The
revered shrine of Yamunotri, source of the shadow of the 6,315 mts. high Bandarpunchh
mountain.
It constitutes one of the four most important pilgrimages, collectively
called 'Char Dham' of the Garhwal Himalayas.
Legend has it that
a sage, Asit Muni, used to reside at this secluded spot in ancient times. The
chief attraction at Yamunotri is the temple devoted to goddess Yamuna and the
holy thermal springs at Jankichatti (7 km. Away).
The source of the Yamuna
lies a further km. Ahead at an altitude of approximately 4421 mts. Since the approach
is extremely difficult, pilgrims usually offer obeisance at the temple itself.
The
present temple was constructed by Maharani Gularia of Jaipur in the nineteenth
century. FACILITIES:
For reaching Yamunotri, one has
to undertake a 220 km journey from Rishikesh to Hanumanchatti, where the motorable
road ends. The remaining 13 km journey has to be covered on foot or on ponies.
The
temple remains closed during the winter months of Nov. to April.