Yamunotri Tourist Guide- India's Most Famous Char Dham

Destination & Source Of  River Yamuna

Yamunotri Coordinates:    31°1′0.12″N 78°27′0″E
Yamunotri Temple Altitude : 3235 meters
Altitude of source of river Yamuna : 4,421 metres (14,505 ft) approximately
State : Uttrakhand
Country : India

Yamunotri Travel Guide: Overview

Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath are the four major shrines that constitute the Char Dham. Among all these shrines, Yamunotri is the first pilgrimage shrine of the Char Dham Yatra in the Garhwal Himalayas.

Yamunotri is the westernmost shrine in the region, dominated by the Banderpunch. Yamunotri Temple is situated at a height of 3235 meters in the western region of the Garhwal Himalayas. Yamunotri is the source of the river Yamuna, the twin sister of Yama, the Yamunotri Uttaranchal Lord of Death. Anyone who bathes in her waters will be spared a tortuous death.

What is unique in Yamunotri and why?

The sacred shrine of Yamunotri is located at top of Bandar Poonch Parvat. The chief attraction at Yamunotri is the temple to the Goddess Yamuna and the holy thermal springs at Janki Chatti (7 km. Away). The actual source of holy yamunotri is a frozen lake of ice and glacier known as Champasar Glacier which located on the Kalind Mountain at a height of 4,421 m above sea level. About 1 km further up, is not frequented generally as it is not accessible; hence the shrine has been located on the foot of the hill. The approach is extremely difficult and pilgrims therefore offer worship at the temple itself which made this destination so amazing and unique in the world.

Why you must visit Yamunotri

Yamunotri is the place where pilgrims seek the blessings of Yamuna, who is the sister of Yama, the God of death. This place is naturally bestowed with abundant beauty and charm and one of the holiest places of the Hindu.

Yamunotri Yatra is more than just a trek tour and that also being famed for thermal springs and glaciers as one of the most important stopovers on the itinerary of the Hindu pilgrims. Forests and lakes around the yamunotri offer a perfect platform for various recreational and adventure activities such as trekking, bird watching, nature walk, angling and boating. Yamunotri proffers picturesque surroundings with the awesome shrubs, lush meadows and gushing cascades and has unbelievably scenic beauty. Walking trails beside the gushing streams presents some of the spectacular moments that one could never forget.

Uttarakhand language

The people of Uttarakhand speak many languages. The main languages of Uttarakhand are the following:

Garhwali: Garhwali language is mainly a hilly dialect that originated from Hindi. The Pahari language is known as the language from where Garhwali originated. The Garhwali language is spoken by many people in the state of Uttarakhand. Almost all people who can speak and understand Garhwali can speak and understand Hindi too. However, this is one of the dialects which is shrinking very rapidly and becoming 'out of fashion'.

Kumaoni: The Kumaoni language forms the main subgroup of the Pahari language. It is one of the 325 recognized Indian languages, and is spoken by a majority of people in Uttarakhand. For example, central Kumaoni is spoken in Almora and northern Nainital, north-eastern Kumaoni in Pithoragarh, south-eastern Kumaoni in south-eastern Nainital, etc.

Hindi and English : These languages are also use by the people of Uttarakhand.

Origin of river yamuna

Mythological History: According to legend, the Yamuna is the daughter of Surya and Sharanyu and the twin sister of Yama, the god of Death. It is said that Sharanyu, unable to bear the lustre of the quivering Surya, closed her eyes upon which he cursed her. It was then that Yamuna was born. The Yamuna is thus also known as the quivering river.

Origin of Yamuna: The holy Yamuna River begins from Yamunotri, which is north of Haridwar in the Himalayas Mountains. Yamunotri, which is north of Haridwar in the Himalayas Mountains. Basically the source of the Yamuna is Saptarishi Kund, a glacial lake.

