Gomukh

Gomukh — the 'cow's mouth' — is the awe-inspiring snout of the Gangotri Glacier and the true physical source of the Bhagirathi, the headstream of the holy Ganga. Here, from a great cavern of ice at the foot of the glacier, the river emerges grey and roaring into the world, a sight of profound spiritual and natural significance.

Reaching Gomukh is a serious high-altitude undertaking: a trek of roughly 18–19 kilometres from Gangotri through the protected wilderness of Gangotri National Park, ascending past the meadow of Bhojwasa beneath the soaring spires of the Bhagirathi peaks and the perfect pyramid of Shivling.

For pilgrims it is the ultimate object of the Gangotri yatra — to stand at the very source of the Ganga — and for trekkers it is a gateway to the high meadow of Tapovan beyond. The fragile glacier, sadly receding over the years, lends the journey an added poignancy and a sense of witnessing something sacred and impermanent.

May–June and September–October, when the trail is open and clear. The route is snowbound in winter and risky in the monsoon.