Yamunotri

Tucked into a steep, forested fold of the Garhwal Himalaya, Yamunotri is the westernmost and first stop of the traditional Char Dham circuit, dedicated to the goddess Yamuna — sister of Yama, the lord of death, and one of the most venerated river deities of north India. Pilgrims believe a dip in her waters and worship at her source frees the devout from a painful death, lending the shrine a deeply emotional pull.

The temple itself perches at about 3,293 metres beneath the towering Bandarpunch massif, and reaching it is part of the experience: a steep ascent of roughly six kilometres from Janki Chatti, climbed on foot, on pony-back or by palki. The effort sharpens the sense of arrival when the small temple, rebuilt several times after damage from the elements, finally comes into view.

What makes Yamunotri unique are the thermal springs that bubble up beside the shrine. At Surya Kund, the water runs hot enough that pilgrims tie rice and potatoes in cloth and lower them in to cook as sanctified prasad, while the rock pillar of Divya Shila is worshipped before entering the temple. Surrounded by snow-streaked peaks and the rush of the infant Yamuna, it is a place where ritual, landscape and legend are woven tightly together.

Open from around late April/May to October/November. May–June and September–October are best; the shrine closes through winter due to snow.