Gangotri Yatra 2024: Opening Date, Closing, Booking, Registration

gangotri yatra 2023

Gangotri Yatra 2024 is all about visiting Gangotri temple which is one of the famous religious temples of the Hindus located in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand.

It is located at a height of 3,038 meters above sea level and is dedicated to the River Ganga. Gangotri gets its name from the famous River Ganga dedicated to Goddess Ganga.

It is surrounded by mountains on all sides and lies near the Indo-China border. It is known for offering peace and tranquillity to its visitors. 

Gaumukh is the origin of the River Ganga and Gangotri temple is the seat of the goddess Ganga, which is one of the four sites in the Chota Char Dham pilgrimage circuit.

The river is called Bhagirathi at the source and acquires the name Ganga (the Ganges) from Devprayag onwards where it meets the Alakananda. The origin of the holy river is at Gaumukh, set in the Gangotri Glacier, and is a 19 km trek from Gangotri.

Gangotri Yatra 2024

gangotri temple in summer season

  • Deity: Gangotri, Goddess Ganga
  • District: Uttarkashi
  • State: Uttarakhand (India)
  • Elevation / Height: 3,038 Meters
  • Visitors / Year: 2-3 Lack/Year

Gangotri Yatra is a pilgrimage to the holy town of Gangotri in Uttarakhand, India, which is one of the four sacred shrines in the Hindu religion collectively known as Char Dham Yatra.

Gangotri is the origin of the River Ganges, also known as Ganga, which is considered sacred by Hindus and is worshipped as a goddess.

The Gangotri Yatra usually takes place from May to November, when the weather is favorable. The pilgrimage involves trekking to the Gangotri temple, which is located at an altitude of 3,048 meters (10,000 feet) above sea level.

Must Read:

Gangotri Temple Opening Date 2024

The Gangotri Temple usually opens every year on the auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiya, which falls in late April or early May. The exact date of the temple opening varies each year based on the Hindu calendar.

The opening and closing dates of the Gangotri Temple in Char Dham Yatra 2024 are as follows:
Opening Date  April 2024 (7:10 am Morning)
Closing Date Nov 2024 (Evening)
  • The Temple opens on the religious day of ‘Akshaya-Tritiya, which falls, generally, during the last week of April or the first week of May. 
  • Gangotri Temple’s opening date is scheduled to open on April 22, 2024
  • The closing day is always the next day of Diwali after a brief ceremony.

About Char Dham Yatra

Gangotri Temple History

who built gangotri temple
Ganga is the most sacred river not only in India but in the world. Not only do Indians accept this fact but foreign scholars also accept it.
 
In all religious texts, Ganga has been described as the most reputable and sacred. we Indians worship Ganga like a mother.  It was only after the penance of King Bhagiratha of Suryavansh that the Ganges first descended on the earth by dividing it into many streams.
 
It is believed that King Bhagirath meditated deeply with Goddess Ganga, asking her to descend to earth from heaven to provide salvation to the ashes of his ancestors who were cursed by Sage Kapil.

How To Reach Gangotri Temple?

best time to visit gangotri
Here we have compiled all the routes and distance information on how to reach Gangotri in the best possible way. Suppose you are planning your trip from any major city like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, or Banglore.
 
Then it’s very important to know the distance and best possible routes for your Gangotri Trip.
 
It does not matter whether you are traveling to Gangotri by train, air, or by road, Haridwar and Rishikesh are the main points from where you have to start your journey to the hilly area.

Gangotri Route Maps & Distance Guide

If you want to reach Gangotri Temple from any part of India. Then Uttarakashi will be your main destination to reach Gangotri.

Your City  Haridwar or Rishikesh  Dehradun Mussoorie Chilyanisaur ➜ Uttarkashi ➜ Gangotri
 
Uttarkashi is accessible from major destinations of Uttarakhand. Here we are sharing a detailed Route Map & Distance Guide on how to reach Gangotri from major cities of India.

Gangotri Temple Distance from Major Cities

Note: This distance is directly from the Gangotri Temple in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand.
Click on Any Route below and you will be redirected to a distance Guide on that Route.
 

Gangotri To Yamunotri Distance

The distance between Gangotri and Yamunotri, two of the most important Hindu pilgrimage sites in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand, India, is approximately 129 kilometers by road.

