Gangotri Temple is situated in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand state. This temple is about 3048 meters above sea level. Gangotri Temple was built by Amar Singh Thapa, Gorkha commander in the 18th century. Gangotri Dham is situated on the banks of the holy Bhagirathi (Ganga) river. This holy temple is dedicated to Goddess Ganga. King Bhagiratha is also worshipped with Goddess Ganga in this temple, as a result of their austerities, the Goddess came upon Ganga earth.
For the salvation of ancestors by the curse given by Kapil Muni, King Bhagirath had done penance to bring Goddess Ganga to the earth. For this reason, the sacred river Ganga was given the name of the river Bhagirathi, which later meets the Alaknanda river in Devprayag, from here it is known as the holy Ganges river.
Gangotri opens in Akshaya Tritiya and closes after the festival of Deepawali.
The Gangotri Temple opens between April/May each year for devotees to participate in a religious ritual. After Diwali's celebration, the holy shrine is closed, and the shrine's idol is relocated towards Mukhba Village, situated about 20 kilometers downstream of Gangotri.
The deity will be worshipped at Mukhba Village for the next six winter months. The priests announced the opening date for Shri Gangotri Temple on the day of the Basant Panchmi. The year 2022 will be the one to open. Gangotri Temple shall open on the 3rd of May in, 2022.
This temple is very important among the Hindus. Millions of pilgrims visit this holy temple every year.
According to legend, Maharaj Sagar had 60,000 sons. They did an 'Ashwamedha Yagna', where the horse of Ashwamedha Yagna went, 60,000 of them took their places in their possession. From this, King Indra of the gods became worried. They grabbed the horse and tied it to Kapil Muni's ashram. The son of King Sagar saw the horse caught in the ashram of sage Kapil Muni, then the son of King Sagar took it the horse while disrespecting sage Kapil Muni. As a result of anger, Kapil Muni cursed and burned them, by which their soul was deprived of salvation.
After requests of Maharaj Sagar, Kapil Muni told him that the curse cannot be withdrawn, but the remedy can be taken. They told Maharaj Sagar that if the divine river Ganga from the heaven is brought to the earth, then his sons can attain liberation. After this, his three generation continued to do penance on the Himalayas to bring Ganga to the Earth, but they could not bring Ganga to the earth. Then in the same generation, King Bhagirath had done penance of Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva and Goddess Ganga to bring Ganga on the earth. As a result, the Goddess Ganga came to the earth. In order to save the earth from destruction due to the huge velocity of the Ganges, Lord Shiva first put the Ganga in its Jata, then left on the earth. His ancestors received liberation from the water of the holy Ganges.
According to Hindu scriptures, river Ganga known as mother Ganga descends beneath the earth at this point & reappears at Gangotri at Sage Markandeya's’sMarkandeya's mediation & prayers.
Gangotri Mahasankar Temple is one of the oldest temples in India. This temple holds different significance for people from all sections of society, and it is believed by Hindus that it has been a favorite refuge for gods like Shiva, BajrangBali, Hanuman, and Rama for hundreds of years now.
With such great followership, many pilgrims visit this temple from different parts of the country to offer their prayers. Various sites across India uniquely bring devotees closer to the Indian Gods than Gangotri temple. Few tourists also visit this temple to experience the natural beauty that this region offers during summers when snow on the Himalayas mountains, which only comes once a decade. Then these places become inhabitable due to heavy snowfall and roads blocked due to extreme weather conditions.
The Gangotri Temple is located at an elevation of 529 meters. On the bank of the holy river Ganga. It has a shikhara, and this temple was built in the eastern style of the early Mahabharata structures. The temple was built in 1989 and is situated close to Unni Kodi, Rishikesh.
Right now, the temple is known as Annapurna Temple because it also bears a legend that a woman gave milk to an expedition led by Saint Adi Shankaracharya during severe water scarcity.
Every Hindu is indebted to the Ganges because it fulfills their wishes. In its banks are the sacred cities of Haridwar, Rishikesh, and Hardwar. Gangotri Dham Temple, located 60 kilometers from Uttarkashi, offers a soothing image to those who want to worship on the banks of the Ganges.
Ganga darshan is a five-minute walk from the temple.
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- The Gangotri temple, India's most revered.
- Located in the state Uttarakhand folksiness, Gangotri temple attracts 16 million visits annually and 2000 pilgrimages daily .
- It is also considered the holiest, where more than a 400-year-long tradition as well as 14 pontiffs have referred to this site for initiation into Shiva's cult.
The best time to travel to the Gangotri Dhan is between from the months of September to November and April to Jun. Travelling here in these months is the best and enjoyable. In the winter season, the journey of here is closed for 6 months.
.By Air
The nearest airport to Gangotri is Jolly Grant Airport Dehradun, which is about 268 km away from Gangotri.
By Train
The nearest railway station of Gangotri is Dehradun, which is about 242 km away from Gangotri.
By Road
Gangotri Dhan is located at a distance of about 200 meters from Gangotri bus stand.
Best Time to Visit Gangotri Temple
Because of its elevation and location, Gangotri Dham remains open to devotees for only six months. The last day of April or the beginning of May is the time chosen to open the gates of this holy Hindu temple in Uttarakhand because the snow has melted and temperatures have begun to get comfortable. The temple shuts down just following Diwali, and the temple's deity is taken into Mukhba Village to be worshipped throughout the next six months of winter. Thus, the most suitable time to go to Gangotri will be from April to November, with between mid-June to April and October-mid-November being the ideal time.
Summer
In April, the month signals the start of summer's warm summer season in Gangotri, where everything melts, and the days are warm. The summer temperature that extends until mid-June is 8 and 20 degrees, making it a comfortable temperature for devotees to make the journey.
Monsoon
The monsoon season is filled with torrential rains that can last several days. The average temperature falls by a little, with 19 being the maximum. While the Yatra is conducted in the summer months at full speed, it is recommended to know the forecast for the weather and bring the necessary equipment such as umbrellas, raincoats, and raincoats, as well as walking sticks, etc.
Winter
Gangotri is closed for six months, beginning with the arrival of winter from mid- to the end of November. The temperature drops below zero, and the entire area is covered in a thick layer of snow. The idol is taken to the lower regions in Mukhba Village for the devotees to pay tribute.
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According to Hindu mythology, the most sacred of all rivers, the Ganges (or Ganga), ascended from the heavens down to the earth in Gangotri when Lord Shiva let the mighty river from his chains. The natural source of the river lies at Gaumukh within the Gangotri glacier, which is 19km distant from Gangotri and accessible via hiking.
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A temple dedicated to the goddess Ganga is located close to the sacred stone on which King Bhagiratha revered Lord Shiva. According to the Hindu religion, God Ganga was an acquisition to wash away the wrongs committed by the King's predecessors in the wake of his severe penance that lasted for several centuries.
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General Amar Singh Thapa The Gangotri temple was constructed under the direction of the Gorkha general Amar Singh Thapa around the turn of the century. It is located on the left bank of the Bhagirathi river. The temple is set in the lush surroundings of pine trees.
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Gangotri Temple was built by the Nepalese General Amar Singh Thapa at the start of the 18 century.
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The distance between Gangotri and Kedarnath via the road is approximately 408km. The distance by air between Gangotri to Kedarnath can be as long as 31KM.