Situated at an altitude of 3140 m, Gangotri is believed to be the place where Ganga, the stream of life, touched earth for the first time. According to the
Hindu scriptures, the goddess
Ganga manifested herself in the form of a river to absolve the sins of King Sagar's sons. The Gangotri temple here was built in the early 18th century by a Gorkha commander, Amar Singh Thapa and was later rebuilt by the
Maharaja of
Jaipur. Goddess Ganga is worshipped in the form of a deity here. During winter the deity is taken 25 km downstream to Mukhba.
Gaumukh, the source of Ganga is 18 km further uphill.
Gangotri can be easily approached from
Rishikesh. Tourist season falls between May-June and September-October.
