Rishikesh is exceptionally well known for its spiritual and yogic activities. It is only 22kms distance from the Hardwar Railway station. From Rishikesh, Lxman Jhula, the Kailash Sangam is only a five minutes walking distance. It is on the Badrinath Road and just before Hotel Narayana Palace.
GANGOTRI Couched in the magnificent Garhwal hills, Kailash Sangam Yoga Institute is at an altitude of 3048 meters above sea level at Gangotri, in the Himalayas. It is approximately 300 km from Dehradun, 250 km from Rishikesh and 105 km from Uttarkashi. The summers are relatively cool and winters are freezing cold, with rains in the months of July and August. For the devotees and tourists, the gates of the temple are open only in the months of May to November.
The base towns for Gangotri are Rishikesh / Dehradun, which are 225 kms from Delhi and are well connected by road and train services. Airport is also 20kms away from Rishikesh that is a very short distance. To start shortly, on way to Gangotri from Rishikesh the following important sites are worth visiting:-
From Rishikesh to Uttarkashi-150kms: Uttarkashi , meaning Kashi of the north, is a holy town in Uttarakhand, India. It is the district headquarter of Uttarkashi district. Uttarkashi is situated on the banks of river Bhagirathi at an altitude of 1352 m above sea level. It is famous for its Vishwanath temple, Sakti temple and Nehru Institute of Mountaineering.
Uttarkashi to Harsil (Indian Military Base Camp): The sleepy valley of Harsil is still an unexplored and less known destination. Wake up with the chirping of birds, aroma of the breeze and watch the crimson rays of the sun paint this little hamlet. Revivify your soul by spending some time with nature at Harsil. Listen the gushing sound of the river, talk to your soul and indulge yourself in the celestial beauteousness of Harsil.
Harsil to Gangotri-22 kms: Gangotri Temple , the origin of the River Ganges and seat of the goddess Ganga, is one of the four sites in the Char Dham pilgrimage circuit. The river is called Bhagirathi at the source and acquires the name Ganga (Ganges) from Devprayag onwards where it meets the Alaknanda.In Gangotri, you can watch Surya Kund, Gauri Kund, Kedar Ganga and many miracles that are more natural.
Gomukh is origin place of river ganga . It is said there that searching a lost sheep a shepherd boy reached near a glacier in Gangotri, the snout of which exactly looked like the mouth of a cow, and thus it got its name 'Gomukh'. From then many saints, holy travellers, as well as religious people went there to worship the place.Gomukh is a trek of 18 kms through Himalyan mountain range at a height of 12,760 ft.
The Gangotri Group of mountains is a subdivision of the Garhwal Himalaya in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand. It rings the Gangotri Glacier, and contains peaks number of peaks like Shivling, Tapovan,bhagirathi Peak, Sundervan and Kedartaal are notable either for their religious significance to Hindus, for their difficult climbing routes, or both.