Shree Brajeshwari Devi Temple, Kangra

Shree Brajeshwari  Devi Temple, Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, India

Brajeshwari Devi Temple

Devi Brajeshwari

Location

Shree Brajeshwari Devi temple is located in the town Nagarkot of Kangra distt in Himachal Pradesh. The main deity of the temple is Brajeshwari Devi. It is among one of the most famous and religious Hindu temples in Himachal. It is among the 51 Shakti Peeths of Sati cult. Here, the right breast of Mata Sati fell and a temple has been constructed at this place. Her name literally indicates as a "Lady of Vajra "(thunder bolt ). This was the richest temple of Himachal having a huge quantity of gold and silver.

Significance of the temple

In the ancient times the temple passed through so many horrific events. In 1009 AD, Mohd. Ghajni plundered the temple riches relentlessly and took away the wealth of the temple. After about 35 years of this occurrence the local king renovated the temple and installed the replica of goddess Brajeshwari Devi.

 Again in 1360 AD, Firoz ShahTuglaq looted and heavily damaged the construction of the temple.

 In the period of  King Akbar,Diwan Todar Mal visited the temple along with the king. By the order of King Akbar, Todar Mal restored and glorified  the temple.

In 1905 AD due to the earthquake the temple again was demolished but it was again raised back by the then govt. of India.

Legend

In the Yagna organised by Daksh Prajapati, the Goddess Parvati sacrificed herself in the honour of Lord Shiva. The self cremated body of Mata Sati lifted by Lord shiva on his shoulder and started Tandava dance with anger. This created a earthquake like situation in the universe. Then Lord Vishnu
took the responsibility to calm Lord shiva.
 He then cut off the body of Mata Sati into 51 pieces by his Sudershana chakra and spreaded all over the earth. The right breast of Mata Parvati fell here and a temple was constructed at this place. Since then Mata Sati worshipped here as Brajeshwari Devi.

Another legend behind the temple is that during the Mahabharata period, Pandavas had a dream. In the dream, Maa Durga told them that she is residing in the village Nagarkot and directed  to construct a temple here. Maa Durga also threatened them to construct the temple, lest they would be destroyed.

The Pandavas then constructed a temple for her in the same night.

Festivals

Lohri and Makar Sankranti which fall in the month of mid January are celebrated here. During the celebration, the pindi of Mata is covered with butter. It is believed that during the battle with the demon Mahishasur, she was wounded. Butter covering gives relief to the goddess. This celebration lasts for one week and is thoroughly enjoyed by the devotees.

Administration

The temple is under the control of Govt of India.

Places to visit

1. Chamunda devi Temple

2. Jwalamukhi Temple

3. Baijnath Temple

4. Dharamshala and Mcleodganj

All these temples are nearby Kangra, a serene hilly region ruled by Sansarchand Katoch.

Where to stay

Hotels for every budget are available near the temple where one can stay comfortably.

How to reach

By rail

1. The nearest railway station is Pathankot at a distance of 120km.

2. The nearest meter gauge railway station is Jwala Ji road about 20km from the shrine.

By air

1. The nearest airport is gaggle at Dharamshala.

2. Chandigarh airport is located 200 km away.

One can reach by taxi from all these airports.

By road

Frequent state transport bus service is available from important cities of Punjab, Haryana, New Delhi and Jammu and kashmir. The distance from important cities are as follows:

From Delhi:    450 kms      Chandigarh: 200 kms        Pathankot: 90 kms       Jammu : 230 kms

Maa Bamleshwari Devi Temple, Dongargarh

Maa Bamleshwari Devi Temple, Dongargarh, Rajnandgaon, Chhatisgarh, India 

Maa Bamleshwari Devi

Maa Bamleshwari Temple

Maa Bamleshwari Devi temple is located at Dongargarh, Distt Rajnandgaon, in Chhatisgarh state. There are two temples of Goddess, one on the top of a hill (approx 1600 ft high) and one on the ground respectively known as Bari mata and chhoti Bamleshwari Mata. Dongargarh is comprises of two words dongar and garh. Dongar means hill and Garh means fort. It indicates that Devi is protected by the hill and fort in all respect.

