Gangotri, the origin of the River Ganges and seat of the goddess Ganga, is one of the four sites in the Chota Char Dham pilgrimage circuit. The original Gangotri Temple was built by the Gurkha general Amar Singh Thapa. 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 temple town of Gangotri is located just 97 km from Uttarkashi. Gangotri is believed to be the site where Ganges descended to Earth on the matted locks of Lord Shiva. The place also houses the temple of Vishwanath and Kuteti Devi.
Around 2.50 lakh Hindu pilgrims visit Gangotri temple every year. The temple opens generally in the first week of May, on the day of ‘Akshay Tirth’ and shuts down on Diwali.
Google Map
View Larger Map
