Yamunotri Dham

About Yamunotri Dham:

• It is a part of Char Dham (along with Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath), the four mostrevered Hindu pilgrimages in the Himalayas. 
• It is situated at an altitude of 3,293 metres (10,804 ft) in the Garhwal Himalayas in District Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand. 
• It is surrounded by mountains on all sides and lies in close proximity of the Indo-China border.
• River Yamuna, the second most sacred river of India after the Ganges, originates in Yamunotri.
• The small mountain hamlet, with the Yamunotri Temple at its centre, is the commencing point of the Char Dham Yatra pilgrimage, which proceeds from Yamunotri to Gangotri and finally to Kedarnath and Badrinath. 
• Lodged in a narrow gorge, close to the source of the Yamuna, the Yamunotri Temple is dedicated to Yamuna.

Key Facts about Yamuna River:

• Yamuna River (also known as Jumna), is the major tributary of the Ganges River.
• Origin: It rises in the high Himalaya, in the Yamunotri Glacier, at the height of 4,421 meters. 
• Course: 
  • The 1,376 km long Yamuna flows solely through India, crossing three states: Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
  • After rising in the high Himalayas, it flows in a southerly direction swiftly through the Himalayan foothills and, exiting Uttarakhand, on to the Indo-Gangetic Plain,along the border between Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana state to the west.
  • The Eastern and Western Yamuna canals are fed from the river at that point.
  • The Yamuna then passes Delhi, where it feeds the Agra Canal.
  • South of Delhi, and now wholly within Uttar Pradesh, it turns southeastward.
  • Near Prayagraj (Allahabad), after a course of about 855 miles (1,376 km), the Yamuna joins the Ganges River.
  • The confluence of the two rivers is an especially sacred place to Hindus and is the site of annual festivals as well as the Kumbh Mela, which is held every 12 years.
• Tributaries:
  • Near Dehradun, the capital city of Uttarakhand, the Yamuna is joined by its biggest tributary, the Tons River.
  • The Chambal River is Yamuna’s biggest tributary on the right.
  • Other important tributaries of the Yamuna include the Hindon, Sarda, and Giri rivers on the right and Betwa and Sindh on the left.

Q1: Which are the major tributaries of the Ganges River?

Tributaries of Ganga include Ramganga, Gomti, Ghaghara, Gandak, Kosi and Mahananda from the left bank and Yamuna, Tamsa, Son and Punpun from the right bank.

Source: Structures near Yamunotri Dham area damaged after river swells due to heavy rain