Garhwal Himalayas > Pilgrimage > Gangotri

Gangotri lies at 10,300 feet above sea level on the right bank of river Ganga. It's sanctity is based on the belief that it was at this point on Earth that the Ganga came down in response to King Bhagirath's arduous penance which lasted several centuries. Pious Hindus faithfully trek up to this lovely place as part of their pilrgimage circuit and to fulfill their religious duties. By November every year, Gangotri becomes snowbound and impregnable.

Priests offering prayers to the deity However to save her worshippers from the clutches of the fierce cold, the kind goddess retreats to Mukhba, her winter abode 25 km down stream. With the advent of summer, the deity returns to Gangotri.

Legend
As the legend goes, King Bhagirath used to worship Lord Shiva at the sacred stone near which the temple is located. It is believed that goddess Ganga first descended to Earth from Heaven at this stone. Amar Singh Thapa, the Gorkha Commander of Garhwal constructed this temple in the 19th century. The Maharaja of Jaipur renovated it in the 1920s after it was damaged in an avalanche. It is also believed that the Pandavas came here to perform the great 'Deva Yagna' to atone the death of their kinsmen in the battle of Mahabharata. Besides the temple there is also a Submerged Shivling in the river. This natural rock Shivling is the place where according to myth, Lord Shiva sat when he received the Ganga in his matted locks. It is visible in winter months when the water level decreases.