Shri Gangotri Temple

श्री गंगोत्री मन्दिर

Location

Gangotri, Uttarakhand

Darshan

06:00 – 22:00

Deity

🪔Goddess Ganga (Ganga Mata)

Entry

Free entry

Morning darshan: 06:00–14:00. Afternoon closure: 14:00–15:00. Evening darshan: 15:00–22:00. Evening Aarti: 19:00–19:30 (approximate; varies by season). Extended darshan after evening aarti till ~22:00. No entry fee. Yatra E-Pass mandatory (free). Mobile phones and live streaming prohibited inside premises. Timings may extend during festivals and special occasions.

Temple open April–November only. Closed on Diwali; deity (Goddess Ganga idol) moved to Mukhba village (near Harsil, ~25 km away) for winter worship.

Gangotri is the seat of Goddess Ganga and the origin point of the Bhagirathi River, which joins the Alakananda at Devprayag to form the Ganga (Ganges) — the most sacred river in Hinduism. According to tradition, Goddess Ganga descended to earth here when Lord Shiva released her from the locks of his matted hair (jata). The Bhagirathi River that flows past the temple represents the original descent point; the actual glacial source (Gaumukh, 3,892m) is a 19 km trek further. Performing ancestral rites (Shraddha/Pind Daan) on the banks of the Bhagirathi at Gangotri is believed to liberate ancestors from the cycle of rebirth.

History

The original Gangotri Temple was constructed in the early 18th century by the Gorkha General Amar Singh Thapa during the period of Gorkha dominance in the Garhwal region, before the Anglo-Gorkha War (1814–16). In the early 20th century, the temple was repaired and restored by Maharaja Madho Singh II of Jaipur. Ritual authority at Gangotri is traditionally held by the Semwal family of priests from Mukhba village, who are the hereditary pujaris. The current head of the Gangotri Mandir Samiti (Shri Panch Mandir Samiti) has been Rawal Harish Semwal. Each November (Bhai Dooj), the idol of Goddess Ganga is carried in a ceremonial procession to Mukhba village for winter worship and returns on Akshaya Tritiya the following April.

Mythology

King Bhagirath of the Solar Dynasty performed intense penance at Gangotri (on Bhagirath Shila) for years to bring the celestial Ganga to earth in order to purify the ashes of his 60,000 ancestors (sons of King Sagara) cursed by Sage Kapila. Brahma agreed to release Ganga, but the force of her descent would have destroyed the earth; Shiva agreed to receive her in his matted hair (jata), breaking her fall. Ganga descended through Shiva's locks at this spot and King Bhagirath led her down to the ocean, freeing his ancestors. This event is commemorated by Bhagirath Shila — the boulder where Bhagirath meditated. The Pandavas also performed a sacred Deva Yajna (fire ritual) at Gangotri after the Mahabharata war to atone for the deaths of their kin.