Gangotri Travel Guide
Gangotri Travel Guide
Gangotri, situated in Uttarkashi, is closely related to the hindu mythlogical Goddess Ganga, the river that we know as Ganges. Gangotri is one of the main religious places among the four Char Dham pilgrimage areas, Gangotri,the conjugation of two distinct words Ganga’ and ’Uttari’ which literally means ‘descended’. the picturesque pilgrimage in the hinterlands of the Himalayas is the most sacred spot where Ganga , the stream of life, touched earth for the first time. It is a town and a Nagar Panchayet in Uttarkashi district in the state of Uttarakhand, India.
The famous Gangotri temple was built by a Gorkha Commander in the early years of the 18th century. This temple stands at an altitude of 3042m and emits a highly pious aura. Gangotri has the magical charm to attract people from all over the world. The facsinating presence of the snow-covered Himalayan mountainregions in the vicinity and the pure crystal clear water of the Ganges flowing around add to the sanctity of the place. This picturesque and heavenly destination also is the place of religious legends. According to the hindu mythology, Goddess Ganga – the daughter of heaven, manifested herself in the form of a river to absolve the sins of King Bhagirath’s predecessors, following his severe penance of several centuries. Lord Shiva caught her into his matted locks to decrease the immense and forceful impact of her fall. This is the reason why she came to be called Bhagirathi at her legendary source according the kings name. Gangotri glaciers are the original source of the sacred river Ganges.It attracts a number of tourists every season.
Gangotriglacier is second longest glacier of Indian Himalaya after Siachin. This place offers the tourist enourmous attracting features.The daunting rivers along with the thrill of exploring nature can surely satishfy a traveller or nature lover. Gangotri is the source of the pious river Ganges. The sacred stone near the famous Gangotri temple denotes the place where Ganga first came down to earth. Actually the river Bhagirathi has acquired the name Ganga from Devprayag onwards where it meets the Alaknanda. The origin of the holy river is at Gaumukh, which is a 40 km trek from Gangotri. This trek follows the river upstream to the actual source at Gaumukh. The tour starts from the sacred city of Rishikesh , which is known as the ‘Gateway to Himalayas’. This memorable trek offers a panoramic view of nature along with the group of Himalayan mountains like Shivling (6543 m) ,Meru and Bhagirathi.