Main Diety

The main Diety inside the temple is an iodol of Godess Bamleshwari coated with vermilion looks magnificent. The goddess is believed to be the another form (swaroop) Mata Baglamukhi of kangra district in Himachal.  Godess Bamleshwari blessed their devotees with power for being victorious in the battle of life.

History of the Temple

In the ancient time, this place was known as Kamawati and ruled by the king named Kamsen. He was a great devotee and much blessed by Godess Bamleshwari. He was the lover of art and music .A beautiful dancer Kamkandala and a great musician Madhawanal were under the control of his regime. Once the king awarded with his own necklace, after being pleased by there presentation of dance. Kamkandala and Madhvanal both fell in love and Madhawanal handed over the Neclace to Kamkandala. Seeing this the king became angry and gave exile to Mdhavanal from his teritory. Then Madhavanal went Ujjain  and explained about his distress to the king Vikramaditya.Vikramaditya was very much pleased by his performance in art and music. The king agreed to help Madhvanal and requested king Kamsen to release kamkandala from his custody. King Kamsen did not agreed from his proposal and refused. After refusal the battle started between them. Both the king were the real devotees of Mahakal and Mata Bimla. Seeing the bad effects of battle, God mahakal requested Mata Bimla to forgive Vikramaditya for this deed.Then the both God & Goddess blessed Kamkandala and Madhavanal. Thus,  they became one. Since then Mata Bimla became Bamleshwari Devi and the Main Diety of the inhabitants of Chhatisgarh.

Festivals

The main festival celebrated here are two Navratra during Dussera and hindi month Chaitra. During this period people from all over the state come here in large numbers and celebrate Puja and lighting  Akhand jyotikalash during Navratra. A large fair is also organized during this period.

Hawan kund 

Hawan  (worshiping  fire God) is conducted every Sunday 10:00 am to 12 noon. This is the only Temple where RED CHILI is used in Hawan.

Akhand Jyoti lighted during Navratra

Facilities

There are 1100 stairs and also ramp road upto the temple. Rope way service is also operated on payment basis.    

Foot Way

Rope way

Accommodation

Accommodation facilities are available in Dharamshala run by the Temple  trust. Dongargarh is a small city.  Low to medium budget hotels are available at Dongargarh. For high budget hotels Rajnandgaon is the nearest district town only 35 km away.

Places to visit

Hanuman ji Temple: There are two temples, one near choti Bamleshwari Devi and one on the top of hill.

Lord Shiva Temple: On the 3/4th way to the main temple a beautifully decorated temple of Lord Shiva is situated and visited by the devotees.

Hawan Kund 

Hawan  (worshiping  fire God) is conducted every Sunday 10 to12 noon. This is the only Temple where RED CHILI is used in Hawan. This place Dongargarh  is also famous pilgrimage of Jain cult.

How to reach

By Rail

Dongargarh is a railway station on Howrah – Mumbai route. It is well connected from aii over India and can be reached easily.

By Road

Dongargarh is well connected by good roads. The distance from Rranandgaon is 35 km, from Durg 67 km and from Raipur the capital it is 105 km.

By Air

Raipur is the nearest airport and 115 km away. One can reach the temple by his own car or taxi.

Basukinath Temple, Basukinath

Basukinath Temple, Basukinath, Dumka, Jharkhand, India

Basukinath Temple

About The Temple and Main Deity

The temple is located in the village Basukinath, district Dumka in the state Jharkhand, on the state highway connecting Dumka and Deoghar.  It is 24 km away from Dumka towards Deoghar.

The temple is basically of Lord Shiva and Lingam is placed inside the Temple. It is an ancient temple and believed to be the court of Lord Shiva. The temple of Mata Parvati is just in front of Lord Shiva. In the evening when the doors of both the Temple opened the devotees are suggested not to go towards the doors. It is believed that at this time Mata Parvati goes to meet Baba Bholenath for discussing the demands and problems of their devotees with generosity. According to Hindu belief, Lord Shiva is known as the most generous God who always blessed His devotees. Basuki is the name of a snake in Hindu shastra and Nath means God, so Baba Basukinath is also known as Nagnath.

