 Mussoorie. Known to be the best picnic spot in Mussoorie, it is an ideal place to take a refreshing bath under the chilled waters of the gushing waterfall. You can also indulge in some boating at the nearby Mussoorie Lake.
Barkot: Situated around 49 kilometers from Yamunotri, acts as a base camp for Yamunotri. It is a great place to enjoy adventure activities as well, since there are many trekking excursions offered by this destination. The fascinating panoramas, sacred flow of Yamuna and apple orchards make the travelers amazed.
Hanuman Chatti: Situated on the confluence of Yamuna and Hanuman Ganga Rivers, Hanuman Chatti is an ideal place for relishing the beauty of nature. It comes on the trekking route to Dodital and Darwa Top. This serene spot is located at the distance of 13 Kilometers from Yamunotri Shrine.
Janki Chatti is the inevitable element of Yamunotri Route. Palanquins and ponies are available from this point to Yamunotri. This spot is renowned for its hot water springs and includes the last village in the area.
Saptrishi Kund: Saptrishi Kund is located at the distance of 10 kilometers from Yamunotri and is blessed with azure water and slushy snow. According to Hindu Mythology, sever great Rishis (saints) Atri, Kashyapa, Vasistha, Bharadwaj, Gautama, Visvamitra and Jamadagni performed penance at this lake for long time in primordial era.
Surya Kund: Surya Kund is the most significant thermal spring near Yamunotri Shrine. Surya Kund’s temperature is about 88 degree Celsius. The occurrence of this thermal spring encircled by snow-covered mountain crests enhances to the great feel of the place. Moreover, a unique thing about this thermal water spring is that one can boil rice and potato in this Kund, which they can take home as prasadam.
Divya Shila: Divya Shila is a strong rock pillar situate near Surya Kund. Before entering to Yamunotri Shrine, devotees offer Puja at this Shila. Although the journey on this rock is bit tiresome, this rewarding voyage endows pilgrims with utter serenity and calmness of soul.
Kharsali: At just a distance of 1 km. from Janki Chatti, the small town of Kharsali is famous for its oldest ‘Shani Dev Temple’. Many devotees of Lord Shani pay homage to this temple and proceed further to Yamunotri. Also, during winters when Yamunotri Temple is closed, idol of Goddess Yamuna is brought at this temple and is worshipped for 6 months till the time Yamunotri Temple reopens.
This is an ancient holy city located on the banks of River Bhagirathi. Uttarkashi is adorned with many beautiful temples and ashrams. Pilgrims heading to Gangotri usually stop by at Uttarkashi for a day to seek blessings from the God. Here are some religious places to see in Uttarkashi.
Vishwanath Temple – This temple is the oldest and most sacred shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva. According to the legends, Lord Shiva appeared here to save Rishi Markandeya from Yama, the God of death. The temple houses a ‘swayambhu lingam’, idols of Goddess Parvati, Lord Ganesh and Rishi Markandeya sitting in a meditative position.
Shakti Temple – Opposite the Vishwanath Temple is the ‘Shakti Temple’, dedicated to Goddess Durga. Pilgrims visit this temple to seek blessings from Goddess Durga and to have a look at the heavy trident which is revered here in the form of ‘Shakti’.
Gangnani (Hot water spring): Gangnani is a hot water spring located at a distance of around 46 kilometers from Gangotri shrine. It is an engrossing destination for the devotees seeking tranquility of mind. The hot water spring here is known as Rishikund and it is believed to be necessary to take a dip here before embarking towards Gangotri.
Bhairon Ghati: Situated close to the confluence of Bhagirathi River and Jat Ganga, Bhairon Ghati is a scenic place 10 kilometers from Gangotri. There is a Bhairon Nath Temple here, which is cosseted by lush forests. One can reach Bhairon Ghati by crossing Jahanvi River and then moving uphill.
Harsil: is the virgin and pristine jewel of Uttarakhand. It offers ample of sightseeing opportunities to tourists seeking tranquility. Spouting flow of River Bhagirathi, salubrious environment, peaceful ambiance and twittering of birds are the prime attractions of this region.
Submerged Shivling is made of natural rock, which is submerged under water. It is an enticing tourist destination. This Shivling can be easily observed by devotees during winters as the water level goes down during this time. As per the Hindu mythologies, Lord Shiva received Ganga in his hair at this place.
Gomukh Glacier is the source of River Ganges. It is a scenic spot. It resembles to the face of a cow and hence known as Gomukh. It is believed that the trek to Gangotri is incomplete without taking a bath at this glacier. The spot is extremely astounding and hordes of tourists swarm it every year.
Bhagirath Shila is a holy place where the great sage Bhagirath carried out a long term penance to bring Ganga on the earth. Thus, this place holds a great important among Hindus. The platform, on which Bhagirath sat, is still present here.
Kalimath is one of the most renowned temples with traditional and cultural significance. It is dedicated to Goddess kali and positioned at an astonishing elevation of 6000 feet. The holy river Saraswati touches this temple and interestingly there is no idol of Goddess kali here. There is just a silver plate, which is revered as homage to Goddess Kali.
Guptkashi is located at a distance of 47 kilometers from Kedarnath. This religiously significant town is on the western side of Mandakini River. The trek to Kedarnath commences here. This town boasts sacrosanct Ardhanarishwara Temple.
Ardhanarishwara Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and includes the idol in which Lord Shiva is depicted in half-female and half-male form.
The route, on moving further, reaches to holiest shrine of Lord Shiva- Kedarnath. After visiting Kedarnath, the devotee has to return Guptkashi. In the midst of route, if time allows, one can go to explore Sonprayag, Triyuginarayan and, Gaurikund which comes on the way to Guptkashi.
Sonprayag: Sonprayag is a sacred spot located at an altitude of 1829 meters on the route to Kedarnath. Positioned at the confluence of Mandakini and Basuki rivers, Sonprayag holds an immense importance in Hinduism. It is believed that one can attain emancipation by taking a dip in the holy water of this sacred spot.
Triyuginarayan: This temple is believed to be even older than the holy Kedarnath Shrine. It is located a few kilometers away from Sonprayag. There is a fire that is kept alive here. It is said that the ‘Phere’ of the Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati took place around this consecrated fire. The arti conducted here is a unique point of attraction for the devotees on the way to Kedarnath.
Gaurikund has a great significance among the devotees of Lord Shiva. As per the mythological beliefs of Hindus, it is the place where wife of Lord Shiva- Goddess Parvati, carried out penance to win over the heart of Lord Shiva. Gaurikund is located at an altitude of 1982 meters.
Chopta is also known as mini Switzerland of Garhwal. It is the starting point of trek to Tungnath. It offers arresting vistas of imposing Himalayan range comprising Chaukhamba, Nanda Devi and Trishul.
Tungnath Temple – Believed to be more than 1000 years old, the ‘Tungnath Temple’ dedicated to Lord Shiva is one of the sacred temples in the ‘Panch Kedar’ group. According to the legends, it is the place where arms of Lord Shiva fell while he was chased by Pandavas in the form of bull.
Chandrashila Peak – Pilgrims can take a moderate trek of around 3 km. from the Tungnath Temple to reach Chandrashila Peak. The trek takes you through forests of oak and rhododendrons and lush green meadows. Incredible views of the Himalayan peaks of Kedar, Chaukhamba, Trishul and Nanda Devi from Chandrashila peak are just spellbinding.
Gopinath Temple – Located in Gopeshwar village in the Chamoli district near Chopta, the ‘Gopin