Yamunotri is one of the Char Dhams of Uttarakhand and is among the four pilgrimages which are considered to be very religious. It is the first of the Char Dhams and is situated towards the western most side. It is here that the shrine of Goddess Yamunotri is situated on top of the Banderpoonch peak, at about 6,135 metres above sea level. This peak is covered with snow almost all through the year. The temple is located on the foothills of Kalinda Parvata, close to a thermal spring.
The trek that leads up to Yamunotri is very tiring and it generally takes about 6 hours or more to reach to the top. The thermal springs located around the pilgrimage refreshes the pilgrims before they offer their prayer to the shrine. But, the original source of Yamunotri is a lake which is located about 12 kms. from Yamunotri. This lake is known as the Saptrishi Kund and is accessible only after a difficult trek. Since this place is quite hard to reach, hence, many pilgrims offer their prayers at the shrine.
The Yamunotri temple was built in the year 1839 by Tehri Naresh Sudarshan Shah. But, since this place is quite prone to earthquakes, it has been damaged several times during the past. The temple has undergone renovation a lot of times and has even been reconstructed as well. The temple houses an idol of Goddess Yamuna that is carved in beautiful black stone.
