Gangotri ( The highest temple dedicated to Goddess Ganga)

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 Gangotri celebrated place of Hindu pilgrimage in Uttrakhand state in northern India.  It is a town and a Nagar Panchayat in Uttarkashi district in the state of India. It is 99 km from Uttarkashi, the main district headquarter.

 It is a Hindu pilgrim town on the banks of the river Bhagirathi. Bhagirathi is the origin of the river Ganges. Gangotri is located on the greater Himalaya Range, at a height of 31000 meters. According to Hindu legend ,Goddess Ganga descended here when Lord Shiva released the mighty river from the locks of his hair.

Significance of Gangotri

On a Chhota Char Dham tour, Gangotri is one of four steps. Gangotri is nestled amidst the beautiful graceful mountains with amazing landscapes. It is one of the most sacred sites due to its close connection to the river Ganga. The river is called Bhagirathi at the source and acquires the name Ganga from Devprayag onwards where it meets Alaknanda. The origin of holy river is at Gomukh, set in the Gangotri Glacier and it 19kn trek from Gangotri. The original Gangotri temple was built by the Nepalese general Amar Singh Thapa. The temple is closed from Diwali day every year  and is reopened on Akshya Tritiya ( April-May). During this time the idol of the goddess is kept at Mukhba village, near Harsil. Ritual duties of the temple are supervised by the Semwal family of pujaris. These Pujaris hail from Mukhba village.

Legend has it that Ganga maa, a highly esteemed Hindu deity who hailed from the snow covered  Gangotri  region of Gomukh about 11 miles from the city of Gangotri, come to the earth to wash away the sins of King Bhagirath ancestors. Steeped in mythology, the river ganga has been a sacred water source to purify and cleanse people of their sins.

Gangotri temple


A temple dedicated to Goddess Ganga is located near a sacred stone where king Bhagirath worshipped  Lord Shiva. Bhagirath Shilla is a sacred slab where king Bhagirath meditated. Ganga is believed to have touched earth at this spot. According to another legend, Pandavas performed the great ' Dev Yajna' here to atone the deaths of their kinsmen in the epic battle of Mahabharata.

Hindus believe that preforming the ancestral rites on the banks of Bhagirathi frees the spirit of ancestor from the cycle of rebirth and a holy dip in its waters cleanses sins committed in the present also past births.

Architecture of the temple

The magnificent architecture of the Gangotri temple attracts millions of tourists, pilgrims, architects and historians. the feature of the temple are as follows:

  • The buildings of the Gangotri temple are built in the Nagara style with five small apexes, 20 meters long.
  • The temple has beautiful exterior sculptures rarely seen in any Hindu temple.
  • the temple is built according to the Katyuri architectural style, common in Nepal and its surroundings. This style has been adopted in Nepal by Katyuri Dynasty.
  • The interior of temple follows a pattern of regular temple construction.
  • The inner sanctum contains a raised platform where the ganga idols placed with idols of various goddess such as Yamuna, Saraswati, Annapurna.
  • The sanctuary is built such that the idol of the goddess faces the East to reflect the first rays of the Sun.
Gangotri Glacier


Gangotri glacier is largest glaciers in the Himalayas, with an average volume of more than 27 cubic kilometers. Gangotri glacier is a traditional Hindu pilgrimage, Zealous Hindu considering bathing  in the icy water near the city of Gangotri is a sacred ritual and many take a trip to Gomukh  with a few proceedings of Tapovan.

Places to see in Gangotri

Surya Kund

Jalmanga Shivlinga

Bhojbasa

Dharali

Bhaironghati

Gangotri Glacier

How to reach Gangotri?

Direct buses from various regions of Uttarakhand like Rishikesh, Dehradun are available to Uttarkashi and Gangotri. If you are coming from Delhi then change bus at Rishikesh to Uttarkashi city from where you can reach Gangotri by Tata Sumo's to Gangotri temple. Dehradun is the nearest railway station & Jollygrant airport is the closest airport to Gangotri temple.

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