Gangotri

So I went to Rishikesh, Uttarkashi and Gangotri after going to Haridwar. As a more structured way of posting let start where the Ganga starts - at Gangotri.

The bathing ghats, the white domes of the mandir and the colossal peaks of the mountains in the background. The entire town of Gangotri consists of one very commercialised street stradling across both banks. The other side to this bank is filled with accomodation places.

I was at the bathing ghats at 7am, collecting some Ganga Jal (the water), and just dipping your hands in for 2 seconds was sufficient enough to make it turn blue. But I tried holding the canister for 10 secs only for the container to half fill. Out of nowhere this pandit-sannyasi comes along, does his pranaam and starts pouring water over himself with a container. In a perfect exectution of separating the mind and body he just continued through the cold, towelled himself, and continued on with no fuss. Was breath taking to watch.



Here's that money making street...

The Shiv peak at 4:55am, still covered in snow, in May, pointing to what I think is the Morning Star? Or is that just a myth?

The might Suraj Kund. Its quite amazing actually, when you sit and watch the force of the Ganga. If you were to fall in here, it would be all over, I'm afraid to say...actually the rage is that intense, that at night I thought someone had turned on some electric motor, but after a while it clicked...
And finally, the mandir itself. I found it a bit uninspiring, preferring a view of the Ganga from the bathing ghats...