Uttarkashi is a small town on the banks of the Ganges in the foothills of the Himalayas in the state of Uttaranchal in northern India. Uttarkashi is translated from Sanskrit as "Upper Kashi", that is, Upper Varanasi or Varanasi of the future. Uttarkashi is located at an altitude of about 1000 above sea level, about half way from Rishikesh to Gangotri and is a convenient base for visiting the Himalayan shrine.