Char Dham · First Dham
Yamunotri Dham — the complete guide
The source-shrine of the goddess Yamuna, and the traditional starting point of the Char Dham Yatra. History, 2026 dates, the darshan process, the trek from Janki Chatti, and how to plan it from Rishikesh.
- Elevation
- 3,293 m
- Deity
- Goddess Yamuna
- Trek
- 5–6 km each way
- From Rishikesh
- ≈210 km
Opening & closing dates
Follows the traditional tithis; the temple committee announces exact days on Basant Panchami. We confirm before you book.
20 April 2026
Monday · Akshaya Tritiya
The portal opens with a morning abhishek; the Char Dham Yatra traditionally begins here.
10 November 2026
Tuesday · Yama Dwitiya (Bhai Dooj)
The idol is carried in a doli to Kharsali village, the goddess's winter abode, where darshan continues through winter.
Yamunotri facts
- Elevation
- 3,293 m (10,804 ft)
- Presiding deity
- Goddess Yamuna (Yami)
- Location
- Uttarkashi district, Garhwal Himalaya
- River
- Source of the Yamuna — India's 2nd holiest river
- Trek
- ≈5–6 km from Janki Chatti roadhead
- Present temple
- 19th c. — Tehri Garhwal & Jaipur royals
- Dham order
- 1st of the four — visited before Gangotri
- Open season
- Late April to Bhai Dooj (Nov)
The shrine and its rebuilding
Yamunotri’s standing as a dham is traditionally traced to Adi Shankaracharya, the 8th-century philosopher credited with formalising the Char Dham circuit of the Garhwal Himalaya. Pilgrims have walked to the Yamuna’s source here for well over a thousand years.
The temple has never been an old stone monument — its high, avalanche-prone site has destroyed it repeatedly. The shrine pilgrims know today was built in the 19th century under the royal house of Tehri Garhwal, with later reconstruction associated with Maharani Gularia of Jaipur after weather and landslide damage.
It has been repaired and rebuilt several times since, most recently after storm and flood damage in recent decades. The sanctum enshrines a black-marble idol of Yamuna, with a silver idol of the Ganga beside her.
The actual glacial source of the Yamuna — the Champasar (Saptarishi Kund) glacier on Kalind Parvat — lies about 1 km higher and is reached only by a hard, unmarked climb, so most pilgrims worship at the temple and the hot springs instead.
The goddess Yamuna
Daughter of the Sun, sister of Death
Yamuna (Yami) is the daughter of Surya, the sun god, and his wife Sanjna, and the twin sister of Yama, the god of death. Because of this bond, the Yamuna is revered as a goddess who softens death rather than a river alone.
A bath that removes the fear of death
Yama is said to have promised his sister that anyone who bathes in her waters at Yamunotri will be spared a painful or untimely death and will not be tormented in his realm. Pilgrims bathe in Gauri Kund before darshan for this blessing.
The sage Asit Muni
The sage Asit Muni lived here and bathed daily in both the Ganga and the Yamuna. In old age he could no longer travel to Gangotri, so a stream of the Ganga is believed to have appeared opposite Yamunotri so he could continue his ritual.
Why the temple closes on Bhai Dooj
On Bhai Dooj, Yamuna welcomed her brother Yama for a meal and blessed him; the festival of siblings comes from this story. Fittingly, Yamunotri's portal closes each year on Yama Dwitiya (Bhai Dooj).
Surya Kund, Gauri Kund & the Divya Shila
Surya Kund
A near-boiling thermal spring beside the temple (around 88–90 °C). Pilgrims tie rice and potatoes in a cloth and dip it in the kund until cooked, then offer it to the goddess and carry it home as prasad.
Gauri Kund
A pool of warm, bathable spring water where pilgrims take a ritual dip before entering the temple for darshan.
Divya Shila
A revered rock pillar just before the temple. Devotees worship the Divya Shila first, then proceed to the sanctum of Yamuna.
The darshan process, step by step
- 1
Reach Janki Chatti
The motorable road ends here; the trek to the temple begins.
- 2
Trek 5–6 km
On foot, or by pony, palki or pithu — about 3–4 hours uphill.
- 3
Bathe at Gauri Kund
A ritual dip in the warm spring before darshan.
- 4
Cook prasad at Surya Kund
Rice and potatoes tied in cloth, cooked in the hot spring.