Yamuna River

Yamunotri is the originating point of holy Yamuna River. It is located at an elevation of about 10800 feet. A trail of around 1,000 meters from Yamunotri takes the tourists to the original source of Yamuna River One of the Char Dham in Uttarakhand, Yamunotri is a place in order to seek the blessings of Yamuna and save themselves from the agony of death, as Devi Yamuna is sister of Yama, the God of Death.

Yamuna is considered more pious than Ganga because it was here that Krishna played and swam. One who takes bath in the river Yamuna is freed from all past sins and contamination of this material world. That person will also gradually become a pure devotee and achieve liberation

Climate of Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand is a part of the Greater Himalayan ranges and is covered by beautiful Himalayan peaks and glaciers. Two very important and holy rivers of India, the Ganga and Yamuna start their journey from here. Mainly have two different climatic regions, namely, the hilly terrain and the smaller plain region. So, the climate is also quite varied, depending on the particular place

Winters: The winters in the middle Himalayan valleys are very cold and in the higher areas the temperature can drop below the freezing point. The Himalayan peaks remain snow capped throughout the year and many places receive regular snowfall. Throughout the state the temperature ranges from sub-zero to 15°C and the season lasts from November to February.

Summers: Summers in the plain region of Uttarakhand have similar climate as other surrounding plain regions of different states i.e.  The maximum temperature can cross the 40°C mark and there can be considerable humidity. Warm temperate conditions prevail in the Middle Himalayan valleys with temperature around 25°C making it an idle getaway for people of the plains to beat the heat. However, in the higher areas of middle Himalayas the temperature is around 15 to 18°C, still pleasant.  The season extends from April to June.

Monsoon: The monsoon is the most pleasant season when temperature differs from 15 to 25°C at most places which reigns from July to September. The state receives 90% of its annual rainfall in this season.  The eastern parts of Himalayas are subjected to heavier rainfalls when westerns are relatively drier.  

Yamunotri Weather

Yamunotri in winters: Winter season starts from November to April, and the weather is freezing cold with heavy snowfall. Snowfall can be enjoyed during winters, especially from end of November till mid of March. Yamunotri temple is closed during this period. Only pro-trekkers and mountaineers visit the area for various trekking expeditions near Yamunotri.

Yamunotri in summers: The summers in Yamunotri are cool and winters are very cold, with rains in the months of May and June. The gates of Yamunotri temple open during the start of summers. The weather is pleasant with observed maximum temperature around 20°C and can get very cold at night. This is the best season for pilgrimage and sightseeing trips.

Yamunotri in Monsoons: Monsoons in Yamunotri region starts from late July to August, and it makes difficult to reach the temple due to various landslides. Pilgrims are suggested to avoid travel during monsoon season. Due to heavy rainfall in the area, visitors may face difficulty reaching the temple during monsoon season (late July to August).

About BanderPunch Mountain and Source of YamunotriRiver

Bandarpunch (or Bandarpoonch) is a major peak of the Garhwal division of the Himalayas, in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It literally means "Tail of the monkey" or "Tail of Hanuman" in Hindi. It's a twin peak: Bandarpunch-I (6316m) & Bandarpunch-II (also known as white peak)(6102m). There is another peak called Kalanag (6387 m) or Black Peak.

Yamunotri, the source of the river Yamuna, is the western most shrine in the Garhwal Himalayas, located on a flank of the Bandarpunch peak .Bandarpunch Glacier is about 12 km long.The Bandarpoonch glacier feeds water to the Yamuna (Feeds Tons river - largest tributary of Yamuna) as well as the Ganges, a uniqueness among other glaciers.

Yamuna is also the daughter of Surya, the Sun. The Yamuna river originates from the Champasar galcier, lying 1 km ahead of the shrine, at an altitude of 4421 meters.The Yamunotri Temple is dedicated to the goddess Yamuna. This shrine attracts devotees in the large numbers from May to October. Various people visit the temple of Yamunotri either on foot or ponies.

