Yamunotri

Yamunotri is a Hindu pilgrimage site in Uttarakhand, India, identified as the traditional source shrine of the Yamuna River and one of the Char Dham pilgrimage destinations. The site is the endpoint of a mountainous pilgrimage route and is visited for religious rites and to view the river’s headwaters.

The complex includes a small temple marking the spring and nearby geothermal hot springs where pilgrims boil rice and potatoes as offerings. The valley setting and the short, steep approach from the nearest road are characteristic features of the visit.

The temple complex has been rebuilt and repaired at different times; it functions primarily as a pilgrimage shrine rather than as a large historic monument. Pilgrim activity and seasonal services shape the site’s use and upkeep.

Yamunotri lies in the Garhwal Himalaya within Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand, in a high-altitude valley that is typically accessible by foot or mule track from lower roadheads during the warmer months.

• Seasonal access: The shrine is seasonally accessible and typically opens to pilgrims in late spring and closes before winter snows; access outside the pilgrimage season is often restricted by weather.
• Hot springs practice: Thermal springs at Surya Kund are used by visitors to boil offerings and food as part of the pilgrimage tradition at the source of the Yamuna River.

What to See #

• Yamunotri Temple: The small temple complex at the head of the valley marking the traditional source shrine of the Yamuna River; a focal point for pilgrims during the open season.
• Surya Kund: A nearby sulphur hot spring called Surya Kund where pilgrims traditionally cook rice and potatoes using the geothermal water.