- 5
Worship the Divya Shila
The sacred rock pillar is honoured before entering.
- 6
Darshan of Yamuna
The black-marble idol of the goddess in the sanctum; morning and evening aarti.
Aarti & timings
- Portal opens for darshan around 6:00 AM with the morning abhishek and aarti.
- Bhog is offered at midday; the cloth-cooked Surya Kund prasad is offered here.
- Evening aarti is around 6:30–7:00 PM, after which the portal closes for the night.
- Exact timings shift with the season and daylight — allow a full day from Janki Chatti.
Offerings & rituals
- A ritual bath in Gauri Kund before entering the sanctum.
- Rice and potatoes cooked in Surya Kund, offered and taken home as prasad.
- Worship of the Divya Shila rock pillar before darshan of the idol.
- Priests here are traditionally from Kharsali village (the Uniyal family).
Janki Chatti to Yamunotri
The paved trail climbs about 5–6 km from the Janki Chatti roadhead, gaining roughly 1,000 m to the temple. Most people take 3–4 hours up and 2–3 down. It is the shortest Char Dham trek, but it is still a mountain climb at altitude — carry water, start early and pace yourself.
On foot
A paved 5–6 km path; take it slow for the altitude.
Pony / horse (ghoda)
Government-fixed rates, hired at Janki Chatti.
Palki (palanquin)
Carried by four porters — best for elders.
Pithu (porter)
A porter carries children or light pilgrims in a basket.
Pony, palki and pithu rates are fixed by the administration and displayed at Janki Chatti. A Kharsali–Yamunotri ropeway has been planned but is not yet operational — confirm current status before you rely on it.
How to reach Yamunotri from Rishikesh
By road — the usual drive
- 1
Rishikesh
Early start via Narendranagar and Chamba.
- 2
Barkot
≈150 km · the usual overnight halt in the Yamuna valley.
- 3
Janki Chatti
≈36 km further, via Syana Chatti and Hanuman Chatti — the roadhead.
- 4
Yamunotri temple
Final 5–6 km on foot, pony or palki.
By air
Dehradun (Jolly Grant) airport is ≈190 km from Janki Chatti. Helicopter charters also run from Dehradun’s Sahastradhara helipad to Kharsali in season.
By rail
Rishikesh, Haridwar and Dehradun are the nearest railheads; the road journey to Janki Chatti begins from there.
By road
≈210 km / 7–8 hrs from Rishikesh via Narendranagar, Chamba, Brahmakhal and Barkot. We drive you by car or Tempo Traveller with an overnight halt at Barkot.
Char Dham Yatra registration
Uttarakhand requires every pilgrim to register for the Char Dham Yatra before travelling. Registration is free, and the slip is checked at barriers on the Yamunotri route, so keep it and a photo ID on hand.
- Register online at the portal above, or on the “Tourist Care Uttarakhand” mobile app.
- Offline counters operate in Haridwar, Rishikesh, Barkot, Janki Chatti, Hina and other points on the route.
- Register each traveller with name, ID, dates and the shrines you plan to visit; you receive a QR registration slip.
- A health check / advisory may apply for the trek at altitude — carry prescriptions and any medication your doctor recommends.
We complete the registration for every traveller on trips booked with us.
Season, stays & what to pack
When to go
- May – June — Peak season
Warm days, portal freshly open, and the busiest crowds. Book stays and ponies well ahead. - July – August — Monsoon — avoid
Heavy rain, landslides and road blocks on the Yamunotri route. Travel only if you must, with buffer days. - September – October — Best for a calm trip
Post-monsoon skies are clear, the trail is quieter and temperatures are pleasant by day, cold at night.
Where to stay
- Barkot — the main overnight halt, ≈50 km out, with hotels and GMVN rest houses.
- Janki Chatti & Hanuman Chatti — simple lodges at the roadhead for an early trek start.
- Kharsali — near Barkot, with the Someshwar Mahadev temple and the winter shrine.
What to pack
- Warm layers and a windproof jacket — it is cold even in summer, near freezing at night
- A light raincoat or poncho and quick-dry clothes
- Broken-in trekking shoes with grip for the paved climb
- Original photo ID for Char Dham registration checks
- Personal medicines, a basic first-aid kit and any altitude medication your doctor advises
- Cash — ATMs are scarce beyond Barkot and card payments are unreliable
Yamunotri FAQs
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