Yamunotri is one of the major spiritual destinations in India and lies on the western side of the Garhwal Himalayas. Situated at an elevation of about 3,293 m, it boasts high mountain peaks, glaciers and the pristine Yamuna river. Yamunotri is the place from where the second-most sacred river of India, Yamuna, originates, and thus Yamunotri makes one-fourth of the famous Char Dham pilgrimage taken by Hindus.

River Yamuna starts from the Yamunotri glacier that has a height of about 6,387 m. From here, the river flows into Saptarishi Kund and then gushes southwards in a series of several waterfalls.

The major attraction in Yamunotri is a temple dedicated to Goddess Yamuna, who is said to be the daughter of the sun god and the twin sister of Yama (god of death). A sacred idol of Yamuna Devi has been placed in the inner sanctum. The idol is made of polished black ebony and has intricate carvings on it. Two lovely springs, Surya Kund and Gauri Kund, flank the temple. It is a common practice among devotees to dip rice and potatoes into the boiling water of the springs and offer it to the Yamuna idol. This food is later distributed as prasad to devotees. The temple was built in 1839 AD by Sudarshan Shah, a famous Garhwal monarch. It was later destroyed in an earthquake and was rebuilt by Maharani of Jaipur, Gularia Devi, in the 19th century. The temple boasts the Nagar pattern of architecture and is built with granite. The top of the structure hosts a medium conical-shaped minaret, highlighted by pale yellow with a bright vermilion border.