Location of Yamunotri Temple 

The Yamunotri Temple is dedicated to the goddess Yamuna. This shrine attracts devotees in the large numbers from May to October. Various people visit the temple of Yamunotri either on foot or ponies.From Rishikesh, it is about 213 kms. journey by road to Hanumanchatti. To reach the temple you must trek from Hanuman Chatti for about 13 kms. The trek along the riverbank is exhilarating with the mountains rising up on each side.

Distance between Gangotri and Yamunotri

The total straight line distance between Gangotri and Yamunotri is 49 KM (kilometers) and 756.74 meters. The miles based distance from Gangotri to Yamunotri is 30.9 miles. This is a straight line distance and so most of the time the actual travel distance between Gangotri and Yamunotri may be higher or vary due to curvature of the road

 Hotel in Yamunotri

• Pavani Resort - 5.0 TA rating certified in excellance

• Yamuna Kinare Hotel, Yamunotri - 4.5 rating certified in excellance

• Yamunotri Resort Barkot - 4.5  rating certified in excellance

• The Chardham Camp Barkot - 4.0  rating  certified in excellance

• Hotel Hill Queen  - 3.5 rating certified in excellance

• Bhagirathi Palace Hotel, Yamunotri - 3.5  rating certified in excellance

• Hotel Krishna Palace, Yamunotri - 3.5  rating certified in excellance

Best Time to visit Yamunotri

The best time to visit Yamunotri is between May-June and September-November. Due to heavy rainfall in the area, visitors may face difficulty reaching the temple during monsoon season (late June to Aug). Tthe temple usually remains open from last week of April to 2nd week of November.

How to reach Yamunotri

Reach Yamunotri By Air :The closest airport (Jolly Grant, Dehradun) lies at a distance of 210 km from the town of Yamunotri. From India's capital city of Delhi, you can catch regular flights to the Jolly Grant Airport. After arriving at the airport, you can hire a cab to reach Yamunotri. The cab charges will be anywhere between Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,000.

Reach Yamunotri By Rail (By Train): If you want to travel by train, you can first reach the Dehradun railway station. The railway station is at 172 km from the town of Yamunotri. Once you are at the Dehradun Railway station, you'll find a good number of cabs ready to take you to Yamunotri. The charges for hiring a cab will be around Rs 3,000.

Reach Yamunotri By Road (By Bus): The sacred town of Yamunotri remains very well connected by road to all the key tourist places in Uttarakhand and outside. You'll find regular buses running to Hanuman Chatti (14 km from Yamunotri) from different places in the state. Rishikesh is at a distance of 213 km and Dehradun at 172 km from Yamunotri.

Famous pilgrimages

• The 10 Most Important Pilgrimages in India:

• Badrinath in uttarakhand

• Kedarnath in uttarakhand

• Gangotri in uttarakhand

• Yamunotri in uttarakhand

• Varanasi in Kashi 

• Haridwar in Rishikesh,

• Vaishno Devi in Jammu

• Tirumala Venkateswara in Tirupati

• Allahabad in Prayag

• Rameshwaram in Tamilnadu

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​Yamuna river pollution facts 

Yamuna flows through several big industrial cities like New Delhi, Mathura, Agra and other cities of states like Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. The poor condition of the holy river Yamuna has been brought by the negligence of humans.

Causes of pollution

• Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has dumped over 50,400 metric tons of debris in the riverbed.

• 10,000 metric tons of debris has been dumped at a site near Sarai Kale Khan on the western bank of Yamuna River.

•  About 500 factories exist and produce waste such as leather discharging chromium, cadmium and arsenic.

•  The poor sewage system, human settlements around the river and the agricultural waste are another reason of the polluted Yamuna River.

• The other cause of pollution are cattle washing, untreated waste either domestic or industrial and religious activities.

• New Delhi dumps about 58.9 percent of its waste into this river.

• Insecticides and pesticides are also the cause of pollution to the holy river.