Tapovana

Though pronounced the same in Hindi, tapovana should not be confused with tapovan (from tapovat), which means a person engaged in austerity.

As well as particular caves and other hermitages where sages and sadhus have dwelt, there are some places, such as the western bank of the northern Ganges river around Rishikesh, that have been so used by hermits that the whole area has become known as a tapovana.

At the foot of Shivling peak, a barren area at about 4,463m (14640 feet) elevation, is a seasonal home to several sadhus living in caves, huts, etc.

[1] The trekking usually starts from Gomukh and the trek was considered moderate to difficult[1] prior to the destruction of much of the trail from Gangotri to Gaumukh by the 2013 North Indian Floods.

In Tapovan, a stream named Amrit Ganga – the nectar of the Ganges – flows into the glacier.