Mukhba (also written Mukhwa) is a few kilometres from Harsil and it is the reason the Gangotri temple can close at all. When the Dham shuts on Annakut, the day after Diwali, the idol of the goddess is carried down from Gangotri in procession and installed here for the winter. From that day until the temple reopens in spring, this quiet village is where the goddess lives.
What you actually see
Old stone-and-timber houses with carved window frames, narrow lanes, a temple, and a view down the valley that explains why anyone settled here. It is small. You can walk the whole village in half an hour, and that is not a criticism - the point is to walk it slowly.
When to come
Any time you are in Harsil. But if you can be here for the winter installation ceremony the day after Diwali, do - it is one of the genuinely moving pieces of living religious practice left in these hills, and almost no tourists see it.
Please remember
This is somebody's village and an active place of worship, not a heritage site. Ask before photographing people or interiors, remove shoes where you should, and keep your voice down.
