One of the  sacred shrines of India, it is the source of the River Ganga. Another attraction is the 18th century temple of the Goddess Ganga, and a lingam in the water that can be seen in winter.

Gangotri - Gaumukh - Tapovan - Nandanvan Trek

Altitude: 3048m-4500m
District: Uttarkashi

Gangotri (3048m) lies in the northwest Himalayas of Garhwal, and is one of the four dhams (pilgrimage centres for Hindus, the other three being Yamunotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath) of Garhwal.

The Bhairnoghati bridge built across one of the deepest gorges in the world, connects Gangotri trek to the rest of the world across the Bhagirathi River.

Gangotri trekking tours to the Gangotri temple is full of adventure. The temple is an 18th century temple made of granite rock at Gangotri that was built by Amar Singh Thapa, a gorkha commander, and later rebuilt by the Maharaja of Jaipur.

The temple is dedicated to the Goddess Ganga who is believed to have descended from heaven as a result of King Bhagirath’s centuries-long penance, since the latter wanted the ashes of his dead relatives to be washed away by the holy waters of the Goddess Ganga.

The current of the Ganga was so strong that Lord Shiva (the Destroyer in the Hindi Holy Trinity of Creator-Preserver-Destroyer) had to hold her flow in check by coiling his matted locks around her. From then on, Shiva is also known as Jatashankar (Jata means hair in Hindi). There is a lingam (the symbolic phallus of Shiva) in the water that can be seen in winter. Gaumukh, or the cow’s mouth, (3892m), the source of Bhagirathi River, is at a distance of 17km from Gangotri.
A 4km trek through the massive Gaumukh Glacier, takes you to the high altitude plain, Tapovan, where King Bhagirath did penance. Tapovan is the foothill of the mighty Shivling Peak (6543m), makes one of the most desired trekking tours adventure in Gangotri, surrounded by beautiful peaks in the world.