Garhwal Himalayas > Pilgrimage > Yamunotri

Yamunotri is the source of the river Yamuna. The river originates from the Champasar glacier near Yamunotri.

In mythology, the river was born out of the union of the lovesick sun god, Surya and Sanjana, the daughter of Vishwakarma, the architect of the world.

On the left bank of the river at about 10,000 feet above sea level, lies a temple dedicated to goddess Yamuna, the manifestation of the river. And though it is very difficult to reach the exact source of the holy river, pilgrims flock to the shrine, open from May to November.

The Yamunotri temple was built by Maharani Gularia of Jaipur in the 19th century. It was destroyed twice in the present century and rebuilt.

Behind the temple is a magnificent water fall that begins from the Banderpoonch peak and drops more than 2000 feet into the valley.

The left bank of the Yamuna also called Kalind Parbat has a frozen lake up on top, at about 14,000 feet. A kilometer further up is the source of the Yamuna.