The second ‘Dham’ of the ‘Char Dham Yatra’ is ‘Gangotri’, the holy abode of River Goddess Ganga, the most sacred river for Hindus. The river takes her course from the ‘Gaumukh Glacier’ that lies 18 km. ahead of the Gangotri town. The river here is known as Bhagirathi till it merges with River Alaknanda at Devprayag from where she is referred to as River Ganga. The Gaumukh Glacier resembles a cow’s face and therefore, it is called so. According to the Hindu mythological beliefs, River Ganga appeared on earth to absolve the sins of king Bhagirath’s ancestors and since then, pilgrims take dip in the holy waters of this sacred river to get rid of their sins and attain salvation. Following is the list of must-see places in Gangotri.

• Gangotri Temple – This is the main shrine dedicated to Goddess Ganga. Serene and tranquil settings of the temple provide you with inner peace and solitude.

• Submerged Shivlinga – This is a natural rock Shivlinga submerged under water and is visible when the water level decreases during certain time periods. As per the beliefs, the place where Shivlinga resides, Lord Shiva sat to receive River Ganga in his matted locks to minimise the devastating effect on earth from her majestic flow.

• Suryakund Waterfalls – Another most famous attraction in Gangotri is the picturesque ‘Suryakund Waterfall’ that is located half a kilometre ahead of the Gangotri Temple.

• Pandava Gufa – Walk past the Suryakund waterfall in the forest for around 2 km. to reach the Pandava Cave. It is believed that Pandavas of Mahabharata stayed in the cave during their ascent to heaven after the battle.

• Bhagirathi Shila – It is the holy rock near the banks of Bhagirathi where King Bhagirath prayed to Lord Shiva.

• Gaumukh Glacier– ‘Gaumukh Glacier’ is another must-see place in Gangotri. To visit Gaumukh, you need to trek uphill a distance of 18km. on foot from Gangotri and take special permits from the forest department office in Uttarkashi as the route is quite prone to landslides. Panoramic views of the surrounding Himalayan peaks and beautiful meadows will enamour you in the mood of spirituality.

• Tapovan and Nandanvan – From Gaumukh, few courageous people also head towards the scenic sites of Tapovan and Nandanvan from where the views of Shivling Peak are just indescribable in words. These treks are quite arduous and one needs to be mentally prepared for accidents and natural calamities.