trekkers since there are wonderful adventurous excursions from Gangotri that provide you not only with exquisite beauty of nature but also with snow-capped peaks of the Himalayan range. Trekkers can trek to places like Gaumukh, Tapovan, and Kedar Tal.
Besides trekking, for sightseeing you must visit the beauty of nearby places to Gangotri like Maneri, Harsil, Dodital, Dayara Bugyal, Tehri etc.
Gangotri Excursions
Gangotri from Delhi can be reached by all the three modes of transportation i.e., air, rail and bus. However, road trips to Gangotri from Delhi have proven to be the most enjoyable so far. They allow you to explore and marvel at some of the spectacular sights and locales that you will pass by on your trip to this wonderful religious station.
The Distance between Delhi to Gangotri by road is approximately 501 kmwhich takes around 14 hours to reach if you aren’t halting anywhere. Every year, buses carry pilgrims from New Delhi to Gangotri via Haridwar and Rishikesh in pilgrim season of summer months.
Rishikesh is the major starting point for road journey to Gangotri. Traveling by plane or train may need changing modes of transportation several times, which can be inconvenient.
Delhi to Gangotri
There are various tourist places, famous temples & treks in and near Gangotri Dham. Pilgrims can visit those places during their Gangotri or Char Dham Yatra.
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Get all answers to your questions about Gangotri Yatra. Check out these Frequently Asked Questions for Gangotri providing every bit of information
The Gangotri temple was built by a Gorkha Commander, Amar Singh Thapa in the early 18th century.
Gangotri Dham open on the day of Akshay Tritya each year. The Gangotri Dham closed on next day after Diwali.
Gangotri Opening & Closing Dates
Gangotri Dham is dedicated to the Goddess Ganga. Goddess Yamuna is the main diety of Yamunotri Dham. As per legend, she is the daughter of Himvan and sister of Parvati.
As per popular Hindu mythology, King Bhagirath perform deep penance for the salvation of ancestors. Then Goddess Ganga takes form of sacred river and decends down to earth at Gangotri Dham.
Gangotri Dham can be reached from Haridwar by bus/ taxi. Regular buses are availabe to Gangotri / Uttarkashi from Haridwar. One can board taxi to Gangotri / Uttarkashi from Hadriwar to reach Gangotri Dham.
Gangotri Glacier located at an altitude of 17100 ft is the source of Gangotri river in Gangotri Dham.
Gangotri is one of the base camp for many treks in Uttarakhand. Aprt from famous Gaumukh trek, some of the other treks are Gangotri - Tapovan Trek, Kedartal Trek, Kalindikhal Trek and Nandanvan Trek.
Treks from Gangotr
Gangotri Dham has number of ashrams, dharmshalas and budget hotels for pilgrims accommodation. There are several budget and deluxe hotels in Dharali, Harsil and Uttarkashi too.
Hotels in Gangotri
Gaumukh is 18 kms from Gangotri Dham. One can reach by trek from Gangotri to Gaumukh. It need special permit from local authorities as it falls under Gangotri National Park.
