Yamunotri is one of the religious sites in the Char Dham pilgrimage. The source of the sacred river Yamuna, it is considered to be the seat of the Goddess Yamuna in Hinduism. As the westernmost shrine in the Garhwal Himalayas, it is located on the top of one section of the Bandar Poonch Parvat.
It opens on the auspicious day of Akshya Tritiya. And it is the first stopover for the Char Dham Yatra. Pilgrims throng the temple between the months of May and October, before proceeding to Gangotri.
Tehri Naresh, King Sudarshan Shah constructed the Yamunotri temple in the honour of Goddess Yamuna in 1839. Damaged by an intense earthquake, the temple was then renovated and rebuilt by the Jaipur Maharani Guleria. The present temple was constructed in the latter part of the 19th century.
The temple dedicated to the Goddess Yamuna and holy thermal springs at Janki Chatti (7 kilometres away) are the sites of importance there. The actual source of the river, the Champassar Glacier, a kilometre ahead of the shrine, is not very accessible and rarely visited by pilgrims.
Surya Kund is the most important kund, and near it is a shila called Divya Shila, which is worshipped before the deity is worshipped. Devotees prepare rice and potatoes, tied in muslin cloth, to offer at the shrine. They dip them in these hot water springs. This rice is then taken back home as prasadam. The priests at Yamunotri hail from the village of Kharsali near Janki Chatti. As the administrators of the sacred place, they perform all religious rites there and are well versed in the Shastras.