Festivals

Shravan Mela

In the Hindi month Shravana which usually falls in July – August lacs of devotees come here from Bihar, Jharkhand and also from rest of the country to offer holy Ganga jal on Shivlingam. The devotees collect Ganga jal from Bhagalpur or Sultanganaj (in Bihar) and carry it on their shoulder with the help of a bamboo stick (also available in the market) under which water pots are hanging both sides. They collect Ganga jal after doing proper bath & puja and wear clothes dyed in saffron color and then start their foot march with a slogan ”Bol- Bam” for their loved deity and cover 135 km distance with a lot of vigour and enthusiasm. Some of the Devotees don’t stop at any place on the way and cover entire distance in one stretch are called ’’ Dak Bam’’. An unbroken line of devotees can be seen from Bhaglpur to Basukinath.The devotees who cover the distance in 4-5 days stay at Dharamshala on the way. There are so many Dharamshala available on the way with all facilities. Every facility such as food, lodging is available throughout the way.  This is the main festival over here which is celebrated with joy in such a religious environment.

Kanvaria

Ram Janki Vivah Utsav 

This is also the 2nd main festival celebrated at the temple on 5th day of Shukla Paksha (bright half) of Hindi month Margshirsha (generally falls in November-Dec).  This day is known as Vivah Panchami in Hindu belief. The marriage ceremony of Ram Sita is celebrated with Joy and pleasure. A Baarat  in the form of procession includes  Elephant, Horse , Band, Floral lights etc. moves toward the temple in the guidance of the sons of Pt Tarakant jha. The ancestors of Tara kant jha was Pt Naina Lal Jha who started this celebration and named it as Palki Utsava. Since then it is celebrated every year.

Puja and Rituals in Temple

Shringar Puja

Worshipping Lingam after beautification with flowers, Belpatram, and garlands is called Shringar Puja. It is performed twice a day. The timings are 3.00 pm and 9.00 pm every day. Devotee can do this puja by depositing some amount to the temple Management.

Shingar Puja

Fulaies

It is also a type of puja done for the fulfillment of one’s desire. The material required 50 gm of Akshat (raw rice soaked in water), one Betel nut, and two or three circular cut pieces of Bel Patra. The priest then starts puja in the presence of the devotees by first placing Akshat on the top of Shivlingam and then the circular piece of bel patra on it. After that he put a Betel nut on it. The priest repeats this process again. If the Betel nut falls from Lingam, it is believed that the desire of the devotees will be fulfilled by the Deity. It is believed that even the childless couple is blessed with a child by doing this Puja.

Ready for Fulaes

Ashtayam Puja

This is a special puja conducted by the Main Priest of the temple. During this puja the Temple is kept open 24 hrs.

Other Local Places to Visit

Baba Baidyanath

This Temple is situated in Deoghar and basically the temple of Lord Shiva and famous in India and abroad. In the month of Shravan, more than lacs of devotees gather to offer Ganga jal on Lord Shiva. It is among one of the 12 jyotirlingas. The distance of Baba Baidaynath from Basukinath is 43 kms.

Baidyanath Dham

Naulakha Mandir

This Temple’s architect is similar to the Ramkrishna temple of Belur Math. At the time of construction the cost of temple comes out to be Rs9.00 Lakhs. Hence named as Naulakha Mandir.

Naulakha Mandir

Rikhia Ashram

Established by Swami Satyanand Saraswati of Bihar Yoga Vidayalaya Munger in Rikhia village, near Deoghar. Annual festival is celebrated every year (Nov – Dec)in which the devotees from every corner of India and abroad come here. Swami Ji developed it as an ideal village.

Trikoot Parwat

A set of three mountains called Trikoot at an altitude of 1350 ft is 13 km from Deoghar Town and is a Nature’s boon. Ropeway facility is provided to reach the top of the mountain.

Trikoot Mountain

Harla Jori

In ancient time this place was full of Haritika trees. It is believed that this is the place where Ravana handed over Shiva Lingam to Lord Vishnu who was in guise of a Brahmin.

