Karmandir Yamunotri Temple
Yamunotri, Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand
About
Yamunotri is the seat of Maa Yamuna, at about 3,290 metres in the Garhwal Himalaya, and the westernmost shrine of the Chhota Char Dham. The river's true source, the Champasar glacier on Kalind mountain, is very hard to reach, so devotees worship her at this temple below it. Her murti here is of black stone. Hot springs bubble beside the temple. Pilgrims tie rice and potatoes in cloth, cook them in the hot Surya Kund, and take them home as prasad. Before darshan they first worship the Divya Shila, a rock near the kund. The shrine is reached by a walk of about 6 km from Janki Chatti.
The story
Maa Yamuna is honoured as the daughter of Surya dev and the sister of Yamraj, the lord of death. The story goes that Yamraj came to visit his sister on Kartik Shukla Dwitiya, the day now kept as Bhai Dooj. In memory of this love between brother and sister, Yamunotri's doors close for winter on Bhai Dooj itself, and devotees hold a dip in the Yamuna here to be very auspicious. Like the Ganga, the Yamuna is worshipped as a mother; she flows on to meet the Ganga at Prayagraj. The temple was built in the 19th century by the rulers of Tehri Garhwal. Snow and floods damaged it twice, and it was rebuilt. In winter, Maa Yamuna's doli is carried down to Kharsali village, her winter seat, which also has an old Shani temple.
Visiting
The temple is open roughly from April–May to October–November; May–June and September–October are good months. The 6 km path from Janki Chatti is steep, and many people take a pony or palki. Carry warm clothes. Nearby are the Shani temple at Kharsali village and the hot springs at Janki Chatti.
Festivals
- Akshaya Tritiya: the doors open
- Bhai Dooj (Yama Dwitiya, Kartik Shukla Dwitiya): the doors close and Maa Yamuna's doli goes to Kharsali
