Karmandir Gangotri Temple
Gangotri, Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand
About
Gangotri is the seat of Maa Ganga, on the bank of the Bhagirathi at about 3,100 metres, and one of the four shrines of the Chhota Char Dham. Here the river is called the Bhagirathi; it takes the name Ganga at Devprayag, where it meets the Alaknanda. The actual source is Gaumukh, at the Gangotri glacier, about 19 km further up a mountain trail. The temple was built by the Gorkha commander Amar Singh Thapa and later repaired by the royal family of Jaipur. Its puja is done by priests of the Semwal families of Mukhba village. Unlike some other dhams, Gangotri can be reached by road.
The story
King Bhagirath wished to bring Ganga ji down from heaven so that his ancestors, the sons of King Sagar, could find peace. He did long tapasya right here. When Ganga ji agreed to come, her flow was so strong that the earth could not bear it. So Shiv ji caught her in his matted hair and let her down gently. A rock near the temple, the Bhagirath Shila, is believed to be where Bhagirath sat in tapasya, and the river here is named Bhagirathi after him. Another story says the Pandavs held a great yagya here after the Mahabharat war, to atone for the deaths of their kin. In winter, when snow covers the area, the doors close on Annakut, the day after Diwali, and Maa Ganga's doli is carried to Mukhba village. She is worshipped there until the doors open again on Akshaya Tritiya.
Visiting
May–June and September–October are good months; in the monsoon the road can be blocked by landslides. Carry warm clothes. Nearby are the Bhairon Nath temple at Bhairon Ghati, the Jalmagna Shivling seen in the river in early summer, Harsil village with its apple orchards, and the trek to Gaumukh and Tapovan.
Festivals
- Akshaya Tritiya: the doors open
- Annakut (the day after Diwali): the doors close and Maa Ganga's doli goes to Mukhba
