GANGOTRI

GANGOTRI

The picturesque   pilgrimage in the  hinterlands of the Himalayas is the most   sacred   spot where Ganga,  the stream of life, touched earth fro the first  time. According to mythology,  Goddess  Ganga, the daughter of heaven,  manifested herself in the form a river  to  absolve the sins of king Bhagirath's  predecessors, following his   severe  penance of 5500 years. Lord  Shiva  received  into  his   matted  locks  to  minimize the impact of  her fall. The river itself  begins  at   Gangotri  which   literally means  Ganga  Uttari or  Ganga  descending   She  came to  be called Bhagirathi  at  her   legendary source. The Shrine of  Gangotri   situated at an elevation of 3200 m above sea level amidst captivating surroundings along the right bank of Bhagirathi is 100  km from Uttarkashi. The Shrine of Gangotri opens during the last week of April  or  the first week of May, on the auspicious day od Akshaya Tritiya. The temple was constructed in the early 18th century by a Gorkha Commander Amar Sigh Thapa. The existing temple is said to be the one reconstructed by the Jaipur dynasty. Every year thousands of pilgrims through the sacred shrine between May & October. The Pujaris & Brahmins are from the village of Mukhwa. The water from Gangotri is carried to offer to Lord Shiva. It is believed that this water has amrit (nectar) in it and will soothe the throat of Shiva who gulp the poison.

           

According to mythology King Sagar after slaying the demons on earth staged an Aswamedh Yagna to proclaim his supremacy. The King's 60,000 sons born of Queen Sumati and one son Asamanjas of Queen Kesani were to accompany the horse. Lord Indra fearing loss of his supremacy stole the horse and tied it to the ashram of ancient sage Kapil who was then deep into meditation. On their search for horse, the 60,000 sons stormed the ashram of Kapil and just before the attack on him the sage opened his eyes and reduced all the 60,000 sons of King Sagar except Asamanjas to ashes. King Sagar's grandson Anshuman was successful in recovering the horse from Kapil and was told that those 60,000 burnt will attain heavenly adobe if Ganga is brought down from heaven & their ashes were cleaned by its water. Then the great task of bringing Ganga to earth started. Anshuman failed and so did his son Dilip but his grandson Bhagirath succeeded

Special Puja of Ganga both inside the temple as well as on the river bank. The temple's closes on the day of Diwali followed by a formal closing ceremony amidst a row  of oil lamps. It is believed that the Goddess retreats to Mukhwa, her winter abode (12 km downstream)

Gangotri Temple: As the legend goes, King Bhagirath used to worship Lord Shiva at the sacred stone, near which this 18th century temple is located. The slab on which King Bhagirath is believed to have meditated is called Bhagirathi Shila. The mother Ganga is worshipped as Goddess and the holy river in the temple. Before performing the Puja rituals, a holy dip in the Ganga flowing nearby the temple is a must. The Pujari's (priest) belong to Brahmin community from Mukhwa village. Ten of them are selected by rotation every year to perform all the functions covering the temple and they also perform the duties of pandas. 

1. Submerged Shivling

2. Kedar Ganga Sangam

3. Kedar Tal

4. Dayara Bugyal

5. Sat-Ta

6. Gaumukh

135-km stretch of Ganga in U’khand declared eco-sensitive

The government has decided to declare the 135-km stretch between Gaumukh and Uttarkashi in Uttarakhand as an eco-sensitive zone, a move that will ensure that large projects, like a hydel-power project would no longer be allowed to come up in this area.

An in-principle nod in this regard was granted on Monday during the second meeting of the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The meeting also put its stamp of approval to the recent decision to ‘abandon’ three large power projects — at Loharinagpala, Pala Maneri and Bhairon Ghati — in these areas on environmental grounds.

“The decision to declare this stretch as an eco-sensitive zone would mean that certain kinds of activities that can have an adverse effect on environment and biodiversity would not be allowed in this area. Other activities which will be permitted will have to comply with detailed eco-management plans that would be drawn up for the area,” Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh told reporters.

Monday’s meeting also decided to raise the Central assistance to the states for projects approved by the NGRBA. As of now, the recurring costs for all projects are funded solely by the state government. On persistent demand of the states, the Centre agreed to share 70 per cent of this burden for the first three years of the implementation of the project.

The meeting was attended by Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand and ministers of four other states through which Ganga flows.

http://www.indianexpress.com

'Gaumukh' to be out of bounds for tourists

Tourists will not be allowed to go near 'Gaumukh', the source of the Ganga, with the Uttarakhand government imposing a total ban on trekking to the spot to protect receding Himalayan glaciers from human activities.

From the tourist season beginning this month, the regulations would come into effect. Tourists will be stopped 500 meters away from Gaumukh, Deputy Director of Gangotri National Park
, Indrapal Singh, said.

The park administration would erect fencing and display boards to inform tourists about the ban. Gaumukh is near the famous shrine of Gangotri visited by lakhs of pilgrims every year.

As several trekking routes like Tapovan, Raktvan, Vasukital and Kalindikhal pass through Gaumukh, an alternative route is also being explored by the forest department, he said.

In 2008, the government had brought restrictions in the number of visitors to 150 a day.

Official sources said 3000-odd Kanwarias, devotees of Lord Shiva, used to throng Gangotri area daily during July-August raising concerns about the fragile ecological conditions of the range.

The regulations were imposed in the line of a report prepared by Dehra Dun-based Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG), which found that the glaciers were receding at a rate of 17 to 23 meters per year.

