All about Gomukh–the trip of a lifetime

Gomukh aka Gaumukh is the pout of Gangotri Glacier. It is located 18 km from Gangotri, at a height of 13200 ft above sea level, in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand in India. It is the source of Bhagirathi river, and is one of the holiest places for the Hindus though there is no temple here.

Gomukh finds significant mention in ancient Hindu texts. One of the legends has a boy, who, while searching for his lost sheep, reached close to a glacier in Gangotri. Interestingly, the snout of the glacier resembled the mouth of a cow, and he named it thus. It literally looks like a cow’s mouth until the heavy rains in the year 2016 affected its natural appearance.

Trekkers to Gomukh should have a permit from the District Forest Officer of Uttarkashi. The trail to Gomukh starts from Gangotri, which is about 18-19 km away from Gomukh. During the trek, people have the facility of resting at the GMVN Bungalow; at Lalbaba's Ashram, or at Ram Baba's ashram. Both the ashrams provide food and accommodation at a nominal tariff. After trekking from Bhujbasa, the trekkers arrive at Gomukh, which is the snout of Gangotri Glacier. One can easily see Mt. Shivling on arrival.

It is ideal to take an experienced guide for the Gomukh trek as the terrain is difficult. It would also help a great deal to be physically fit before embarking on this trip.

To reach Gomukh, travellers should first reach Uttarkashi. Air travellers can take a flight to Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun, which is located 200 km away from Uttarkashi headquarter. From the airport, cabs for Uttarkashi are easily available. The nearest railway station to Uttarkashi is Rishikesh and Dehradun. Gomukh is located 17 km from Gangotri on the National Highway no 108. Bus travellers can take the state transport buses that operate daily between Uttarkashi and Rishikesh/Dehradun/Haridwar.