Other Places to Visit In and Around Gangotri

Day 2 – Uttarkashi-Gangnani-GANGOTRI-Bhaironghati-Harsil-Bhatwari-Uttarkashi

Part II ... Contd (Gangotri)

Suryakund Waterfalls and Gaurikund

After taking the darshan of Maa Ganga at the Gangotri Temple, we visited the spectacular Surya Kund Waterfall. One has to cross an iron bridge to have a clear view of the magnificent falls. On one side of the bridge lies the Surya Kund and on the other side lies the Gauri Kund.

The beautiful bridge across which is located the Surya Kund
The beautiful bridge across which is located the Surya Kund

Magnificient Surya Kund waterfall at Gangotri
Surya Kund waterfall at Gangotri, as seen from the bridge

Gauri Kund at Gangotri
Gauri Kund situated on the other side of the bridge

The thundering milky white water bellowing down and the resulting froth that ensued made for an extremely pretty sight… What made it even more beautiful was the tiny little rainbow that had formed on the water by the sun’s rays!! Enlarge the pic to get a clear view of it!

Magnificient Surya Kund waterfall at Gangotri
Magnificient Surya Kund waterfall at Gangotri

The beautiful smooth curves of the rocks implied that in the summers and the rainy season the water must be falling from the top of the cliff... what an astounding sight it would be then!!

Char Dham - Gangotri
View from the bridge

Some of the places which are definitely worth mentioning here and which I could not get a chance to visit this time around are:-

Natural Shivling

There is also a Shivling which is submerged in the river here. This natural rock Shivling is the place where Lord Shiva sat when he received the River Ganga in his matted locks. It is visible only in the winter months when the water level decreases.

Pandav Gufa

There is also the Pandav Gufa (cave) which is a 1.5 km trek from Gangotri. This is the place where the Pandavas are believed to have meditated on their way to the Kailash. The entire trek and the place around the cave is said to be very beautiful, full of natural splendor.

Gangotri is also a place from where numerous treks start. These places include –

Gaumukh Glacier

The Gaumukh glacier is the source of the Bhagirathi (Ganga) river and it is held in high esteem by the devotees who do not miss the opportunity to have a holy dip in the bone chilling icy water. The 18 km distance from Gangotri has to be covered on foot. There is a Tourist Bungalow at Bhojbasa, 14 km from Gangotri where lodging and other facilities are available. Extremely magnificent panoramic views of the Bhagirathi peaks are visible during this trek.

Gaumukh - The origin of River Ganga near Gangotri
Gaumukh - The origin of River Ganga near Gangotri,
(image courtesy Google images)

Bhagirathi peaks Gaumukh, trek from Gangotri
Bhagirathi peaks, Gaumukh
(image courtesy Google Picasa)

Nandanvan Tapovan

A trek across the Gangotri glacier leads you to these two places. An ardous trek of 6 km from Gaumukh is worth the view it offers – the surrounding Shivling peak and beautiful meadows that surround its base.

Shivling Peak, Trek to Nandanvan and Tapovan from Gangotri
The Awesome sight of the Shivling Peak, 
(image courtesy Google Picasa)


Kedartal

An enchanting lake at a distance of 18 km from Gangotri situated at an elevation of 4425 feet above the sea level against the majestic Thalaiyasagar peak in the background. The trekking route is rough and requires a local guide.


Kedartal in the Himalayas, Gangotri trekking
Kedartal in the Himalayas,

Post a Comment

44 Comments

  1. wow! want to do it someday...
    excellent images and information

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow! Exotic images...loved the Surya Kund waterfall especially

    ReplyDelete
  3. amazing pics arti:) keep it up!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. What an amazing landscape Arti! I so hope to visit Indis one day, but it must be a trip with enough time to see a lot. Meanwhile, i enjoy travelling with you!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Amazing & beautiful place!! So peaceful!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Awesome pics... really cool place :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. 'The thundering milky white water' - you have such a wonderful way with words it really is such a pleasure to travel with you like this.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wonderful Arti! Will definitely get back to your blog posts when I plan to visit Himalayas..!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Lovely Photography Aarthi, loved the surya kund waterfall photo too good..lovely post as well:)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Gorgeous images and that waterfall is stunning.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Incredible, breathtaking place!! And your captures are superb, Arti, as always! Thanks for sharing the beauty and the information! Fantastic! Hope you have a great week! Enjoy!

