- Gangotri
Infobox Indian Jurisdiction
native_name = Gangotri | type = city | latd = 30.98 | longd = 78.93
state_name = Uttarakhand
district = Uttarkashi
leader_title =
leader_name =
altitude = 3753
population_as_of = 2001
population_total = 606| population_density =
area_magnitude= sq. km
area_total =
area_telephone =
postal_code =
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footnotes =Gangotri is a town and a
nagar panchayat in Uttarkashi district in the state ofUttarakhand ,India . It is a Hindu pilgrim town on the banks of the river Bhagirathi. It is on the GreaterHimalayan Range , at a height of 3,042 m.
=PilgrGangotri, the source of the river Ganges and seat of the goddess Ganga, is one of the four sites in the
Char Dham pilgrimage circuit. The river is calledBhagirathi at the source and acquires the name Ganga fromDevprayag onwards where it meets theAlaknanda . The origin of the holy river is atGaumukh , set in theGangotri Glacier , and is a 19 km trek from Gangotri. Gangotri can be reached in one day's travel fromRishikesh ,Haridwar orDehradun , or in two days fromYamunotri , the first site in the Char Dham circuit. More popular and important than its sister site to the east, Gangotri is also accessible directly by car and bus, meaning that it sees many more pilgrims than Yamunotri.This small town is centered around a temple of the goddess Ganga, which was built by the
Gurkha GeneralAmar Singh Thapa in the late 18th or early 19th century. The temple is closed onDiwali day every year and is reopened in May. During this time, the idol of the goddess is kept at "Mukhba" village, nearHarsil .Ritual duties are supervised by the Semwal family of
puja ris. Theaarti ceremony at the Gangotri is especially impressive, as is the temple, a stately affair that sits on the banks of the rushing Ganga. Adventurous pilgrims can make an overnight 18 km trek toGaumukh , the actual current source of the river Ganga.For a large number of tourists, Gangotri town serves as the starting point of the Gangotri-
Gaumukh -Tapovan and Gangotri-Kedartal trekking routes.Mythological relation
According to Hindu mythology, Goddess Ganga - the daughter of heaven, took the form of a river to absolve the sins of King Bhagirath's predecessors, following his severe penance of several centuries. Lord Shiva received Ganga into his matted locks to minimize the impact of her fall.
According to this legend, King Sagar, after slaying the demons on earth decided to stage in Ashwamegh Yagya as a proclamation of his supremacy. The horse which was to be taken on an uninterrupted journey around the earth was to be accompanied by the King's 60,000 sons born to Queen Sumati and one son Asmanjas born of the second queen Kesani. Indra, supreme ruler of the gods feared that he might be deprived of his celestial throne if the 'Yagya' (worship with fire) succeeded and then took away the horse and tied it to the ashram of Sage
Kapil , who was then in deep meditation. The sons of the King Sagar searched for the horse and finally found it tied near the meditating sage. Sixty thousand angry sons of KingSagar stormed the ashram of sage Kapil. When he opened his eyes, 60,000 sons had perished by the curse of sage Kapil. Bhagirath, grand son of King Sagar, is believed to have meditated to bring down the Ganga to cleanse the ashes of his ancestors and liberate their souls, granting them salvation or "Moksha ". The Bhagirathi 'Shila' is located near the temple of Ganga where the holy Ganga first descended on earth from heaven.ubmerged Shivling
Bhavishya Badri Temple
Dense forests near
Tapovan surround the Bhavishya Badri. The Bhavishya Badri is at a distance of about 17 km. east of Joshimath. Pilgrims trek beyondTapovan up the Dhauliganga River to reach this holy spot. The idol of narsingha (the god with the head of lion) is enshrined here. Traditionally, it is believed that a day will come when the present route to the Badrinath will be inaccessible and the Lord Badrinath will be worshipped here and this is why the place is called Bhavishya Badri.Geography
Gangotri is located at coord|30.98|N|78.93|E|. [ [http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/39/Gangotri.html Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Gangotri] ] It has an average elevation of 3,753
metre s (12,313 feet).Demographics
As of 2001 Indiacensus [GR|India] , Gangotri had a population of 606. Males constitute 96% of the population and females 4%. Gangotri has an average literacy rate of 89%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 91%, and female literacy is 48%. In Gangotri, 0% of the population is under 6 years of age.ee also
*
Gangotri National Park
*Yamuna References
External links
* [http://uttarkashi.nic.in/gangotri.htm Website of the Uttarkashi administration]
* [http://sss.vn.ua/india/uttarakhand/gangotri/indexen.htm 442 photos (1280x960) of Gangotri & Gaumukh trekking, published by author]
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