Chardham 1 – Yamunotri

For a devout Hindu, visiting the 4 shrines of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri is a must in his lifetime. Located in the upper echelons of Uttaranchal, amongst highly inhospitable terrain, it needs a 15 day tour which can tax your health by the time it ends

The start of the journey from Sayana Chatti

The region abounds in some of the most scenic views such as these

Yamunotri lies on the 1^st lap of this Yatra. The source of the river Yamuna is about 3200 meters above sea level amidst extreme harsh climate, surrounded by mountains and dense vegetation. The area being prone to landslides, our driver remarked that his focus was not only what lay ahead on the road but also occasionally what was tumbling down from the mountains on the vehicles sides. Our journey started from Sayana Chatti, around 21km distance from here. The roads are highly inhospitable, broken down by the incessant rain and landslides. So you need to wake up early morning for a visit, more so as the heavy traffic on its narrow roads can sometimes end your journey before it even begins. We had some luck on our side and managed to reach the place well within time.

The shrine enveloped in a thick fog

The place is typically shrouded in thick fog and visibility is restricted to a few 100 meters. The shivering cold makes it very difficult to hold your camera so photography here can sometimes be a challenge and taking a good scenic shot of the temple more so

The Cobra flower is seen amongst the crevices

Besides a visit to the temple, another attraction here is a hot water spring located within the premises of the temple itself. Devotees are allowed to cook Rice and even Potatoes as offerings to the Goddess which can then be carried back home. One thankful note here is that it has not been impacted by religious tourism like most of the other prominent sites in India so you may typically not be hassled by beggars and shopkeepers

More scenic views on the return journey