Shri Yamunotri Temple

श्री यमुनोत्री मन्दिर

Location

Yamunotri, Uttarakhand

Darshan

06:00 – 21:00

Deity

🪔Goddess Yamuna (Yamuna Devi)

Entry

Free entry

Morning darshan: 06:00–12:00. Afternoon closure: 12:00–14:00. Evening darshan: 14:00–21:00. On Sundays: Opens at 05:30. No entry fee. Yatra E-Pass mandatory (free). Timings may extend during festivals and special occasions.

Temple open April–November only. Closed December–March; deity worshipped at Kharsali village (winter residence, ~8 km away) during winter months.

Yamunotri is the sacred source of the Yamuna River — India's second holiest river after the Ganges — and the seat of Goddess Yamuna in Hinduism. It is the first stop of the Uttarakhand Chota Char Dham pilgrimage circuit, where devotees begin their sacred journey. The Yamuna, daughter of the Sun god (Surya/Kalinda), is revered as a divine mother who cleanses sins; bathing in her waters or offering puja here is believed to free one from the cycle of death and rebirth.

History

The site has been a pilgrimage destination since antiquity; Sage Asita Muni had his hermitage here and is said to have bathed daily in both Ganga and Yamuna. The current temple was originally built in 1839 CE by Sudarshan Shah (King of Tehri Garhwal). After the structure was damaged by earthquakes and floods on multiple occasions, it was reconstructed in the late 19th century by Maharani Guleria (Gularia Devi) of Jaipur, who installed the iconic black marble idol of Goddess Yamuna. A further reconstruction was overseen by Maharaja Pratap Shah of Tehri Garhwal. The pujari duties are traditionally performed by the Uniyal family of priests, with priests also coming from Kharsali village each season. The temple has been damaged by natural disasters multiple times due to its remote high-altitude location.

Mythology

Goddess Yamuna (also called Yami or Sangya) is the daughter of Surya (Sun god) and the twin sister of Yama (god of death). Her source at the Champasar Glacier on Mount Kalinda — known as Kalinda Parvata (dedicated to her father Surya) — is why she is also called Kalindi. According to legend, Sage Asita could no longer travel to Gangotri in old age; miraculously, a stream of the Ganges appeared opposite the Yamunotri shrine to fulfill his daily ritual bathing in both rivers. Before entering the main temple, devotees must worship the Divya Shila (sacred rock pillar), believed to be a manifestation of Brahma, to receive the full benefit of their pilgrimage.