Yamunotri Yatra
Posted On January 18, 2012
The Chardham Yatra tour has the Yamunotri Yatra which totally mesmerizes the pilgrim who comes here seeking the blessings of the Lord. The background of the Himalayas against this absolutely pious site located in the Garhwal Mountains of the region of Uttarkashi, is an absolute delight for all pilgrims coming to this part of India. Perched on the edge of a peak called the Bandar Poonch the Yamunotri pilgrim site is located at a height of around 10, 805 ft. A greatly fascinating pilgrim site, this is one of the most important destinations of the Char Dham Yatra in the Himalayan region.
The source of the River Yamuna, which comes from the Champasar Glacier located in the Kalinda Parvat at a height of around 14,502 ft, the Yamunotri Yatra includes the pilgrimage to this Goddess Yamuna temple and the walk around the thermal springs in Jankichatti. Pilgrims like to take a bath here which lies near the temple and it totally refreshes them after the 13 km trek from hanuman Chatti. Then there is the Surya Kund where the waters are used for cooking, and also the rock pillar Divya Shila which is another revered spot in Yamunotri Yatra.
Legend has it that Yamuna who is the consort of Lord Krishna, went round her Lord before coming down to earth. As she crossed the Mount Kalind she came to be known as Kalindi and then she came to the Khandav Vana plains which is present day Delhi.
Yamuna and the God of Death Yama are siblings and they are the children of the Sun God Surya. So it is considered that anyone taking a dip in the YamunaWaters would be spared a difficult death.
The Yamunotri Shrine is located opposite to the direction of the Gangotri. Yamunotri is also visited from Barkot and Mussorie. Located at a great height of around 3235 metres, the Yamunotri pilgrimage is believed to be the toughest and the most difficult.
Lying on the left bank of the River Yamuna, the Yamunotri temple is believed to have built sometime in the year 1923 but got destroyed in an earthquake. It was reconstructed but was again damaged in 1982. Today the temple has Goddess Yamuna as the presiding deity and is represented in a silver idol and there is an image of her brother Yama also.
The thermal springs near the temple flow into innumerable pools of water. Out of these the most revered is the Surya Kund. This is where the deity’s Prasad is made. The Prasad is an offering of potatoes and rice and is tied in cloth bags and dipped in this thermal spring. The Surya Kund is believed to have lot of remedial powers and is as hot as around 190degrees Fahrenheit. The pool is named after the Sun god Surya.
Yamunotri temple is closed from November to April. Ideal time to set out on a pilgrimage here is from may to June and from September to October.
The nearest airport is Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun and Dehradun is the nearest railhead.
Yamunotri is the shrine that is the westernmost in the Garhwal Himalayas. The approach to this shrine is believed to be very difficult and the pilgrims throng to see this deity in black marble. The Yamuna like the Ganga occupies the Mother status amongst the Hindus and is actually believed to support civilization and nurturing. The priests of this temple come from the nearby villages of Jankichatti and Kharsali. They are the ones administering the place and also perform the rites.
