Tapovan Ashram at Gangotri, Uttarakhand

An abode of peace and tranquility is the Tapovankuti or the Tapovan Ashram at Gangotri in Uttarakhand. Located on the left bank of River Ganga, close to Dandi Kshetra Ashram and before Surya Kund waterfalls, the Tapovan Ashram is named after Tapovana Swami, the highly evolved spiritual personality hailing from India’s southern state of Kerala.

The ashram set up in the 1920s by Tapovana Swami is now looked after by his disciple Sundarananda Swami, who is also a very good photographer.

The settings at Tapovan Ahsram are something straight out of a storybook describing a fairyland. The wooden fencing and the overhanging branches of the apples trees, lead one to the entrance of the Ashram, which at first gives the impression of an art gallery. The walls of the Ashram are adorned with photographs of Tapovana Swami and also include a collection of photographs taken by Swami Sundarananda, the present custodian of the Ashram.