Gauri Kund, Uttarakhand

Gauri Kund, Uttarakhand

Gauri Kund is a Hindu pilgrimage site and base camp for trek to Kedarnath Temple, in Uttarakhand, India. It is situated at an altitude of 6502 feet above mean sea level in the Garhwal Himalayas. There are hot springs in Gauri Kund and they are converted to bathing places. Hindu pilgrims also stop by on their Chardham Yatra to take a dip in the holy water of Gauri Kund.

This place is named after Goddess Parvati who is also called as Gauri and visitors can also see a temple of the goddess here. It is believed that Gowri (Parvati) meditated upon Shiva. This shrine is located on the route between Rishikesh and Kedarnath. This place is known starting Point of Walking Journey towards Kedarnath. Kedarnath Temple is approx. 17 Kms by trek from here.

Legends

Mother Parvathi penance to win over Lord Shiva affection:

Gauri Kund is connected with Shiva's wife Parvati, also known as Gauri. In Hindu folklore, Gauri committed to penance involving many ascetic and yogic practices to win over Shiva's affections. Local tradition claims that Gauri Kund is the spot where Gauri lived while carrying out these practices and it was here that Shiva finally admitted his love for her. They were married at Triyugi Narayan, which is located nearby.

Birth of Lord Ganesha:

This place is also associated with the legend of how Ganesha acquired his elephant head. While bathing in the Kund, Goddess Parvati made Ganesha from the soap suds on her body, breathed life into him and placed him at the entrance as her guard. Lord Shiva happened to arrive at the spot and he was stopped by Ganesha. Indignant at this affront, Shiva cut off Ganesha's head and Parvati was inconsolable. She insisted that the boy be brought back to life and Shiva took the head of a wandering elephant and placed it on Ganesha's body. Parvati had her son back and Ganesha acquired the persona by which he is known all over the Hindu world since then.

Parvathi taken bath here after giving birth to Lord Kartikeya:

Gowrikund has several hot springs. Gowri is believed to have taken a bath here after giving birth to Kartikeya.

Agnikund:

The fire kindled during their wedding is said to be burning at Agnikund. 

People worshipped Lord Shiva here:

Surya and Chandra are also believed to have worshipped Shiva here.

The Temple

Gauri Kund is located in the midst of the lush green forests offering a picturesque setting and panoramic views. There is a small Temple dedicated to Mother Gauri here. This Temple is the starting point of Kedarnath trekking. One of the popular religious tourist attractions before the flash flood in 2013, was the hot spring in this place. Due to this disastrous flood, the Kund was erased from its existence and now one can just find a narrow stream of water flowing down from where the Kund used to be. It has now disappeared from this place and reincarnated about 1 Km away from the Temple but on the opposite bank of the river.

The route between Kedarnath and Gowrikund is a picturesque one. Also, nearby, is the temple to Mundkatta Ganesh - without a head. Shiva is believed to have cut off the head of Parvati's son Ganesh and then revived him to life here. If you are a nature lover, there are a lot of reasons that you must visit including the elegant view of the greenery around the Kund. Vasuki Ganga flows here also adds on the beauty of the view of this place. The Temple praised in Devaram Hymns cannot be found here. It is believed that Temple houses Lord Arul Manna Nayakar and Mother Manonmani / Gowri.

Temple Opening Time

The Temple remains open from 05.00 AM to 12.00 PM and 02.00 PM to 09.00 PM.

Festivals

Navratri and Mahasivarathri are the festivals celebrated here with much fanfare.

Literary Mention

It is one of the shrines of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams - Shiva Sthalams glorified in the early medieval Thevaram poems by Tamil Saivite Nayanar Tirugnanasambandar. Four shrines in the Himalayas have been glorified by the Thevaram hymns of the Tamil Nayanmar saints. They are Indraneela Parvatam, Gowrikund, Kedarnath and Mount Kailash.  Although none of the Nayanmars has visited this Gowrikund, Sambandar has sung about Gowri Kund from Kalahasti. Gowrikund or Anekatankaavadam is the first of the Thevara Sthalams hailed by the Tamil hymns of the Nayanmars, located outside of Tamilnadu/Kerala/Karnataka i.e. in Vada Naadu (the northern lands).

Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit Gauri Kund is during the summers or monsoons, basically when the Chardham Yatra perpetuates. In the winters, Gauri Kund is shut down for the devotees due to heavy snow and closure of the doors of Kedarnath and other Chardham Yatra Temples. Commencing from the month of March and lasting till June, the summer season in Gauri Kund is quite pleasant with the temperature fluctuating between 15°C and 24°C. The cool breeze throughout the season steers the temperature down to cool than hot. From July to September is the monsoon season where the temperature is between 5°C and 20°C. The month of July sees a heavy rainfall and the temperature goes down during this season.

October to February is the time for winter season when the place receives heavy snowfall. The temperature ranges between -5°C and 16°C. Ideally people do not visit Gowrikund in the winter season due to snow.

Accommodation

There are very few hotels and guesthouses in Gowri Kund as accommodation options. The hotels here are in budget category endeavoring to cater to all the basic needs of the guest. Some accommodations are also available in the nearby Sonprayag, which stands at a distance of 6 Kms from Gauri Kund. Here, as well, the guests have the chance to stay in the budget hotels that fulfills all the basic necessity.

Connectivity

The Temple is located at about 250 meters from Gauri Kund Bus Stand, 5 Kms from Sonprayag, 13 Kms from Kedarnath, 11 Kms from Triyuginarayan, 30 Kms from Guptkashi, 40 Kms from Kalimath, 73 Kms from Rudraprayag, 45 Kms from Ukhimath, 137 Kms from Devaprayag, 210 Kms from Rishikesh Railway Station, 212 Kms from Rishikesh, 231 Kms from Haridwar, 233 Kms from Haridwar Railway Station, 226 Kms from Dehradun Airport and 455 Kms from New Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport.

Gauri Kund is well connected by road to all the major spots of the Garhwal Region of Uttarakhand. There are buses and taxis which can take you to your destination conveniently. The nearest railheads are Rishikesh and Haridwar. One can hire a cab from these places to Gaurikund as per your convenience. The nearest airport is the Jolly Grant which is situated in Dehradun. One can take a taxi from Dehradun to Gaurikund.

Location