However, there is no direct road connectivity between the two places, and travelers have to take a detour of about 228 kilometers via Barkot and Uttarkashi to reach Yamunotri from Gangotri.

The travel time can vary depending on the mode of transportation and the road conditions, but it usually takes around 6-7 hours to cover this distance by car or bus.

Must Read: Gangotri to Yamunotri Trip Plan

Best Time To Visit Gangotri Yatra in2024

The doors (Kapat) of the Gangotri Temple (Mandir) open to devotees in the month of April-May every year. And close around the next day of Diwali. This period is called the Char Dham Yatra Season.

During the Char Dham Yatra season, you can also visit Badrinath Temple, Kedarnath Temple, and Yamunotri Temple.
 
The weather and climate during the yatra season are very pleasant and the temperature remains below 20 degrees Celcius.

Weather in Gangotri Dham

gangotri temple during winters
 
All the temples of the Char Dham Yatra are located at high elevations in Uttarakhand. And hence, it is normally cold weather in Gangotri in winter. Moreover, the Kapat (doors) of the temples close during the winter season.
 
Thus, the Char Dham yatra is carried out mostly during the summer months. From April to June when the weather is favorable for steep climbing and sightseeing tours. And also sometimes from late Sep to Nov, when the monsoon decreases and at the start of the winter season (autumn).
 

Gangotri Temperature Today

The temperature in Gangotri right now and this week’s weather forecast. GANGOTRI WEATHER Due to the very heavy snowfall, the Gangotri Temple remains closed for 6 months in the winter season and then opens in the summer season.

Places To Visit Near Gangotri Yatra 2024

  • Bhagirath Rock
  • Mukta Gufa (Pandavas Cave) Patangana
  • Gauri Kund
  • Kedarganga Sangam (Kedar-Tal)
  • Suryakund, (also known as Vishnu kund or Brahmakund)
  • Maharishi Jahnu Muni Ashram
  • Jumping Point, Bhairon Jhap (प्राणोत्सर्ग स्थल, भैरोंझांप)
  • Vishwanath Temple
  • Gangotri Glacier
  • Tapovan
  • Gaumukh (Gomukh)

Pandavas Cave (Mukt Gufa, Patangana)

pandavas cave gufa in uttarkashi

On the left bank of Bhagirathi at a distance of about one kilometer from Gauri Kund, there is a natural flat plain covered with rocks, which is known as Patangana.

According to the belief, the Pandavas reached this place on the orders of Vyas ji to atone for the sin of killing a Cow, and With the help of sages, a great “Dev Yagya” was performed here and then they reached Kedarnath via the banks of Rudraganga.

And from there they proceeded towards the “Swargarohani mountain”.

Bhagirath Rock (Shila)

After descending the steps of the temple, there is a Bhagirath rock on the right bank of Bhagirathi.

It is believed that King Bhagirath meditated deeply with Goddess Ganga, asking her to descend to earth from heaven to provide salvation to the ashes of his ancestors who were cursed by Sage Kapil.

Now religious acts like Pind Daan are performed at this place. 

Gauri Kund in Gangotri (Uttarkashi)

At some distance from the Gangotri temple, in the western direction of Bhagirathi, there is a pool made of the waterfall, which is known as Gori Kund.

The protruding part of the rock in this pool is called the natural Shivling. It is believed that Goddess Maa Gori did penance at this place to attain Lord Shiva.

Maharishi Jahnu Muni Ashram in Gangotri

Harsil on Gangotri Marg, after Tharali there is an ashram of Maharishi Jahnu Muni on the banks of the Jarganga at a place called Jangala.

According to Chapter 37 of Kedarkhand, when the Ganga reached the best among the sages, the ashram of Jahnu Muni, Goddes River Ganga started flowing the worship material of Jahnu Muni. 

Seeing that action of River Ganga, the best among the sages “Jahnu Muni” got angry and took Ganga in his hand and drank the whole Ganga. Seeing this great surprise, King Bhagirath became very sad and went to the ashram of Jahnu Muni and started requesting and praying to release Goddess Ganga.

Satisfied with the request, Jahnu released Ganga from his knee and said that Ganga would now be known as my Papanashini daughter Jhanvi.