How To Reach

By Rail:

Basukinath is a railway station on Jasidih – Dumka railway section. Jasidih is well connected from Bihar and Bengal by rail head. One can reach easily Basukinath from every corner of India.

By Road:

Jharkhand and Bihar now have good roads. One can reach Basukinath by road from any city of Bihar and Jharkhand. Buses from major cities ply daily.

By Air:

Birsa Munda airport Ranchi is the nearest airport aprox 300 km away. One can reach here by own car or taxi.

Maa Jwala Devi Temple, Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, India

The temple of Maa Jwala Devi is located in Jwalamukhi town of Kangra Distt in Himachal Pradesh.It is situated 34 km from Kangra in southern direction and 55 kms from Dharmshala. 

Jwala Devi Temple

The temple is dedicated to Devi Jwalamukhi who is worshiped in the form of flames, burning endlessly. It is believed that the flames have been burning since the time of Mahabharata. There are nine flames representing the nine Swaroopa (forms) of Mata. These are the Ma kali,Annapurna, Chandi, Hinglaj,Vindhyawasini,  Mahaluxmi,  Saraswati,  Ambika and Anji Devi. Inside the temple there is no idol or statue only the flames are worshiped. According to Hindu belief it is among the 52 Shakti Peethas of Sati cults. The tongue of Mata Sati is supposed to have fallen here which is represented as the flames.

                               ( Watch video below and see the different forms of Devi )

About the Temple

Inside the temple the place where the flames are burning is a cave like square pit where these several flames come out from the self created orifices in stones. This is the main place of worship. A magnificent templeis constructed of which the dome and the spire is made out of pure gold donated by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1815 AD. The main door of the shrine is silver plated. A large brass bell was donated by the king of Nepal. The reason behind the endlessly burning flames has not been yet known in spite of  lot of efforts done  by many people and various institutions. Large number of people from Punjab and other states of the country come here in the days of Navratra.

A colorful fair is organised during Navratra of March-April & September –October.

Management of the temple

The temple has been declared as one of the cultural heritage sites by the Govt.of India .There are 102  paid priests in the temple appointed by the Govt

Legend

A cowherd had a lot of cows. He used to cater the cows in the grass fields. He found that one cow always remained without milking. He wanted to know the reason behind this and followed the cow. He saw a girl come out of the forest and drink the cow’s milk and then disappeared into the forest in a blink of eye.

The cowherd told this story to the king. Although the king was aware of it that this is the place where the tongue of Mata Sati had fallen. The king tried to search that particular place but could not succeed. One day the cowherd reported the king that he had seen a place where a flame is burning. The king went there immediately and had a vision of a flame Goddess and then he immediately constructed a temple over it. He appointed a priest to worship the flame Goddess regularly. It is believed that this incident happened even before Pandavas came here and renovated the temple.

A story Depicting The Goddess’s  Power

There was a devotee Dhyanu Bhagat of Delhi who spread the glory of flame Goddess of Jwala ji. It was the period of Akbar. The king called upon Dhyanu bhagat. Dhyanu described and praised the Goddess. Akbar then chopped off the head of his horse and told him to pray the Goddess to rejoin it. Dhyanu immediately moved to Jwala ji temple and prayed to Devi, day and night but all in vain. He then cut off his head and offered it before the goddess. Seeing such devotion, the Goddess became pleased and appeared before him sitting on her lion. The Devi blessed Dhyanu and rejoined the heads of Dhyanu and his horse and blessed with a boon. As per the boon the coconut offered by the devotees would be accepted by Devi such as they had offered their own head.

Legend about King Akbar

Being angry, the Mughal king Akbar came here with his army and tried to extinguish the flame of Goddess in all possible ways but could not succeed in his attempt. Then after, he accepted the glory and power of the Goddess and offered a golden umbrella (Chattar) to Devi which then turned into an unknown metal. People said it as the sign of non acceptance of the offering by Devi.

Festivals

A large fair is organised during Navratra. Being located on the border of Punjab, a large number of people from Punjab flock to the temple. During this fair, the langar runs throughout the day and night and Management offers a lot of facilities to the devotees.

