Yamunotri

The Yamuna River’s source and Hinduism’s home of the Goddess Yamuna are both located in Yamunotri, also known as Jamnotri.

yamunotri snowfall

It is situated 150 kilometres (93 miles) north of Uttarkashi, the administrative centre of the Uttarkashi district in the Garhwal Division of Uttarakhand, India, at an elevation of 3,293 metres (10,804 feet), in the Garhwal Himalayas.

The shrine was built at the base of the hill because the actual source, a frozen lake of ice and glacier (Champasar Glacier) on the Kalind Mountain at a height of 4,421 m above sea level, is not frequently visited because it is inaccessible. Due to the treacherous approach, worshippers perform puja at the temple itself.

One of the four places visited during the Chhota Char Dham pilgrimage in India.

The westernmost shrine in the Garhwal Himalayas is located at Yamunotri, the source of the Yamuna River, and is perched atop Bandar Poonch Parvat.

The Yamuna temple and the holy thermal springs at Janki Chatti, located 7 kilometres away, are Yamunotri’s main draws.

Maharaja Pratap Shah of Tehri Garhwal built the Yamuna temple, which is located on the Yamuna’s left bank. The god is crafted from black marble.

Similar to how the Ganges has been given divine mother status by Hindus, the Yamuna is credited with fostering and advancing Indian civilization.

Hot springs can be found close to the temple. The most significant kund is Surya Kund. Before puja is offered to the deity, Divya Shila, a shila located close to Surya Kund, is worshipped.

Then they are dipped in these hot springs to prepare the rice and potatoes, which are then tied in muslin cloth and offered to the shrine.

History and legends

Sage Asit Muni is said to have had his hermitage here in the past.

He took daily baths in the Ganges and the Yamuna throughout his entire life. In his old age, he was unable to travel to Gangotri, so a Ganges stream appeared for him opposite Yamunotri.

In the Champasar Glacier (4,421 m), just below Banderpoonch Mountain, Sangya is where the Yamuna was born.

The mountain next to the river’s source is named Kalind Parvat and is dedicated to her father (Kalind being another name for the sun deity – Surya).

Yamuna is renowned for her frivolity, a quality that she acquired because, according to a popular myth, Yamuna’s mother was unable to meet her brilliant husband’s eyes.

Geography

• The coordinates of Yamunotri are 31.01°N 78.45°E.
• Its typical elevation is 3,954 metres (12,972 ft).

Yamunotri Temple

Yamunotri Temple is located close to the river source in the western Garhwal Himalayas at an elevation of 3,235 metres (10,614 feet).

Sundarshan Shah, the ruler of Tehri, the cultural centre, erected the temple in 1839. [4] Before the temple was built, the location had a small shrine. The Surya Kund and Divya Shila are close to the temple.