Yamunotri

Yamunotri, the source of the Yamuna River and the seat of the goddess Yamuna, is one of the four sites in India's Char Dham pilgrimage. Yamunotri, as per Hindu mythology was the home of Saint Agastya Muni. It is also the exact source of the Champasar glacier on Kalinda Parvat Mountain at an altitude of 4142mts. The shrine architecture is Pahari style built in the 19th century by The Guleria Maharani of Jaipur and it was later rebuilt in 1923. The Temple has a marble idol of The Goddess and is situated on the left bank of the river near several hot water springs. The shrine of Yamunotri is one of the "four dhams" of Uttaranchal Yamunotri temple is situated in the direction opposite to Gangotri and the road bifurcates and goes to Yamunotri from Dharasu, a place between Rishikesh - Uttarkashi. Another 55 km away is Barkot, affording a fabulous view of the Banderpunch Range. Barkot is also approachable by road directly from all the major cities in India.

Near the temple are three hot springs. The most important, Surya Kund is a tank full of boiling water into which rice and potatoes are dipped to be cooked and taken as “prasad”. Near the Kund, a rock slab, the “Divya Shila” is worshipped before puja is offered to the black marble idol of Yamuna. The black stone idol of Yamuna is flanked by a smaller white one of goddess Ganga. The Yamuna Bai Kund, close-by, is a warm water tank, built some 110 years ago, within the premises of the Mandir. It is used by devotees to take a cleansing bath before the Darshan.

The temple opens on the auspicious day of Aksheya – Tritya [Last week of April or first week of May] and closes on the day of Diwali. The prasad at Yamunotri mainly consists of rice and potatoes, which are usually tied in a piece of cloth and dipped into the Surya Kund, a hot water spring, for cooking. Puja thalis are easily available in one of the many shops near the Mandir. The temple at Yamunotri closes on the festival of Bhaiya Duj, which is celebrated immediately after Diwali. Kharsali, a village 6 kilometres away, is said to be Yamuna’s mother’s home, and her brother Shani Dev travels up to escort her back to Kharsali. When the temple closes for the season, Yamuna’s doli is taken to Kharsali – with pomp and ritual -- where the pandits and purohits spend the winter months and where she is worshipped for these months.

Aarti
The temple is open for Darshan throughout the day, and helpful pandits are always at hand to guide the visitors. The aarti is held at around 7 am in the morning and again at 7:45 in the evening; and those who wish to participate in the aarti need to spend the night at Yamunotri.

Getting to Yamunotri
The route is Haridwar-Dehradun-Musorrie-Naugaon-Barkot –Hanuman Chatti. (14 kilometers away from Yamunotri). From Hanuman Chatti, shared taxis leave every few minutes, and drop the customers off at Janki Chatti --

On foot: The trek to Yamunotri starts from Janki Chatti, and though the distance is only 5 kilometres, the passage is steep throughout, and extremely narrow and rocky in parts. If you are planning to walk up, it is advisable to buy a walking stick, which is cheaply available locally , and/or engage a pithu (porter) to carry your luggage, for even a few kilos extra slows you down. Others may avail of facilities such as mules, another option is the palki - which is a chair mounted on poles of wood and is carried up by four men. Most people find the third option the most comfortable, which is the tokri (basket), where the customer sits in a basket strapped to the back of the pithu, and is carried up the track.

The climb to the top is strenuous and gruelling. Just as your spirits begin to flag, some passer by will shout Jai Mata Di! and remind you of the reason for undertaking the climb in the first place. The freshness of the air, the sound of flowing water, the scenic beauty of the region and the enthusiasm of the devotees create an unforgettable experience for those who visit.