A Sadhu standing in front of the Gangotri glacier at Gaumukh. The altitude is about 3400m and it could get pretty cold out there. But he is wearing just a loin cloth and a shawl for warmth. Pretty amazing how the human body can be conditioned to cope with the elements.

The umbrella serves both as a walking stick and as protection against rain.

We were over 3800 meters high, walking a rugged mountain trail. The weather was cold and misty with a bit of rain in the air. But the pilgrims, some in their shorts & t-shirts, walking barefoot or just wearing chappals were undeterred by the terrain or the climate. They breezed through it all and focussing only on getting to Gaumukh ('Gau' - cow & 'Mukh - face), the terminus of the Gangotri Glacier and the source of the Bhagirathi river. One of the main tributaries of the mighty Ganges.

The Ganges river, still in its infancy winding through the hills of Uttarkashi in Northern India. 
Uttarkashi is about 150km downriver from Gangotri glacier one of the main sources of the river. From the glacier the river thunders through the hills of Uttarkashi gradually growing in size as countless streams come join her waters.  

Technically here at Uttarkashi the river is not yet called the Ganges. Here it is known as Bhagirathi river.  

This photo was taken outside the Sivananda Kutir ashram at Netala. The hills surrounding it contain some of the greenest and prettiest villages i've seen in all of India. It is just a quietly beautiful place, well off the tourist trail.

The Ganges river, still in its infancy winding through the hills of Uttarkashi in Northern India.
Uttarkashi is about 150km downriver from Gangotri glacier one of the main sources of the river. From the glacier the river thunders through the hills of Uttarkashi gradually growing in size as countless streams come join her waters. 

Technically here at Uttarkashi the river is not yet called the Ganges. Here it is known as Bhagirathi river. 

This photo was taken outside the Sivananda Kutir ashram at Netala. The hills surrounding it contain some of the greenest and prettiest villages i've seen in all of India. It is just a quietly beautiful place, well off the tourist trail.

From the Netala village on the outskirts of the Uttarkashi town. We meet these kids almost daily on our evening walks outside the Sivananda Kutir ashram.