Gangotri Yamnotri – Holy Shrine Pilgrimage Yatra of North India
By: David H.
Submitted: 2011-07-13 08:05:08 | Word Count: 623
The pilgrimage to the Gangotri and Yamnotri shrines is the most everlasting experience that will continue to be with you for a very long time.To ease the pilgrims and tourists, the Government of Garhwal has made arrangements to ensure safety and comfort of the devotees.Apart from this, helicopter services are also provided for the darshan as well.Here is the information about the two most famous Gangotri and Yamnotri Dham Yatras out of the Char Dham Yatra.
Yamnotri Dham Yatra – The Most Sacred Pilgrimage
Yamnotri is the starting point of the Char Dham Yatra, and one of the most holy pilgrimage locations of the Hindus.Situated at an altitude of 3293 meters above sea level, Yamunotri is located in the Uttarkashi district of the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.
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Situated in the direction opposite to Gangotri, the road bifurcates from a place called Dharasu, somewhere between Rishikesh - Uttarkashi and goes on to Yamunotri.The shrine can also be visited via Mussoorie and Barkot.
This Yatra is organized in the state of Uttarakhand, India.May & June months are the peaks months to visit Yamunotri.During this period Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam organizes some pilgrimage tours for the devotees.
Yamnotri is the origin of river Yamuna, the Yatra is considered most sacred by the Hindu devotees and other religion too as it offers a peace of mind.This place is also has geographical wonders, with its hot springs.Rice is cooked in these springs and offers here in the form of prasad.
This is a very unique Yatra and one of its kinds as during winters this place is buried under a heavy blanket of snow, so the approach is extremely difficult.The track along the river bank is quite magnificent, covered by a wide panorama of mountains.The whole trek to the temple passes through many large and small rivers, lakes, canals, forests, waterfalls, villages and meadows.
Yatra to Yamnotri will certainly cast a spell around pilgrims and they will be compelled to come here again and again.
Gangotri Dham Yatra – The Yatra to Purify the Soul
Gangotri is the origin of the holy river Ganga.The Gangotri Dham is a picturesque pilgrimage in the hinterlands of the Himalayas which is considered and one of the most sacred pilgrimage tours in India.This Shrine is situated at an altitude of 3200 m above sea level, and is 100 km from Uttarkashi.It's situated on the northernmost part of the state of Uttar Pradesh and is very near the Indo-Tibetan border.
Gangotri is associated with a very famous historical mythology, it is said that King Bhagirath spent years in atonement praying for Ganga to descend upon the earth.Then Lord Shiva rewarded King Bhagirath after his penance and Ganga came down to earth.Hence the river is known as Bhagirathi before it meets the Alaknanda at Devprayag and known as the Ganges here onwards.
The nearest airport to visit Gangotri is the Jolly Grant, which is approximately 270 km, via Rishikesh.The nearest railway station is Rishikesh, to which one can get trains from Dehradun and Delhi.There are daily bus services from Gangotri to Rishikesh, Hardwar, and Dehradun.Jeeps and tempos are available from Rishikesh to Gangotri.
The best time to visit Gangotri is between May-June and September-November.Due to heavy rainfall in the area, visitors may face difficulty reaching the temple during monsoon season (late June to Aug).The temple usually remains open from last week of April to 2nd week of November.
The shrine also has a lot of attractions like the Gangotri Temple, Bhairon Ghati, Harsil, Pandu Cave, Gaumukh and Tapovan.Gangotri can be reached in a day's travel from Rishikesh, Haridwar or Dehradun, and in two days from Yamunotri.
