Gangotri
The Ganges River near Gangotri. Photo
Yogesh Rao.
Ganges at Gangotri. Photo
Yogesh Rao.
Gangotri Temple. Photo
Leon Meerson.Gangotri, the source of the Ganga (Ganges) River and seat of the goddess Ganga, is one of the four sites in India's Char Dham pilgrimage.
Gangotri can be reached in one day's travel from Rishikesh, Haridwar or Dehra Duhn, or in two days from Yamunotri. More popular and important than its sister site to the east, Gangotri is also accessible directly by car and bus, meaning that it sees many more pilgrims. A small village of guesthouses and restaurants serves the pilgrim community.
Ritual duties are supervised by the Semwal family of pujaris. The aarti ceremony at the Gangotri is especially impressive, as is the temple, a stately affair that sits on the banks of the rushing Ganga (Ganges River).
Adventurous pilgrims can make an overnight 17 km trek to Gaumukh, the actual source of the Ganga.
Map
Below is a location map and aerial view of Gangotri. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our India Map or get our free Google Earth download.
Sources
- Wikipedia under GFDL.