Guidelines for Darshan

1. Cover your head with a shawl or a handkerchief.

2. Anything made out of leather is prohibited in the temple vicinity.

3. Smoking inside the temple is strictly prohibited.

4. Parikrama of the Deity is performed in clockwise direction.

5. Always bow before the Deities with your left side first not your right side,

6. A proper queue must be maintained at all times.

7. Ignore politely the Brahmin guides.

Facilities offered

*  Free Langar during the lunch and dinner time.

*  Bathrooms and toilets available in the temple vicinity.

*  Parking places (paid) provided by temple trust at moderate rates.

*  Medical facilities provided free of cost

Usually people use Rabri (thickened milk) as offering to the Goddess. Inside the campus there are several small temples-including Gorakh Dibbi temple & Chaturbhuj temple.

Management of the temple

The temple has been declared as one of the cultural heritage sites by the govt. Of India .There are no less than 102 priests in the temple paid by the govt.  itself.

How to reach

By rail

1. The nearest railway station is Pathankot at a distance of 120 km.

2. The nearest meter gauge railway station is Jwala Ji road about 20 km from the shrine.

By air

1. The nearest airport is gaggle, at Dharamshala.

2. Chandigarh airport is located 200 km away. One can reach by taxi or by own car from both airports.

By road

Frequent state transport bus service is available from important cities of Punjab, Haryana, New Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir.

Distances from major cities

Delhi-480 km

Chandigarh-200 km

Pathankot-120 km

Jammu-300 km

WHERE TO STAY

Guest house run by temple trust offers a comfortable stay to devotees.

There are a lot of hotels and guest houses near the temple at moderate rates for a comfortable stay.

Tarkeshwar Mahadev,Lansdowne,Uttarakhand Indiia

Tarkeshwar Mahadev Temple

Tarkeshwar Mahadev Gate

The Tarkeshwar Mahadev temple is situated at a distance of 36 km from Lansdowne, a village of Pauri Garhwal in Uttarakhand State. It is also a beautiful hill station where the nature showcases itself at its best. The temple is surrounded by thick forest of pine and cedar trees. Lord Shiva is the main deity inside the temple.

Snaky way, dense forests, springs, waterfalls and the chirping of birds are among the main attraction and beauty of the temple. The devotees come here because of two purposes, one, to go to a hill station and another is to go to a religious place both the desires are aptly fulfilled after a visit to this place.

Shivalingam

Festivals

Shivratri is the main festival celebrated in the temple at large scale which involves the participation of a large number of devotees. A dharmashala near the temple operates during the period.

Legend behind the temple

Uttarakhand is renowned for the habitat of sages, gods, gandharva, and a suitable place for meditation. Four  Dhams which are world famous, all located in Uttarakhand. Pandava also choose this place for Nirvana (Salvation )

This temple is in the lap of nature and famous for its religious importance and Virat Swaroop of lord Shiva.

According to a belief, after killing a famous demon Tarkasur, Lord Shiva rested here at this place. Seeing this, Mata Parvati appeared in the guise of a cedar tree and gave shadow to lord Shiva and saved him from the heat of the sun.

There is an another belief that Lord Shiva used to come here daily and have night stay. During the day he meditate at Kailash and during night, he stays at Tarkeshwar. Vibrations in the air indicates the arrival of lord Shiva. Some old residents of this place who are fortunate, witnessed the feelings of vibrations.

There is also an ancient story that the milk offered to Lord Shiva on the Shivlinga reaches directly to a water reservoir, approx. 25 km away from the temple. The reservoir is known as the Jhal reservoir, and supposed to be the entrance gate of the Temple.The devotees who fulfilled with their desire came again to the temple and ties a bell. Thousands of bells tied at this place prove this recognizance.

How to reach

By rail

Kotdwar is the nearest railway station.

Lansdowne is 35 km away from Kotdwar

From Delhi and Kolkata the trains are available for this place.

By road

This place is well connected by road.

From Delhi, Mussorie, Haridwar  and  Dehradun regular road transport buses are available.

By air

Jolly grant airport is the nearest airport. Lansdowne is 100 km from the airport and can be reached by his own car or taxi.

