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Phone
Code 01377
Elevation: 3140m (10,500 ft)
The
actual source of the Ganges is Gaumukh, a hard 19km climb from Gangotri.
Bhagiratha is said to have prayed at Gangotri to save his relatives.
The Pandavas are said to have visited this place to atone for the sin
of killing their relatives during the Kurukshetra war. At this point
the Ganges River flows north, giving this village its name, Gangotri,
which means “Ganga turned north.” Lord Krishna says in Bhagavad-gita,
“Of flowing rivers I am the Ganges.”
Gangotri
is a very nice town and is fairly popular with foreigners, many who
have come to make the trek to Gaumukh, or further. Unlike most of the
other towns on the Char Dham route, it is a nice place to stay for a
while. The Bhagirathi River rushes by and is extremely loud, giving
the place a peaceful atmosphere.
Gangotri
is located about 250km from Rishikesh and 230km from Yamunotri. The
bus trip via Tehri and Uttarkashi from Rishikesh takes 10 to 12 hours.
At
Gangotri the Kedar Ganga River merges with the Bhagirathi River at Dev
Ghat, which is next to the main bridge, on the other side of the river
from the temple. There is a falls called Sahasradhara about 100m below
this confluence. Just before the falls the river squeezes itself into
a narrow gorge about one metre wide.
There
is a post office near the small bridge (open 8 to 10 am and 3 to 5 pm).
Gangotri Temple
The Gangotri Temple is dedicated to the goddess Ganga. It was built
in the 18th century by Amar Singh Thapa, a Gorkha general and was later
renovated by the Maharaja of Jaipur. It is erected near a sacred stone,
called Bhagiratha Shila, which is about 20m (65 ft) to the left of the
temple. King Bhagiratha is said to have sat here to worship Siva, so
Lord Siva would take the Ganges on his head. Soon after arati to the
deities in the temple, an arati is performed to the holy Ganges River.
The temple is open from May to early November.
When
to Go
The temple here opens with a formal puja to Gangaji on Aksaya-tritya,
during the last week of April or first week of May. It closes on Diwali,
in the midst of an array of oil lamps. During the winter months, Gangotri
is covered with snow.
Where to Stay
Gangotri is divided into two areas, which are on either side of the
river. Most of the nicer places are on the opposite side of the river
from the temple and bus stop. Most of the places in town are fairly
basic and can be totally booked by the late afternoon. Later in the
day you may have to take whatever you can, at any price. If you plan
to stay for a few days, you can take whatever is available the first
night and get a nicer room the next morning. You should expect to pay
more here than other places in India.
The
best place in town is the Nigam Tourist Lodge, (222221)
near the bus stand, which has dorm beds for Rs 150 and rooms from Rs
550 up to Rs 600. It is best to book a room here a week in advance.
The popular Ganga Niketan, by the bridge and across
the river, has double rooms for Rs 300. It is a decent place.
Birla
Mangal Niketan, near Ganga Niketan, has big rooms with attached
bath for Rs 200. There are many basic no-name places in town.
Meat
and eggs are banned in Gangotri. The open air eating place at the Ganga
Niketan and the Manisha restaurant, past the bus stand going out of
town, are decent places. There are just basic eating places here.
Travel
Buses from Hanuman Chatti near Yamunotri (13
hr) go directly to Gangotri, via Uttarkashi. There is an early morning
bus from Hanuman Chatti (Rs 100) at 5.30 am, that must be reserved the
night before. After that there are a few buses that depart from Hanuman
Chatti when full. There is a bus scheduled to leave at 7 am, which arrives
the same day. Later buses usually stop for the night at Uttarkashi,
which has plenty of places to stay.
From Haridwar or Rishikesh its takes 14 hours to get to Gangotri. From
Gangotri to Kedarnath there are regular buses that take a day and a
half. No matter how early you leave, you cannot travel the 334km in
one day.
Gaumukh
Alt: 4,200m (14,000 ft)
This
glacier is the actual source of the Gaumukh Gaumukh means “cow’s
face,” which the glacier is supposed to look like. It is a 100m
(328 ft) high wall of gray snow. It is 30km (18.85 miles) long and two
to four km wide. Years ago the glacier is said to have reached all the
way down to Gangotri.
The
best time to visit is between June to September. Before June and after
the second week of October there is too much ice and snow on the path
to be able to reach it. There is a rocky path, marked white on one side.
It is 19km (some say 23km) northeast of Gangotri. Mount Shivling, 6,543m
(21,470 ft), towers above the source of the Ganges. The waters of the
Bhagirathi gush out from the glacier with great force and cuts a fantastic
gorge out of the mountains. The climb is difficult at places.
Getting
There
There is a flight of stairs by the Gangotri Temple that leads to the
path that goes to Gaumukh. After 8km you reach Chirbasa, which is basically
a few tea shops and some tents with mattresses for staying overnight.
From here the path leads to a mountain desert. Just pass Chirbasa, where
the cliff face has deteriorated, there have been quite a number of accidents,
so you have to be really careful at this point.
Most
people stay the night in Bhojbasa, where there is no electricity. If
you plan to cross the glacier, you can get a guide here. From Bhojbasa
it is a good 5km track to Gaumukh (2 hr). The path is marked by stones,
but it is not clear-cut. Usually people take one day to reach Bhojbasa.
The next day they go from Bhojbasa to Gaumukh and then return to Bhojbasa
the same day. Then the next day they return to Gangotri. Most people
spend a day or two in Gangotri in order to get used to the altitude
before making this trek. Past Gaumukh is Tapovan.
WARNING
I know of several people who did not stay in Gangotri to acclimatize
and got very sick. There may also be a problem if you make the trip
too quickly.
Practicalities
There is no place to stay in Gaumukh, but you can camp out there if
you have proper equipment. I know of people who have stayed there for
days.
There are tea stalls where you can get basic food.
Five km from Gaumukh, at Bhojbasa, there is a Tourist Bungalow
with four rooms, dorm beds, and two-person tents (Rs 250).
It has a basic restaurant and hot water in a bucket for Rs 15.
There is also the Bhojbasa Ashram of Lal Baba, who
provides free food and lodging for pilgrims. This is basically floor
space. There is the very basic Forest Rest House at Chirbasa, 8km from
Gangotri, and 3km before Bhojbasa.
You should bring a warm sleeping bag, a torch (flashlight), and good
shoes or boots.
Tapovan
Alt: 4463m (14728 ft)
Tapovan
is by a natural Siva-linga peak that rises 6,554 metres. It is called
Tapovan because sadhus have performed penance there to realize the Absolute
Truth. If you want to go there, you should have a guide, a good tent,
food, a warm sleeping bag, and warm winter clothes. To get there without
a guide can be dangerous, as there can be huge holes in the glacier
totally hidden by snow. But I do know of people who have gone there
without a guide, with no problem, except the fear of getting lost. Tapovan
is four hours past Gaumukh (5km). There is a sadhu who host visitors
in his cave at Tapovan, but you should definitely bring your own food.
The Tapovan trek takes four days.
Day 1 Gangotri to Bhojbasa 14km
Day 2 Bhojbasa to Tapovan 10km
Day 3 Tapovan to Bhojbasa 10km
Day 4 Bhojbasa to Gangotri 14km
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