Gangotri Dham, Uttarakhand

Gangotri Dham, Uttarakhand

Mother Ganga has special significance in our life. Gangotri is the origin of the Ganges River. Gangotri is in Uttarkashi district of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Gangotri temple is one of the four dhams of Hinduism. This is the second stop for the Char Dham Yatra. The journey of Gangotri Dham is done after Yamunotri Dham. It is an absolute holy place of pilgrimage. Which is famous not only in India but worldwide. Its beauty is worth seeing. Thousands of devotees visit here every year. Mountains, forests and beautiful valleys are all around the temple. Gangotri Temple is situated on the banks of the river Bhagirathi.

History of temple
The history of Gangotri temple is believed to be 1200 years old. During that time the pilgrimage to Char Dham was done on foot. After this, the road was constructed in the year 1980. Also, there was no temple on Gangotri at that time. Mother Ganga water was worshiped only. The temple of Gangotri Dham was built by Gurkha commander Amar Singh Thapa of Garhwal in the 18th century. After this, Raja Madho Singh II of Jaipur worked to add beauty to this temple in the twentieth century.

Gangotri Temple
Gangotri Temple is located on the Greater Himalayan Range at an altitude of 3100 meters above sea level. The origin of the Ganges at Gangotri is estimated to be at an altitude of 4225 meters at the Gangotri Glacier, 24 km away. Gaumukh is at a height of about 3892 meters from the sea level, 19 km from here. Where to go is considered to be the most difficult.
A wonderful view here is that the rock in the form of Shivalinga is situated in the Bhagirathi river, which is very beautiful. It seems as if Lord Shiva himself is seated in the waters of the mother Ganges.

The mythology of Gangotri Dham
It is said about Gangotri Dham that Chakravarti King Bhagirath, the ancestor of Lord Sri Ramachandra, had done a difficult austerity here. An austerity that is not an easy thing to do. He continuously chanted the name of Lord Shankar, sitting on a sacred rock, and pleased him with his severe penance. When Lord Shankar appeared to Bhagirathi in a pleased manner, he asked for a boon that Lord Shankar make Goddess Ganga flow on the earth. After which Lord Shankar heard the prayer of Bhagirathi, the mother Ganga originated on the earth.

According to another belief, it is also said that the Pandavas performed a yagna at this place for all their families who were killed in the Mahabharata. The Pandavas prayed with great devotion and faith to Gangotri Dham for the peace of soul of their family members.

Gangotri Dham Tour Time
The journey of Gangotri Dham is done between the months of May to October. In which lakhs of devotees come to visit and find the desire of the mind.

To reach here, you can go by air and road or rail route by all three routes. Jollygrant near Dehradun is the nearest airport which is about 200 km from Uttarkashi headquarters. Gangotri can also be reached from Rishikesh by bus, car, taxi. Its distance is 259 km. You can visit Gangotri Dham by any means. It is believed that once in life one must visit Gangotri Dham.