Gangotri Temple: Aarti & Puja Schedule

• Mangala aarti and temple openingApprox 6:15 AM
• Abhishek and morning darshan of the Ganga idolMorning
• Rajbhog and offerings; brief pause in the sanctumAround midday
• Ganga aarti on the riverbank, the day's spiritual high pointNear sunset
• Shayan aarti and closing for the nightApprox 9:30 PM

The rituals at Gangotri follow the rhythm of any major shrine but on a Himalayan scale. The day opens with the Mangala aarti around dawn, followed by abhishek and morning darshan of the silver-clad idol of the goddess. Around midday the deity is offered rajbhog, and there is a short pause before the shrine reopens for the afternoon.

The emotional centre of the day is the evening Ganga aarti, performed on the riverbank as the light fades and lamps are floated on the ice-cold Bhagirathi. Unlike the vast, floodlit aartis at Haridwar and Varanasi, this one is small, close and quiet, with the roar of the young river filling the gaps between the bells. The day ends with the Shayan aarti before the night closing. Because all of this is tied to sunrise and sunset, the exact minute of each aarti moves through the season, so pilgrims set on witnessing the Ganga aarti should ask at the temple that morning.

Compiled from public sources including Wikipedia: Gangotri · Wikimedia Commons: Gangotri image file (photo license) · Euttaranchal: Gangotri Temple · Uttarakhand Tourism (official): Gangotri. Timings and seasonal closures change; confirm with the temple trust before travelling.