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Weather and Climate

Best season to visit this place is between March to October. Summer is pleasant but winter is harsh

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Places to visit

Kanwashram-The place is named after the rishi Kanwa. The ashram is the starting point of Pauri. Pauri town is known for the finest temple town of the country.

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Accomodation

One can stay at Lausdowne 35 km from the temple.Some of the hotels and resorts are ;--

1. Blue Pine resort

2.Hotel Shantiraj resort

3.Daria Lehal lausdowne

Mamleshwar Mahadev,Karsog, Himachal Pradesh India

Mamleshwar Temple

Ashta Dhatu idol

Mamleshwar Mahadev temple is located in the village named Mamel. The village is about 108km from Shimla. The district headquarter is Mandi in Himachal Pradesh.

This is an ancient temple .According to Ashutosh Maharaj and the newspaper “Divya Himachal” it is 5000 years old.

This temple witnessed Satyuga, Treta ,Dwapar and now Kalyuga. It is a sacred place where Rishi Bhrigu meditated. During the exile period, Pandavas constructed the outer part of the temple. An Akhand Dhuni (fire) is burning in the temple campus, from the Mahabharat period continuously and there is a small story behind it. A demon was living nearby in a cave. The villagers were bound to send one person daily as a food for him. Oneday a mother was wiping because today was the turn of her son. Pandavas were the guest of that house. Then Bhim (brother of pandava ) told the mother not to worry for it. I will go to the Demon. In the battle with demon, he killed him and came back. For the bravery and the memory of this event the villagers lighted the fire which is continuously burning.There are few things in the Temple which are, a Drum,a piece of wheat grain, and five Shivlingam which are believed to be the most ancient and of Mahabharat period. 

It is also important to write about Karsog valley for the convenience of the people or devotees visiting this place.

Karsog valley is known for its ethereal beauty and openness. There are many apple orchards and dense forest of pine and cedar. Holidays at Karsog valley relieve the tension due to monotonous and routined day to day life. The summer is very pleasant in the valley. There are also many temples in Karsog valley namely Munag Temple, Kamkshya temple, Shikari devi temple, and a seven storied historical Pargana fort, completely made out of wood. Pargana fort is famous for its architecture and its wooden carvings. It is worth seeing.

History of the Temple

At the end of Himyuga (ice age), the earth had internal movement due to which severe landslides took place at ”Kinner Kailash.  The Kinners left the place and came to this village.

At that time sage Bhrigu was in meditation. Sage Bhrigu, married a Kinner girl named Mamlisa. Two girl child were born to him. The two girl children were named Imla and Bimla. Due to the curse of some sages both girls became two rivers. It is said that due to these two rivers the land of Karsog became fertile and created this beautiful valley, that never faced any famine till date. There’s a beautiful statue of Shiva and Parvati made of Ashta dhatu. It is placed on a thall ( a big plate ) with Lord Bramha in the upper part, Lord Vishnu in other, and in the middle Lord Ganesha, Kartikeya, Shesh naga, Nandi and Veer Bhadra’s statues .Lord Shiva is three faced and fourth face is on the back side. It is said to be the face of Mahakaal. Seeing the face of Mahakaal is prohibited. There is one amazing thing in the temple. A single grain of wheat weighing 150 gm is placed in the covered box of glass. It is said to be of the Mahbharat period. There is a big kothi in the backside of the temple. It is said at this place bhandaras of gods took place. The upper floor is the residence of gods and the lower floor is residence of Mahakal.

150gm wheat grain and Drum of Bhim

Shivlingam installed by Pandava

Festivals

Navratra festival is celebrated in the month of Chaitra. A wooden statue of Gauri and Shankar i.e.  Shiva and Parvati is constructed over which the flower collected by the girl children aged between 5 to 12 years is poured and worshipped. This happens all over the month. In the month of Baisakh a marriage ceremony in traditional style is celebrated.