Gangotri

Gangotri
Location : Uttarakhand
Altitude : 3042 mts.
Climate : Summer - Cool during the day and cold at night.
Winter - Snow-bound. Touching sub-zero
Best Season : April to November

Gangotri - The Eternal Gift of Bhagirath's Penance
Be it man's urge to placate the Gods above or to quench his desire for adventure, Gangotri is an ideal location. Gangotri, the origin of the sacred river Ganges, attracts tourists in large numbers every year. The confrontation with the daunting rivers and attempts to unravel the mysteries of the supernatural world are ubiquitous sights here. Along with the thrill of conquering nature, what one experiences here is the mystical aura that India is so famous for.

Location
Couched in the magnificent Garhwal hills, Gangotri is at an altitude of 3048 meters above sea level. It is on the northernmost part of the state of Uttarakhand and is very near the Indo-Tibetan border. It is approximately 300 km from Dehradun, 250 km from Rishikesh and 105 km from Uttarkashi. The summers are relatively cool and winters are freezing cold, with rains in the months of May and June. For the devotees and tourists, the gates of the temple are open only in the months of May to November.

Mythological Legend
According to an old legend, Lord Shiva rewarded King Bhagirath after his penance and Ganga came down to earth. However, due to her pride, and the fact that the earth would be devastated if Ganga came down in her full force, Lord Shiva caught her in his locks. It was then proclaimed that Goddess Uma or Parvati, Shiva's consort, would bathe in the Ganges daily and only then would she descend on the earth. The sacred stone near the temple denotes the place where Ganga first came down to earth. This is why Ganga is also called by the name of Bhagirathi.
Unique Pilgrimage Attraction

Submerged Shivling
The natural rock Shivling, submerged in the river, is an amazing sight reinforcing the power of the divine. According to mythology, Lord Shiva sat at this spot to receive the Ganaga in his matted locks. The shivling is visible in the early winters when the water level goes down. The picturesque pilgrimage in the hinterlands of the Himalayas is the most sacred spot where Ganga, the stream of life, touched earth for the first time.

Mythological Mystery
According to mythology, Goddess Ganga- the daughter of heaven, manigested herself in the form of a river to absolve the sins of King Bhagirath's predecessors, following his severe penance of several centuries. Lord Shiva received into his matted locks to minimise the immense impact of her fall. She came to be called Bhagirathi at her legendary source.

A long the right bank of Bhagirathi stands the shrine of Gangotri dedicated to the Goddess. Perched at a height of 3042 mts., it was constructed in the early 18th century by a Gorkha Commander, Amar Singh Thapa. Every year, lakhs of pilgrims throng the sacred temple between May and October. By November, Gangotri is covered by snow. It is believed that the Goddess retreats to Mukhba, her winter abode.

Gangotri Temple
The 18th century's temple dedicated to Goddess Ganga is located near a sacred stone where King Bhagirath worshipped Lord Shiva. Ganga is believed to have touched earth at this spot. According to another legend, Pandavas performed the great 'Deva Yagna' here to atone the deaths of their kinsmen in the epic battle of Mahabharata. The temple is an exquisite 20 ft. High structure made of white granite.

Nandanvan Tapovan
An arduous trek along the Gangotri Glacier leads to scenic Nandanvan - the base camp for the Bhagirathi peaks, that offers a panoramic view of the surrounding Shivaling peak. A trek across the snout of the Gangotri Glacier leads to Tapovan known for its beautiful meadows that encircle the base of the Shivling Peak.

Uttarkashi (99 kms.)
An important pilgrimage centre, situated at an elevation of 1,150 mts. above sea level on the bank of river Bhagirathi. Some of the important temples worth visiting are - Vishwanath temple, Ekadash Rudra temple, Gyaneshwar temple and Kuteti Devi Temple. Nearby is the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering. Every year, during the 'Magh Mela' people visit Uttarkashi to take a holy dip in Bhagirathi along with the image of their village deity.

Kedar Tal (18 kms.)
An enhancing lake, 4425 mts. above sea level against the splendid backdrop of mighty Thalaiyasagar peak. Accessible through a rough mountain trail, it is the base camp for trekking to surrounding peaks. The trek to Kedartal needs a local guide.

Gaumukh( 18 kms.)
The snout of the Gangotri Glacier and the source of the Bhagirathi river. Pilgrims trek upto the sacred spot on foot or on ponies to take a holy dip in the ice-cold water.

Dayara Bugyal (93 kms.)
A breathtakingly beautiful meadow, situated at a height of 3,048 mts. above sea level. A motorable road connects Bhatwari (27 kms. from Uttarkashi) with Raithal village, from where follows a 6 kms. long trek to Dayara. The famous Sheshnag Temple enroute is an attraction of the trek. From Dayara, one can also trek down to Dodi Tal (30 kms.). During winters, Dayara provides excellent ski slopes over an area of 28 sq.kms.

Nachiketa Tal (131 kms.)
A pleasant trek through lush green forests leads to this peaceful retreat. A small temple along the lake and lovely surroundings are an attraction.

New Tehri (173 kms.)
Lying at the confluence of Bhagirathi and Bhilangna rivers is the former capital of Tehri Garhwal principality. It is the site of a giant hydel project.

Narendranagar (239 kms.)
The new capital of erstwhile Tehri state, offers a magnificent view of the Ganga valley of Rishikesh and the plains of Har

Accessibility
Airport
Jolly Grant, Dehradun 226 kms.

Rail
Rishikesh, 249 kms.
Road
Well connected to Rishikesh, Haridwar, Dehradun and Delhi.

Source: http://www.pilgrimage-india.com/chardham/gangotri.html