Uttarkashi

Uttarkashi is a town located in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is situated in the Garhwal region of the state and serves as the administrative headquarters of the Uttarkashi district. The town is known for its natural beauty, religious significance, and its role as a base for trekking and adventure activities in the Himalayas.

Uttarkashi is home to a number of ashrams and temples and also to the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering. The name of the town reflects its similarity to and location (as north of) the city of Kashi (Varanasi). Similar to Varanasi, town of Uttarkashi is situated on the Ganges, lies next to a hill named Varun Parvat, on confluence of two rivers Varuna and Asi, has a ghat called Manikarnika Ghat and has a temple dedicated to Shiva (Kashi Vishwanath) in the center of the town.

Vishwanath temple: Vishwanath temple is one of the oldest Shiva temples in Northern India. Re-constructed in 1857 by Maharani Khaneti Devi of Tehri State in the ancient architectural style. It is situated at the heart of the town. A massive iron trident, symbolic of divine mother’s, is erected and worshiped from time immemorial at the temple complex. Ganeshji, Sakshi Gopal, Markandeya Rishi’s small shrines are also part of the temple complex. Akhand Jyoti as well as Akhand Abhishek, special aarti at morning and evening are offered. As per Skunda Puran, Uttarkashi is known as ‘Saumya Varanasi’, the abode of Lord Shiva in Kaliyug and counted as one of the twelve Jyotirlingas.

Shakti temple: Right in front of the Vishwanath temple is Shakti temple. It has a big ‘Trishul’ of about 6 meters in height and a circumference of 90 cm. at bottom. Though there are different views about the making of this, the upper part of it seems to be made up of iron and the lower one is of copper. As per the epics this Shakti was thrown on the devils by the Goddess Durga (Shakti), hence it gets its name. Since then this Shakti is erected over here.

Weather - Generally hot in summer, the temperature ranges from 30-35 degree Celsius but nights is pleasant, Cold in winters.

Gangotri: Uttarkashi is a key stopover for travelers heading to Gangotri, which is one of the holiest shrines for Hindus. Gangotri is the source of the Ganges River and is about 100 kilometers from Uttarkashi.

Mountaineering and Adventure Institute: The Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) is located in Uttarkashi. NIM offers various courses related to mountaineering, adventure sports, and search and rescue operations. It is a renowned institution for training in these fields.