Spiritual Yoga Retreats to Source of Ganges

Our second-day of spiritual yoga tour stay will be at Harshil which is a beautiful, tiny village, at an altitude of 2620 meters in the Gangotri area. This beautiful Himalayas small village is enriched with an apple orchard and some picturesque image of snow capping mountains at the bank of Bhagirathi river. We will visit the local village at Dharali where the blessings of innumerable rishi and sages who spent countless hours in meditation, prayer, and penance before attainment of Samadhi and It is believed that sage Bhagirath meditated here to bring Mother Ganges down from heaven. After morning yoga asana session and breakfast we will trek to mythological Saat Taals or Seven Lakes on top of mountains. Here, 7 glistening stunning lakes await you. It is here that we will do our yoga practice, enjoying the beauty around us. After this blissful experience of yoga and meditation, we will come back for lunch break. A short break of relaxation and then visit local neighboring Tibetan village at the bank of Bhagirathi river, you will feel like you are moving back in time as we venture into the local neighboring. Peace and tranquility greet you amongst traditional wooden homes, through gentle swirls of smoke as teapots boil and wood fires glow. The villagers are incredibly kind and welcoming; happy to share their culture with you. Night stay at Harshil.

From the blissful village of Harshil after morning yoga asana and breakfast we will make our way 19km further to Gangotri; the fascinating pilgrimage village which marks the start of our yogic trek to the Gomukh. With Mother Ganges running directly through the center of this Himalayan hub, Gangotri consists of one long street. It's lined with delicious filling treats and plenty of religious trinkets and keepsakes. You'll find Lord Shiva statues, framed photos of Mother Ganga and bundles of bottles, which you can fill up to keep your own part of Mother Ganga with you. We will have time to explore this magical town, visit the ashrams, meditate along the river, followed by lunch and then trek to Pandav Gupha about 6 to 7 Km both way. Evening we will attend Ganga Aarti Ceremony at Gangotri temple. Ganga Aarti is your chance to receive purification and a blessing from Mother Ganges. We will sing songs in praise of Mother Ganga, acquiring her power through the fires and lamps we light. It is a beautiful moment full of transformative energy. This special ceremony you will also experience during your stay at Mahatma Yoga Ashram.

This is it! Wake up ready and willing. We are going to start our pilgrimage today, hiking 14 kilometers across 6 hours from 3048 meters /10000 foot towards the Gangotri glacier Gomukh! Starting from, we will be ascending to a height of 3775 meters / 12385 foot. Leaving Gangotri behind, we will be entering another world. Past grazing donkeys and ashrams in the wilderness, we will reach the checkpoint of Gangotri National Park. From here the views are instantly wondrous. With the sun's rays bursting through the peaks, we will wind along the dusty path, underneath the mighty Himalayan Mountains towering above. It's a panoramic paradise to practice walking meditation! We will traverse rickety wooden bridges, past inquisitive fluffy 'blue' goats, walking in the imaginable footsteps of ancient times pilgrims. Just when your energy is starting to fade, there will likely be a Sadhu walking along beside you, in his humble sandals and orange robe, encouraging you to carry on! On way we will stop by at Chirbasa (3600mt) for lunch and will continue to trek till we arrive in Bhojwassa, you really will be in the Himalayas. Trekking from Chirbasa for Bhojwasa which connects with the Gaumukh trail. One needs to be careful with falling rocks and avoid resting. After about four hours of trekking, you will see a bridge with a stream flowing below. Bhojbasa is 1.5 km from this point and is the widest point in the valley. Bhojwasa is visible from here also there is a small temple at Bhojwasa and one can enjoy an excellent sunset view of the Bhagirathi group of peaks with a campsite near down the river. We're just 4 kilometers away from The Source! But first, we must rest, eat, rejuvenate and get a good night's sleep in this final humble resting spot before we reach our destination and get ready for next day surprise.

Good morning! You'll be waking up to the finest views of the Bhagirathi peaks, with a cup of hot chai in your hand and some hearty Indian breakfast in your tummy. It is time for us to finally meet the Source of the Ganges. Are you excited? We really are! This is the last stretch of our journey. With all your might, traverse this rocky terrain and scale the boulders before you. The hike is not easy but the reward awaiting you is everything you hoped for. At a height of 3890 meters / 12,760 feet, we have made it! Congratulations! This is an ultimate spiritual experience to witness the first appearance of the sacred Goddess Ma Ganga in daylight! 4 days of unbelievable, mesmerizing trekking in India and finally...here we are at Gomukh: sitting before the powerful, life-changing Source of Mother Ganga herself. She is the living, breathing Goddess of India; who loves you, cleanses you and reaches deep within your heart and soul to awaken you. Our legs ache. Our lungs have been gasping for air. Yet, we have just experienced one of the most spiritual treks in the Himalayas, through a deeply magnificent and sacred landscape. As we take in a deep breath, and absorb the beauty around us, a butterfly gently glides down and lands upon one of our fingertips. We are truly touched. Hiking to the Source of the Ganges is a life-changing experience. ~ A student’s reflection of the Journey to The Source of The Ganges. After much happiness and reflection we take time to enjoy this special moment by performing a puja – a ceremony to worship Goddess Ganga and meditating right next to her magical Source. After the meditation and relaxing our souls, we will walk back to Bhojwasa and will rest in our camps with dinner and a bonfire.

We will Trek back from Bhojbasa to Chirbasa (5 KM Trek) & further to Gangotri which will be easier trek as it will be descending compare to the trek upwards. This is time to reflect on everything you have achieved in the last 5 days and to treasure the memories you have made today with Mother Ganga. On the way, you can enjoy the high peaks of Gomukha and white sheet of snow all around it. After reaching Harshil you can have lunch at hotel engraved by our team. You can take a rest at Harshil in Hotel or you can enjoy the views and fresh mountain air. The quiet and uninterrupted flow of Bhagirathi on the chest of the valley rejoices everyone, One can take photos here with the group so that you can enjoy these views later also.

On our final day, we will drive back to Rishikesh from Harshil in private transportation. On way will have Brunch or snacks and soon we reached Uttarkashi which is also known as Kashi of the north which means abode of Lord Shiva in northern India. Uttarkashi city is situated on the bank of Ganges(Bhagirathi), lies next to a hill Varunavat parwat and between the confluence of two holy rivers Varuna river and Asi river similar to city of Kashi i.e. Varanasi city, This city has a famous Manikarnika Ghat similar to Varanasi city and has a temple dedicated to Shiva (Kashi Vishwanath Temple) in the center of the city with a move to our Yoga Ashram. After reaching to Mahatma Yoga ashram - Rishikesh. We will return to Rishikesh in the evening: accomplished, refreshed and renewed! One can opt to check out for their destination on the same day or stay at our ashram accommodation and can have an early morning check out next day.