On Panchami of Baisakh, the wooden statue of Lord Shiva and Parvati is immersed in the reservoir  present there

Places worth seeing near by

1. Kamakshya Devi temple

2. Mahunag temple

3. Pangna fort

4. Mahamaya temple

5. Shikari devi temple

Karsog is a town in Karsog mandal of Mandi district and an important place of tourism interest. This is a wide valley criss crossed by streams and carpeted with the fields of fruits and vegetables.

Distance of the temple from important places

From Mandi-Karsog -125 km

From Shimla-108 km

It is well connected by road from both Shimla and Mandi.

Facilities

1. Transport dept of HRTC.

2. Primary health care centre and hospital

3. Rest house for comfortable stay.

4.  Drinking water by the agar panchayat. 

5.  Public toilets and bathrooms.

Gangotri Temple, Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, India

Gangotri Temple

Gangotri temple is one of the ancient temple of Hindu religion and the origin of holy river Bhagirathi. It was built by the Gorkha General Amar Singh Thapa in 18th Century. The river is called Bhagirathi at the source and acquires the name “Ganga” from Devprayag where it meets Alaknanda. The origin of this holy river is at Gomukh which is 19 km trek from Gangotri. It is located in Nagar Panchayat Gangotri in District of Uttarkashi of State Uttarakhand. The best time to visit here is from May to October.

The temple is very near to Bhagirath Shila (stone - rock) where the king Bhagirath worshipped Lord Shiva. The holy water of Gangotri is carried to offer Lord Shiva in Rameshwaram (the Sothern temple of Lord Shiva). It is believed that this water soothe the throat of Lord Shiva and keep cool the burning sensation of poison. The temple is made of white granite. 

Temple Timings are as follows:

Morning – 6:15 am to 2:00 pm (IST)

Evening – 3:00 pm to 9:30 pm (IST)

The holy river Ganga is associated with the Hindu religion through all the stages of life from birth to death. It is believed that a dip in Ganga River washes away all the sins. The birth of Ganga is believed to be from the toe of Lord Vishnu and it comes on the earth through milky way on the sky and then through the JATA (entangled hair) of Lord Shiva. The temple is situated at height of 3415 meter (11204 ft) above the sea level. 

The doors of temple open on Akshay Tritiya in Vaisakh month of Hindu Calender (around last days of month April) and closes on Dipawali (in November usually)

History

The story behind the origin of the temple – There was a king Sagar who killed the demons on the earth and decided to stage Ashwamesgh Yagya. After the completion of Yagya, a horse is left free to move. The horse which was moving interrupted, was stolen by Lord Indra, the king of Devlok. He tied the horse near the ashram of Sage Kapil who was in meditation there. While searching the horse by 60000 sons of King Sagar, they thought that Sage Kapil has done this. They started insulting the Sage Kapil. In the mean time, the sage opened his eyes with anger and the sons of King Sagar perished and burnt into ashes. 

For the salvation of these souls the grandson of King Sagar named Bhagirath meditated to please the GOD Brahma. Seeing the tough and hard meditation by King Bhagirath, Brahma agreed to ask Ganga to come to the earth. Now the major issue was that who will control the huge velocity of Ganga on earth. Subsequently the King Bhagirath prayed Lord Shiva. Being pleased from the prayer, the Lord Shiva controlled the huge velocity and drift of Ganga through his entangled hair (JATA) and open one of them to flow Ganga on the earth. In this way, the sons of King Sagar got Salvation.

Other places to Visit

Gomukh: The origin of the holy river at Gomukh glacier. It is at 19km trek from Gangotri. It is a plane where you can see the nature’s beauty at it best.

Gomukh &Track route

Tapovan: This place is 6 km trek north of Gomukh here one can see the amazing view of Shivalik peak.

Tapovan

Kedar Tal: It is a beautiful natural Lake situated 18 km trek from Gangotri. There is no facility available here. So one must accompanied with food packets and other materials of daily needs.

Kedar Tal

How to Reach

The nearest airport is Dehradun 226 km away and the nearest rail head is Rishikesh. From here one can move through buses, taxi or by own car.

Where to Stay

One can stay at Gangotri where so many Dharmshala and guest house is available. If you want to visit only Gangotri, you can stay at Uttarkashi, where hotels of all budget are available. In one day journey, you may come back from Gangotri.

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