Snowfall in Gangotri Dham

• 01 Apr 2024

Why in News?

Recently, Gangotri Dham in Uttarakhand, the highest temple dedicated to Goddess Ganga, received fresh rain and snowfall.

• The India Meteorological Department (IMD), earlier, issued an alert for the districts of Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Solan and some parts of Lahaul-Spiti.

Key Points

• The Gangotri Temple, where Goddess Ganga is worshipped, stands at a height of 20 feet and boasts of exquisite carvings on white granite.
• It is the origin of the River Ganges and is one of the four sites in the Char Dham pilgrimage of Uttarakhand.
  • The other shrines included in the Char Dham pilgrimage are Badrinath, Kedarnath, and Yamunotri.
• The river is called Bhagirathi at the source and acquires the name Ganga (the Ganges) from Devprayag onwards where it meets the Alaknanda.
• The origin of the holy river is at Gomukh, set in the Gangotri Glacier, and is a 19 km trek from Gangotri.

India Meteorological Department

• IMD was established in 1875. It is the National Meteorological Service of the country and the principal government agency in all matters relating to meteorology and allied subjects.
• It works as an agency of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India.
• It is headquartered in New Delhi.
• IMD is also one of the six Regional Specialized Meteorological Centres of the World Meteorological Organization.