Nandanvan

Nandanvan is a high-altitude alpine meadow located near the Gangotri Glacier in Gangotri National Park, Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand. Situated at around 4,340 metres opposite Tapovan and at the base of the Bhagirathi massif, it offers views of Shivling, Bhagirathi peaks and the glacier. Accessible only by a strenuous trek via Gangotri, Chirbasa, Bhojwasa and Gaumukh, it serves as a camping site for trekkers and mountaineers exploring the Garhwal Himalaya.

Visitors can expect a remote high-altitude meadow surrounded by snow-covered peaks including Shivling and Bhagirathi I, II and III, with close views of the Gangotri Glacier. The site is accessed only by a multi-day trek from Gangotri via Chirbasa, Bhojwasa and Gaumukh, crossing glacier moraines and boulder fields. There are no permanent structures; visitors camp in tents on the meadow and explore the glacier, meadows and viewpoints for photography and mountaineering observation.

Nandanvan lies within the Gangotri Glacier region, the source area of the Bhagirathi River which forms the Ganga. The surrounding Gangotri area has long been a pilgrimage and exploration region in the Garhwal Himalaya and was brought into formal conservation with the creation of Gangotri National Park in 1989.

The Gangotri Glacier and surrounding peaks including Shivling and Bhagirathi are revered in Hindu tradition as the origin of the River Ganga. The area is visited by pilgrims to Gangotri and by trekkers and mountaineers for its religious and natural significance.