Gangotri Glacier

Gangotri Glacier is located in Uttarkashi District Uttarakhand, India in a region bordering China. The glacier is about 30 kilometres long and 2 to 4 km wide. Around the glacier are the peaks like Shivling, Thalay Sagar, Meru, and Bhagirathi III. It flows roughly northwest, originating in a cirque below Chaukhamba, the highest peak of the group.

The terminus of the Gangotri Glacier is said to resemble a cow's mouth, and the place is called Goumukh (gou, cow + mukh, face). Goumukh, which is about 18 km from the town of Gangotri, is the precise source of the Bhagirathi river, an important tributary of the Ganga. Goumukh is situated near the base of Shivling; in between lies the Tapovan meadow.

The Gangotri glacier is a traditional Hindu pilgrimage site. Devout Hindus consider bathing in the icy waters near Gangotri town to be a holy ritual, and many make the trek to Goumukh and Tapovan.

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• Gangotri
• ganges
• ganga
• uttaranchal
• glacier