Gangotri, the source of the Ganga (Ganges) River and seat of the goddess Ganga, is one of the four sites in the Char Dham pilgrimage circuit. The Gangotri temple can be reached in one day's travel from Rishikesh, Haridwar or Dehra Duhn, or in two days from Yamunotri, the first site in the Char Dham circuit. More popular and important than its sister site to the east, Gangotri is also accessible directly by car and bus, meaning that it sees many more pilgrims than Yamunotri. A small village of guesthouses and restaurants serves the pilgrim community. Ritual duties are supervised by the Semwal family of pujaris. The aarti ceremony at the Gangotri is especially impressive, as is the temple, a stately affair that sits on the banks of the rushing Ganga (Ganges River). Adventurous pilgrims can make an overnight 17 km trek to Gaumukh, the actual current source of the Ganga.
Gangotri is also the name of a series of 3 mountain peaks around 6,600 m AMSL in the region between the Gangotri Glacier and the Khatling Glacier in Uttaranchal, India.
