Gangotri Glacier

E25495

Gangotri Glacier is a major Himalayan glacier in Uttarakhand, India, revered in Hinduism and known as the primary ice source feeding the upper reaches of the Ganges River.

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Observed surface forms (1)

Surface form Occurrences
Gangotri 3

Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Himalayan glacier
glacier
accessRoute road to Gangotri town followed by trek to Gomukh
climateZone high mountain alpine climate
continent Asia
country India
culturalAssociation Ganga goddess in Hinduism
districtHeadquartersDistance about 100 kilometres from Uttarkashi
drainageBasin Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna river system
surface form: Ganges Basin
elevation about 13500 feet at the snout
about 4100 metres at the snout
fedBy snow and ice from surrounding peaks
hasFeature icefall
lateral moraines
medial moraines
supraglacial debris cover
hasLegalProtection true
importance critical for Ganges River flow in dry season
major freshwater source for northern India
isRetreating true
isReveredAs source of the Ganges
length about 19 miles
about 30 kilometres
locatedIn Garhwal
surface form: Garhwal Himalaya

Uttarakhand
Garhwal
surface form: Uttarkashi district
locatedInProtectedArea Gangotri National Park
mountainRange Himalayas
nearbyTown Gangotri Glacier self-linksurface differs
surface form: Gangotri
nearestMajorRiver Bhagirathi River
protectedBy Indian environmental regulations
religionSignificance Hinduism
researchInterest climate change impacts
glaciology
hydrology of the Ganges Basin
retreatCause changes in snowfall patterns
climate change
rising temperatures
sourceOf Bhagirathi River
Ganges
surface form: upper Ganges River system
stateCapitalDistance about 300 kilometres from Dehradun
terminus Gomukh
tourismType pilgrimage tourism
trekking tourism
trekDifficulty moderate to difficult
width up to 2 kilometres

Referenced by (5)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Garhwal contains Gangotri Glacier
this entity surface form: Gangotri
Gangotri Glacier nearbyTown Gangotri Glacier self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: Gangotri
Uttarakhand pilgrimageSite Gangotri Glacier
this entity surface form: Gangotri
Uttarakhand riverSourceLocatedIn Gangotri Glacier
Ganges sourceLocation Gangotri Glacier