Gangotri Temple

Gangotri the origin of the River Ganga and temple of river Ganga which is worshiped as a Goddess in India. It is one of the four sites in the Chota Char Dham pilgrimage circuit. The original Gangotri Temple was built by the Nepalese general Amar Singh Thapa. The river is called Bhagirathi at the source and acquires the name Ganga (the Ganges) from Devprayag onwards where it meets the Alaknanda. The origin of the holy river is at Gaumukh, set in the Gangotri Glacier, and is a 19 km trek from Gangotri. The Gangotri is the place where river Ganga descended from heaven. Gangotri temple opens at the Month end of April or in the first week of May and gets closed in the time of Diwali festival. It remains open for six months of summers only. The Gangotri temple remains closed during winters as the region is prone to heavy snowfall.