    Sylvia

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wow wow wow! What gorgeous shots - such spectacular mountains!

    ReplyDelete
  13. The scenery here just takes my breath away Arti. Obviously a place you will want to go back to in the future -- so much to see there. Wonderful post.

    ReplyDelete
  14. the pics are simply superb. Wish I could do the yatra some day. for now, I'll be content with the excellent coverage on your blog. :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. marvelous photos... the suryakund waterfall is really awesome... particularly the rocks surrounding the falls... The pine trees and the origin of the ganga are also good...

    ReplyDelete
  16. Wow, beautiful clicks, its like paradise...amazing scenic beauty, thanks for sharing it with us:)

    ReplyDelete
  17. I LOVE those two close up pictures of the falls!!! Just spectacular!! And I did enlarge the picture to see the rainbow on the water, but I could also see it without enlarging. Those cliffs are so unusual looking, almost look man made, and the colors of them is pretty, as well. Actually, they match your new background, did you do that on purpose?

    ReplyDelete
  18. Mesmerized by the pic and description.

    ReplyDelete
  19. These are breathtaking photos. I thought its manmade coz it's so perfect esp the Surya Kund waterfall.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Your post reminded me of my places to visit list- loved the beautiful picture of Gaumukh..It i always a pleasure to visit your site :)

    US Masala

    ReplyDelete
  21. Beautiful post...and such gorgeous inspiring photos!Wonderful
    Victoria~

    ReplyDelete
  22. beautiful surya kund shot
    nice shots

    ReplyDelete
  23. That waterfall is just so amazing. I love your photos. Thank you for visiting my blog today.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Awesome place! Awesome shots! Awesome you! Keep up what you're doing cause you're doing great! Cheers! :)

    ReplyDelete
  25. Just awesome , interesting information .

    ReplyDelete
  26. Amazing pictures. you made me want to visit this place. TC~

    ReplyDelete
  27. wow! such a beautiful place specially kedartal,really wonderful :D

    ReplyDelete
  28. Arti, you have assembled a wonderful travelogue of photos here and make a compelling argument for visiting this land. The rock formations are beautiful with the waterfalls. A visit to the glacier would be fabulous albeit a long hike.

    Bises,
    Genie

    ReplyDelete
  29. Thanks for your kind comments on my blog. India is a wonderful country which I would love to visit one day.

    ReplyDelete
  30. The waterfall photos are amazing as are the mountain and lake shots! Terrific, as usual, Arti!

    ReplyDelete
  31. What a beautiful travelogue. I love the rocks and the waterfalls.

    ReplyDelete
  32. @ Petty Witter
    Thanks Tracy, coming from you... A master of words, this is a special compliment.

    ReplyDelete
  33. @ Ginny, Rizalenio
    It is not man made but natural made by the falling waters of the Ganges for so long!! And yes it is perfect, actually the level of water that you see here is much less, after all the snow melts the water falls from the top of the cliffs!!
    And also the color matches my background, nice observation Ginny... I did not do it on purpose!!!

    ReplyDelete
  34. Beautiful pictures indeed! Pretty enticing :)

    ReplyDelete
  35. Beautiful place. This is surely on my wish list.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Surya Kund, especially looks awesome...strangely smooth rocks!

    ReplyDelete
  37. Those are indeed great captures. The post makes a great reading trip!

    ReplyDelete
  38. Your pictures are always awesome Arti.. but these are the awesommest I have seen. Wow! Thoroughly enjoyed the blog. You are doing great work.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Hii Arti ,
    Great Article again.. :) I do the "Darshana" of all char dhams from your blog itself :)

    ReplyDelete
  40. Hey Arti....that is so informative
    Through your blog i have become so much informative about holy places and share this info with elders who much appreciate it

    http://fashionquotient.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  41. Hi Arti, beautiful blog again!

    ReplyDelete
  42. Hats off to the photographer and editor

    http://surgicalspace.webs.com
    http://www.propertymantar.com

    ReplyDelete
  43. In Pics, Nature comes alive.
    God bless.

    ReplyDelete

Delighted you stopped by... Your suggestions, feedback are really appreciated. Thanks a lot :) Hope you visit again!

If you have asked a question, please give me at least 2 days to reply back. Thank you :)