Yamunotri Travel Guide, The source of River Yamuna, Char Dham pilgrimage

Yamunotri Travel Guide

The source of River Yamuna, Yamunotri is also one of the four sites of Char Dham pilgrimage. Yamunotri is located at a height of 3293m above sea level and located in Uttarkashi district. It is surrounded by mountains on all sides and lies in close proximity of the Indo-China border. The Bandarpunch Mountain is at a height of 6315 m and lies north of Yamunotri. Yamunotri is at a distance of 236 km from Rishikesh, 21 km from Sanya Chatti 278 km from Dehradun, and 176 km from Chamba.

The trek to Yamunotri temple is a full day one with a 6km walk from Hanuman Chatti and 4km from Janki Chatti. The trek is usually dominated by rugged peaks and dense forests. You can have horses and palanquins on rent. The climate is extremely harsh with major parts covered in snow for most time of the year. One must carry light to heavy woollen whenever he is travelling to Yamunotri.

The Yamunotri temple is usually the first stop-over for the Char Dham Yatra. This temple is dedicated to Goddess Yamuna. Large numbers of devotees visit this shrine during the months of May to October. According to legend, Yamunotri finds special mention in Hindu mythology which was the home of an ancient sage, Asit Muni.

Some of the prime attractions of Yamunotri are the Yamunotri Temple built by Maharani Guleria of Jaipur in the late nineteenth century. The Surya Kund is a thermal spring known for high temperatures at 190°F. Rice and potatoes are cooked by pilgrims in this water. Devotees also pay respect to Divya Shila, a rock pillar just before entering the Yamunotri temple.

Places to see near Yamunotri

Yamunotri Temple : Yamunotri is one of the Char Dham and it is also first place to visit in the Char Dham Circuit. Thousands of devotees visit the sacred shrine of Yamunotri temple every month from May to October. Yamunotri Temple was constructed by Maharaja Pratap Shah of Tehri Garhwal. The temple opens on the auspicious day of Akshay Tritiya and closes on the second day after Diwali festival. The temple holds immense importance amongst the Hindus. Yamunotri is the source of the Yamuna River which is one of the major rivers of India.

Janki Chatti: It is the midpoint of the trek to Yamunotri which is accessible by jeeps. Janki Chatti is situated 7kms before Yamunotri and this place is popular for thermal springs.

Surya Kund: There are many natural thermal springs in Yamunotri of which Surya Kund is renowned. The water of Surya Kund has a surprising temperature of 1900F. Pilgrims tie potatoes and rice to cook it by immersing it under water of Surya Kund. After cooking it is served as ‘prasad’.

Divya Shilla : Divya Shilla is a rock pillar which is worshipped before entering the divine Yamunotri temple.