Gangotri dham is known to be the seat of goddess Ganga and one major pilgrimage site of the char dham. The temple was built by a Gorkha commander Amar Singh Thapa during the 18th century. The shrine is named after river Ganges, and situated at a height of 3,048 meters above the sea level. The river is also known as Bhagirathi at its source and termed as Ganga at its meeting point with Alkananda at Devprayag.

Legends say that King Bhagirath worshipped Lord Shiva and continued severe penance for which Lord Shiva rewarded him and brought Ganga onto the earth. But fearing that coming with her full force may devastate the earth and due to her pride, Lord Shiva placed her in his locks. There is a sacred stone located near the temple marking the place where Ganga first descended on the earth. It is believed that Ganga would only come down to earth after goddess Parvati took bath in the Ganges every day.

The Kedar Ganga Sangam is a major attraction of Gangotri dham. The river from Kedar valley meets the Bhagirathi river on its left bank and popularly called as Kedar-Ganga Sangam. The natural rock shiva lingam situated here is usually submerged in the river. But in winters, it becomes clearly visible as the water level decreases.

The ritual duties of the temple are performed by pujaris of Semwal family. The evening aarti of the temple draws many tourists. On Janmashtami, Vijaydasami and Akshay Tritiya, special rituals are performed at the temple.

Gangotri can be easily accessible by all three routes. The Jolly Grant airport in Dehradun is just 251 kms away from Gangotri. The closest railhead is Rishikesh located at a distance of 248 kms. For road journey, regular bus and taxi services are available from major cities like Rishikesh and Haridwar.