Introduction :
Yamunotri is a city in the state of Uttarakhand in India and sits at an altitude of 3293 metres. It is regarded as the Sacred Jewel of the Himalayas and finds a special mention in the Hindu mythology. Main attractions include the source of the Yamuna river, a view of the Banderpunch Mountain that lies north, The Temple of Goddess Yamuna, the thermal springs at Surya Kund with a huge rock pillar Divya Shila that is worshipping before entering the temple. Trekking to Yamunotri is also a popular option with the sceneries of the mountains and peaks.
Source of the Yamuna River
View of the Bandarpunch peak north of Yamunotri
Image attribution to Hrishikesh Chandanpurkar @ Flickr
History :
Based on Hindu mythology belief, the Champasar Glacier on the Kalind Mountain at an altitude of 4421 metres is the birth place of Yamuna, and is the source that feeds the Yamuna River in Yamunotri. Legends has it that Yamunotri was also the religous retreat to an ancient sage Asit Muni who lived in the secluded hill spot and bathed daily in the Yamuna River. The Yamunotri temple is built and dedicated to Godess Yamuna during the 19th century and has been destroyed and rebuilt twice due to floods and snow around the area. The Yamunotri temple is part of the Chota Char Dam (small four piligrimage places) widely revered by most Hindu devotees.
The Yamunotri Temple dedicted to Goddess Yamuna
Thermal spring at Surya Kund
Getting there :
The nearest airport to Yamunotri is the Jolly Grant Airport (DED) which is located 25km from Dehradun, the capital city of Uttarakhand. which is connected by regular flights from the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi (DEL). Upon reaching the Jolly Grant Airport, you can take public transport to the capital city of Dehradun, which is over 200km from Yamunotri. As the terrain around the region is rough, only private cars and taxis travel there.