A. As you go through Chardham tour packages, make sure you have enough time at Gangotri, the source of Hinduism's holiest river, the Ganges. The holiest shrine in the country, the Gangotri Temple is greatly revered for being the source the Ganga River. Legend has it that the rock on the site acted like a shield to save the planet from the disaster the river could have otherwise wrecked as it poured out of Lord Shiva's matted locks sitting in Mount Kailash. It is believed that Lord Shiva placed the rock in that position to stop the onslaught of the gushing waters. The temple was built in the 18 th century by Gorkha commander, Amar Singh Thapa. It is Gaumukh which is the original source of the Ganges, but the Gaumukh glacier is about 19 kilometre up ahead of the Gangotri Temple. The temple opens its doors on Akshay Tritiya usually in May and closes down on Bhai Dhuj in late-October or early-November. Pilgrims, believing in Ganga's healing properties, take back bottles full of the holy water. There are several smaller shrines in the region, each home to a legend on the Ganges' evolution that has its roots in mythology.