A waterfall seen en route Yamunotri Temple in Uttarakhand, India.

Amongst the most famous and pious pilgrim spots is the Yamunotri, situated in the midst of the beautiful and majestic Himalayas. Visitors say that the beauty of this shrine is breathtaking, irrespective of the number of times they have visited it. Hindus from all over the country travel here to pay homage to the origin of the River Yamuna that is in the opposite direction of the River Ganga. It has been said that this region is so calm and peaceful that there have been cases of foreigners travelling across the world to see it. Unlike the Gangotri, the glacier of this river is very difficult to reach. Due to this reason, Yamuna is worshiped as a deity at the foothills where the devotees take a dip the holy water to cleanse their souls. Situated 3150m above sea level, a Yamunotri 'yatra' rids you of all the worries and ensures a feeling of divine tranquility.

The temple at Yamunotri is dedicated to Goddess Yamuna, who is believed to be the mother of humankind, providing them with rich nourishment. Yamuna is also one of the major rivers of India; the part of the three sister rivers that include Ganga and Saraswati too. The temple at Yamunotri was built by Tehri Naresh Sudarshan Shah in 1839, but was severely damaged by an earthquake. In the late 19th century, it was rebuilt by Maharani Gularia of Jaipur. As the story goes, Yamuna is considered the daughter of the Sun (Surya) and Sangya (Goddess of perception) and the sister of Yamraj (God of death). It is for this reason that the importance this river holds good among the Hindus. Asit Muni, a sage, is said to have made this place his abode since he bathed, everyday, in rivers Ganga and Yamuna. It is even believed that during his last days, when he could not travel to the Ganga from Yamuna, a stream of the Ganges originated nearby so that he could continue his rituals.

Source : http://religions.iloveindia.com

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