The Ganga river feeds mainly from the Bhagirathi river, the river we walk along our Himalaya trek to Gaumukh - Tapovan.
Legend has it that the king Bhageeratha asked lord Brahma to bring down the Ganga river to earth to perform ceremonies for his ancestors.
Brahma asked the king to please lord Shiva, as only he would be able to break the Ganga's fall. Bhageeratha meditated for 5000 years and thus convinced Lord Shiva to send the river Ganges to earth. However, Lord Shiva was sure that if he sent Ganga to earth in full force, it would be split. For this reason, he channels Ganga through his head and via various tributaries to reduce the force and make it bearable for the earth. Shiva is therefore often depicted with blue hair symbolizing the rivers.
Gangotri was originally the end of the Gaumukh glacier, here was the source of the Bhagirathi River, the main source of the Ganges. The glacier, Gaumukh, has receded over the years, yet Gangotri is home to a particularly sacred temple, dedicated to Ganga.
Nowadays, you can reach the beginning point of the glacier only after walking about 17km. Gaumukh means cow's mouth. While in the past the opening of the glacier was only a narrow gap that actually resembled a cow's mouth, today it is a large gate made of ice that announces the end of the glacier's tongue.
Here, many believers fill water that they bring to their relatives and acquaintances at home, as it is said that a sip of this water heals even the terminally ill.
Come with us on the trek and explore the hiking to the source of Ganga river to the foot of sacred Mount Shivling.
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