Hello friends, today we are going to give you information about the famous Dham “Yamunotri Dham” located in the state of Uttrakhand, If you want to know about the history of YamunotriDham, then read this post till the end!
The river Yamuna is the daughter of Sun God and sister of Yama, the god of death. It is said that whoever takes bath in Yamuna on the day of Bhaiyaduj. He gets freedom from Yamatras. There is also a law to worship Yama in this temple.
According to the Mahabharata, when the Pandavas came on pilgrimage to Uttarakhand. So he first proceeded to Yamunotri, then Gangotri, then towards Kedarnath, Badrinath, since then Char Dham Yatra is done in Uttarakhand. Every year the Chardham Yatra starts with Akshay Tritya. Gangotri the origin of the Ganga river and Yamunotri, the origin of the Yamuna river.
The 11th Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva, Badrinath Dham dedicated to Kedarnath and Lord Vishnu is located in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand. It is believed that in this holy Chardham Yatra, sins are eradicated by the sight of Lord Shiva and Vishnu after Ganga, Yamuna.
Yamunotri Temple is located in the west of the Garhwal Himalayas at an elevation of 3235 metres above sea level. It is naturally bestowed with abundant beauty and charm of Uttrakhand. The shrine of Yamunotridham, situated on the left bank of River Yamuna, was first built be Maharani Gularia of Jaipur in the early of 19th century. The temple was damaged during earthquakes and was rebuilt by Maharaja Pratap Shah of Tehri Garhwal, ruler of this region in the late 19th century. In this Temple come to worship Yamunaji and offer cooked potatoes and rice by special method
Story of Yamunotri
According to mythology, Yamuna River is the daughter of Surya and Yama, the god of death, is the son of Surya. According to a legend, when Mother Yamuna came to Earth, she did severe penance to free her brother from the curse of the shadow and free him from the curse.
Seeing the austerities of Yamuna, Yama was very happy and gave a boon, on saying this, Yamuna Devi volunteered with her brother Yama in a boon so that no one would have trouble drinking water on the earth and or water would benefit the people. It is said that he who bathes in the river Yamuna survives premature death and attains salvation
Best Time to visit
The summer season in Yamunotri lasts between the months of April and July, and the monsoon rainfall is less. During the winter, the region receives heavy snowfall and the temperature drops below zero. May-June and September-November are considered ideal for visiting Yamunotri.
How to reach in Yamunotri
By Air: No direct flights. The nearest Airport is Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun. Taxi and bus services are available to Barkot, Uttarkashi.
By Train: It has no own railway station but nearest stations are Rishikesh, Haridwar & Dehradun all have Railway Stations. Nearest rail –head from Yamunotri is Dehradun. You can take a bus/Taxi to reach Yamunotri.
By Road: The best route to reach here is through Barkot and Dehradun. After this, there is a bus journey from Dharasu towards Yamunotri to Barkot, then to Janaki Chatti. Yamunotri is reached by walking 6 kilometers from Janaki Chatti. From Janaki Chatti, one can reach the temple through Pittu, Mule or Palanki.
Apart from this, helicopter service can also be taken from here, which leaves Yamunotri and leaves Dehradun in a single day.
Visiting Places in Yamunotri
If you are planning to travel for one or two days in Yamunotri, then here you can visit many places that you do not forget to visit. It has different places to see for all kinds of tourist. While there are Saptrishi Kund, Yamunotri temple, Surya Kund, Divyashilla, Hanuman Chatti, for pilgrims there are trekking for adventure lovers in Chamba, Barkot, Kharsali.
1. Janki Chatti
Starting from Janaki Chatti, on the way to the temple, there is a fountain named Surya Kund, in which a natural source of hot water is made. This is the specialty here in this beautiful place, on one side is the cool water of the Yamuna river and on the other side there is a fountain of hot water.
2. Yamunotri Temple
Yamunotri Temple is located in the west of the Garhwal Himalayas at an elevation of 3235 meters above sea level. An idol of the Hindu goddess Yamuna with the Hindu god Yama is enshrined in the temple. Yama is considered the elder brother of the Hindu goddess Yamuna
3. Barkot
Barkot is a nagar panchayat located at an altitude of 1220 meters in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand, about 49 km from Yamunotritemple. Tourists can enjoy spectacular views of the Monkey Tail Mountain along with other peaks of the Himalayan mountain range from here. River Yamuna, lush green landscape and apple orchards on Yamunotri road are some of the other attractions that act as a stopover for tourists.
4. Kharsali
Kharsali village is located 1 km from Yamunotri. This place is located near Janaki Chatti and is famous for its natural beauty. There are many waterfalls and hot springs in this region, which hang on their lush green grasslands. Tourists also visit the three-storied ancient temple of Lord Shiva here. This temple is famous for its beautiful woodwork and stone carving.
5. Divyashilla
Divya Shila is a rock pillar located near the Yamunotri temple and Surya Kund. This sacred slab of stone is known as the ‘slab of divine light’. Devotees who come here as a ritual first worship this rock here.
6. Suryakund
Surya Kund is a hot water source, which is located close to Yamunotri. The water temperature has been recorded at 88 degrees. Potato and rice (put in a muslin cloth in the boiling water of the waterfall) are cooked in the hot water of the spring, which is offered to the deity in the form of ‘Prasad’, then it is distributed among the devotees.
7. Hanuman Chatti
At a distance of 13 km from Yamunotri is Hanuman Chatti, from where the Ganges and Yamuna rivers merge, the trek to Dodi Tal starts from here.
8. Saptrishi Kund
Saptrishi Kund is considered to be the origin of the river Yamuna. The Saptarishi Kunda is believed to be the origin of the Yamuna River at an altitude of 4421 meters. With its rare sight of dirty blue water, pebbles and Brahma lotus, Saptarshi becomes a wonderful sixth sight of the tank. Before traveling to Saptarshi Kund, it is necessary that you stay in Yamunotri one day to get familiar with the climatic conditions of this region.
Trekable Places
It is also has a tough trek for some amazing and adventurous people. Yamunotri can be reached via Yamuna Bridge and Barkot or via Rishikesh. Which are the trekking routes. Some popular and exciting treks you can do during your trip are: Dodi Tal Trek, Trek from Hanuman Chatti to Phool Chatti, Trek from Janaki Chatti to Kharsali.
