YAMUNOTRI

Area (sq. km): ? Altitude : 3323m Population : ? STD code : Distance : 175 km from Dehradun Traditionally the first of the Char-Dham of Uttarakhand, Yamunotri is the iconic source of the holy river Yamuna. However, the actual source of the river is the Champasar glacier near the Saptrishi Kund of the eastern face of the Bandarpoonch peak. In the year 1816 British Army officer and world famous lithographer Sir James Frazer depicted the 3 feet tall temple with a priest performing pooja. Later the temple was rebuilt by the Maharaja of Tehri Sudarshan Shah around the year 1850. The temple was damaged several times owing to heavy snow. It was finally rebuilt by Maharaja Pratap Shah of Tehri with a black stone image of Yamuna and a white marble image of Ganga both worshipped as goddesses. An interesting story leads to the descending of Yamuna on earth. According to the legend, Surya Dev married Vishwakarma's daughter Sangya but she couldn't bear the heat of Surya Dev while intimacy for long after giving birth to Yama and Yamuna. She produced her clone Chhaya who could bear the heat owing to her long and dense locks. Sangya asked Chhaya to keep the secret; Chhaya agreed to the condition that nobody ever dishonor her hair. One day Yama accidentally kicked Chhaya while playing; Chhaya cursed Yama of a rotten leg. Surya Dev got furious and grabed Chhaya with her hair and the secret was revealed as chhaya broke down. Yamuna, out of love for his brother, descended down to earth to do penance to bring her brother out of the curse. Yamuna did penance for years and got her brother Yama out of the curse. Yamuna was blessed by her brother Yama, the god of death, with the omen that her devotees would be barred from akalmrityu (untimely beath). The convention of Bhai-Dooj came into being ever since then. Hence, it is still a belief that a dip in Yamuna's holy water would exclude from akalmrityu. There are a few hot water spring around the wooden temple out of which Suryakund is the prime one which was offered by Surva Dev himself to his beloved daughter Yamuna as a help to endeavor the harsh cold environ of the Kalind Parvat, the base of the Yamunotri temple. Pilgrims today boil rice and potato tied in a piece of cloth by dipping in the boiling water which cooks within minutes to savor as Prasad. A black stone slab, Divya Shila, where a hot water spring shoots out is worshipped first of all as the origin of the holy Yamuna. Pilgrims also carry the holy water of Yamuna to offer to lord Krishna as Yamuna was one of the queen's of the lord. A small stream near the temple is worshipped as Ganga as according to the legends, sage Asit had his humble hermitage near the temple. The sage was such a devotee of both heavenly rivers Yamuna and Ganga that he would walk between the two every day to take divine bath in the holy waters of both. Over the period of time when he couldn't continue because of old age, it is said that Ganga herself appeared for her devotee near the temple. The temple opens for pilgrims on the auspicious occasion of Akshay Tritiya which fall around the last week of April to the first week of May. The closing down ceremony of the temple follows on Yama Dwitiya or on Bhai-Dooj, the second day of Diwali. The deity is then taken down to the village of Kharsali near Jankichhatti (2576m) the natives of which are the priests of the temple. The temple vicinity is then left by a complete hush with only sound of gently flowing Yamuna dripping from the ice snouts and rumbling through the pebbles. Yamunotri Route: Yamunotri can be reached both from Rishikesh via Dharasu and the beautiful pine forest of Rari Ka Danda (2286 m) and from Mussoorie via the Yamuna valley through Nowgaon (1524 m). Both the roads meet at Barkot. • Barkot: Barkot (1828 m) is an upcoming township and is the last market on the route to Yamunotri. The town is beautifully located amidst buck weed fields, vast valley sliding down to the crystal clear energetically flowing Yamuna and the grand panorama of the distinctively beautiful Bandarpoonch massif. The fields of Barkot are famous for its Rajma, potato, pea, plum, pear, apple, apricot and walnut. From Barkot onwards, the picturesque route cruises against the vibrantly gushing Yamuna. • Sayanachatti: The stopovers at the pilgrim route in Uttarakhand are known as Chatti. Sayanachatti (1982 m) is one such small village for night halt on the Yamunotri route 30 km from Barkot. There are few eating joints along the road which also provide shelter for the night for a reasonable price, however, there is one GMVN guest house a little secluded from the roadside. • Hanumanchatti: Next stopover en route 5 km from Sayanachatti is Hanumanchatti (2134 m) which had long been the motor road end and the last point for tit-bit shopping. This little hub remains quite busy during pilgrimage and trekking season as it is also the starting point for the round trek to Dharwadhar which leads to Dodital Lake. The Hanumanchatti GMVN guest house is serenely located on the banks of the Yamuna. The road head has now been extended till Jankichatti. • Phoolchhatti: A short drive from Hanumanchatti leads through Phoolchatti (2561 m), a nature's wonder with exotic wild flowers, which is a visual delight during spring through monsoon. A GMVN guest house is perched in tranquility. • Jankichatti: Another short drive on tricky route takes to Jankichatti (2567 m) which is the last motor able point. Jankichatti is the busiest chatti in the entire route as the pilgrims have to return the same day from Yamunotri due to the limitations of a night halt shelter. The 6 km trek to the shrine is bliss with gigantic mountains, tall alpine trees, exotic Himalayan flora and the soul strumming sound of the young and playful Yamuna. The route ahead Jankichatti is narrow and quite adventurous. Pony and daandi (palanquin) are available for the easy movers for which a prior booking is advisable. • Saptrishi Kund: The actual source of the Yamuna lies on the Kalinda Parvat above the shrine the approach towards which is through a tricky steep climb of about over 1000 meters. The devoted pilgrims take a dip in the Saptrishi Kund before worship at the temple below. The lake vicinity provides an excellent view of the towering mountain ranges and the enchanting meadows.