Ramayana
Bala Kanda — narrative of Sagara's sons, Bhagirath's tapasya and Ganga's descent
Gangotri (Uttarkashi District) · Uttarakhand
Shri Gangotri Dham Temple
Gangotri / Ganga Devi / Bhagirathi — the Tripathaga descended from heaven
अन्य नाम: Gangotri · Ganga Dham · Bhagirathi Temple
- Chota Char Dham
- Tirtha source-site of the Ganga ri…
- Devi-river tirtha
इस मन्दिर की विशेषता
- Chota Char Dham (Uttarakhand) — second dham (after Yamunotri)
- Tirtha source-site of the Ganga river (true glacial origin: Gaumukh, 19 km upstream)
- Devi-river tirtha
01
मूल विग्रह
मुख्य देव एवं स्वरूप
Shri Maa Ganga Devi (in the Bhagirathi form; descended to earth from Bhagirath's tapasya)
Silver-made Ganga Devi idol; main murti is taken to Mukhba (Mukhimath) in winter
सम्प्रदाय: Vaishnava / Sanatan Devi-tirtha
02
स्थल-पुराण
कथा, इतिहास एवं महत्व
Mahabharata
Vana Parva, Anushasana Parva — Ganga Mahatmya; Ganga-Shantanu narrative
Skanda Purana
Kedara Khanda + Ganga Mahatmya
Shrimad Bhagavata Purana
Skandha 9 — Ganga-descent; Bhagirath narrative
Vishnu Purana
Description of Ganga-Tripathaga (Akasha-Ganga, Mandakini, Bhagirathi)
संत एवं परम्परा
- King Bhagirath (Ikshvaku dynasty) — 1,000-year tapasya for the deliverance of Sagara's 60,000 ash-reduced sons; his tapasya brought Ganga down to earth from heaven; hence the river is named 'Bhagirathi'
- Lord Shiva — held Ganga in his matted locks in a calm form so her tremendous force would not submerge the earth, then released her
- Gurkha general Amar Singh Thapa (18th century) — builder of the present temple
- Maharaja Madho Singh II of Jaipur (early 20th century) — initiator of the temple's renovation
- Adi Shankaracharya — established Gangotri as the second dham of the Chota Char Dham concept
ऐतिहासिक घटनाक्रम
- 178018th century (around 1780) — construction of the present Gangotri temple by Amar Singh Thapa, general of the Gurkha empire — Wikipedia Gangotri + Uttarakhand Tourism
- 1920Early 20th century — renovation of the temple by the Jaipur royal family (Maharaja Madho Singh II) — Uttarakhand Tourism
- 202619 April 2026 — Gangotri Dham's gates open for the summer yatra on Akshaya Tritiya; close for the winter on Govardhan Puja / Diwali (mid-November) — Uttarakhand Char Dham Devasthanam Board
03
नित्य उपासना
दर्शन समय एवं आरती
06:15 से 21:30 तक · मध्याह्न विश्राम 14:00-15:00 (midday rest)
Mangala Aarti (morning)06:00-06:15
First aarti of the day; the temple-opening ritual
Morning darshan and abhisheka06:15-14:00
Midday bhog and rest14:00-15:00
Evening darshan15:00-19:30
Ganga Aarti (riverside, evening)19:45-20:30
Grand lamp aarti on the Bhagirathi bank — akin to the Kashi-Ganga aarti
Shayan Aarti20:30-21:30
Last aarti of the day
04
दर्शन
दर्शन के प्रकार
General Free Darshanनिःशुल्क
Darshan of the main Ganga Devi is free; Bhagirathi bathing tradition.
Char Dham Yatra Registration (Mandatory)
Mandatory online registration by the Uttarakhand government; free.
05
उत्सव
प्रमुख पर्व एवं उत्सव
Akshaya Tritiya (gate-opening)Vaishakh Shukla Tritiya
The gates of Gangotri Dham open for the first time in the year; the murti of Ganga Devi is brought in a doli-yatra from Mukhba village; Bhagirathi bathing, abhisheka (milk-honey-curd), grand Ganga aarti. 2026 — 19 April.
