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Gangotri Glacier
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Gangotri Glacier is the source of river Ganga or Ganges. This glacier is one of the largest glaciers of the Himalayas. The estimated volume of Gangotri Glacier is about 27 cubic kilometers. It is nearly 30 kilometers or 19 miles long and 2 to 4 kilometer, which is about 1 to 2 miles in width. The location of Gangotri Glacier is in Uttarkashi District in Uttarakhand. This region of India is bordering China.
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The peaks of Gangotri Group, including the source of Himalayas, Gaumukh or Goumukh is located around the Gangotri Glacier. Some of these peaks are notable for their extremely challenging routes of climbing like, Thalay Sagar, Shivling, Bhagirathi III and Meru. It is flowing roughly towards northwest, which originates in a cirque, an amphitheater like valley or valley head which is formed by the erosion of a glacier. This cirque is located below Chaukhamba, which is the highest peak of the Gangotri Group.
The end of the Gangotri Glacier is known as Gaumukh or Goumukh, which is like a cow's mouth, responsible for the name as Goumukh. 'Gou' means cow and 'mukh' means face. It is the source of Bhagirathi river, which is an important tributary of the river Ganges. Goumukh is at the base of Shivling. Tapovan meadow lies in between Goumukh and the Shivling mountains.
Gangotri Glacier is an important pilgrimage site of the Hindus, and they visit this place while visiting Gangotri Chardham. The devoting Hindus consider the bathing in the icy waters near the Gangotri town, as a holy ritual. Many tourists trek to Tapovan from Goumukh.
The tributaries of Gangotri Glacier are Chaturangi, Raktvarn and Kirti, along with some smaller tributary glaciers. The retreat of Gangotri Glacier has quickened in a significant manner in recent times.
To know more about pilgrimage and tourist destinations at Gangotri, keep browsing gangotri-chardham.com
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