Ganga DussehraJyeshtha Shukla Dashami
Ganga-descent day — annual festival of Ganga's appearance on earth; the supreme festival at Gangotri
Ganga SaptamiVaishakh Shukla Saptami
First-remembrance day of Ganga's appearance (descent from Shiva's locks)
Govardhan Puja / Annakut (gate-closing)Kartika Shukla Pratipada
Gangotri's gates close for the winter; the murti is taken to Mukhba. 2026 — mid-November.
Makar SankrantiPausha-Magha Sankranti
Ganga-snan festival (at Mukhba); start of Surya-Uttarayana
06
आस्था
मनोकामना एवं फल
Ganga-snan is held to be the supreme meritorious act; per the Bhagirath narrative, Sagara's 60,000 ash-reduced sons were delivered by it; the supreme tirtha for pitru-tarpana and pind-dan
स्रोत: Ramayana Bala Kanda + Bhagavata Skandha 9
The second dham of Uttarakhand's Chota Char Dham (Yamunotri-Gangotri-Kedarnath-Badrinath)
स्रोत: Adi Shankaracharya tradition
Ganga = Tripathaga (sky, earth, netherworld) — deliverer of all three worlds; Gangotri darshan grants complete sin-removal and moksha
स्रोत: Vishnu Purana + Bhagavata
Traditional practice of taking Ganga-jal from Gangotri for the Rameshwaram-Shiva abhisheka; setu-yatra of the 12 Jyotirlingas
स्रोत: Sthala-parampara
07
जप
मन्त्र एवं स्तोत्र
- Ganga Stotram — 'Devi Sureshwari Bhagavati Gange...'
- Ganga Sahasranama Stotram
- Ganga Lahari
- Om Shri Gangayai Namah / Om Namo Gangayai Vishwarupini Narayani Namostu Te
08
तीर्थाटन
समीप के तीर्थ एवं परिपथ
Gangotri Glacier / Gaumukh19 किमी
True glacial origin of the Bhagirathi (Ganga); the river emerges from an icy structure shaped like a cow's mouth ('gaumukh'). Forest department permit required; entry point to the Tapovan (4,463 m) trek.
Surya Kund (Gangotri)100 मी
A natural deep chasm where the Bhagirathi flows with tremendous force; a believed-site
Bhagirath Shila50 मी
The rock where King Bhagirath performed 1,000 years of tapasya (per tradition); the site of the Ganga-descent narrative
Gauri Kund200 मी
Sacred kund associated with Gauri (Parvati); a bathing site
Mukhba / Mukhimath village (winter seat)25 किमी
Winter residence of Ganga Devi; when the temple is closed, worship is performed here
Harsil25 किमी
Picturesque British-era village; beautiful views of the Bhagirathi; apple orchards famous
Second dham — after Yamunotri; sequence: Yamunotri → Gangotri → Kedarnath → Badrinath
4 मंदिर
Ganga-source; the foundational tirtha of the river-goddess yatra
Base camp; 4-day trek (Gangotri → Bhojbasa → Gaumukh → Tapovan)
Ganga-jal collection site; starting tirtha for the Rameshwaram-Shiva abhisheka
09
मार्गदर्शन
यात्रा एवं संपर्क
- पता
- Shri Gangotri Temple, Gangotri, Uttarkashi District, Uttarakhand — 249135
- हवाई अड्डा
- Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun (DED) — ~250 km by road
- रेलवे
- Dehradun Railway Station (DDN) — ~239 km; Rishikesh (RKSH) — ~250 km
- उत्तम ऋतु
- May-June and September-October best. Landslides in the July-August monsoon. Temperature 5-22°C. In winter (November-April) the temple is closed.
19 किमीGaumukh
14 किमीBhojbasa
9 किमीBhairon Ghati
25 किमीHarsil
100 किमीUttarkashi
220 किमीYamunotri
239 किमीDehradun
250 किमीRishikesh
270 किमीKedarnath