An important Hindu pilgrimage place the small circuit of 4 holy abodes. Which is Located in the Garhwal Himalaya region of the state Uttarakhand.
It is also known as Char Dham of Himalaya or Char Dham of Uttarakhand. The speciality of the sites is, in the extremely cold climate people can’t reach there.
These holy sites are open only from May to October. the best time to visit The Char Dham is mid-June. After Indo-China war 1962, India put great efforts in building the means of connectivity to these holy places.
Nobody knows when and how these holy places got linked together in this pilgrimage circuit.
It is believed that pilgrim should follow this particular route to make the most of it i.e., Yamunotri followed by Gangotri then Kedarnath and lastly Badrinath.
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Yamunotri-
It is a source of the Yamuna River and the seat of the goddess Yamuna in Hinduism.
The temple opens every auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiya.
In the temple tere are two idols, the black one was of Goddess Yamuna and the other one stood for Goddess Ganga, there is an idol of Lord Hanuman.
The temple closes every year on the sacred day of Diwali.
It is located at an elevation of 3,954 meters. The actual source of the Yamuna River is the Yamunotri glacier near Bandarpunch peak at the height of 3,235 meters.
The temple was constructed by the Maharaja Pratap Shah of Tehri garwahal. Helicopter services are available for tourists.
From Dehradun, you can rent the helicopter service. The main places you can visit while going Yamunotri are –
Raithal village- is a village in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. It is a good trekking spot.
Hanuman Chatti- It is situated 13kms before the Yamunotri Dham. The riverside scenic beauty of this place is a perfect experience of nature and the countryside.
Janki Chatti- At an elevation of 2,650 meters above sea level. It is familiar for its hot spring water. Lies close to Indo- China border.
Gangotri-
It is the origin of the Ganga River, holy river is at Gaumukh, set in the Gangotri Glacier.
Gangotri glacier is height of 4120 to 7000 m.a.s.l. The total area covered by snow is 200km.square.
Three main tributaries of this glacier are Raktvarn, Chaturangi, Kirti and 18 more small trivbutaries.
According to mythology, it was Goddess Ganga descended when Lord Shiva released the mighty river from his hair.
The temple opens every auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiya. Inside the temple, the idols of Lord Shiva, Lord Hanuman, and King Bhagirath.
The temple closes every year on the sacred day of Diwali. The holy temple was built by Nepalese general Amar Singh Thapa.
It is situated at an elevation of 3,415m. Helicopter services are available for tourists.
From Dehradun, you can rent the helicopter service. Places you can enjoy while traveling to Gangotri are-
Harshil- It’s a hidden jewel in Uttarakhand state. It is situated on the banks of the Bhagirathi River at an elevation of 2,620m.
Surya Kund- is a pilgrimage spot near Gangotri. Pilgrims visit this place/waterfall to pay their homage to the Sun God.
Gangotri National Park- is in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand state. Challenging treks, crushed snow and ruffled leaves add thrill to the visit the National Park. Situated in the natural surroundings of the Garhwal region, Park is a famous for its high-altitude Wildlife Sanctuary.
Tapovan- Situated at the foothills of Shivling peak, this is a camping base located at 4460 m above sea level camping organized by various adventure camps in Gangotri.
Kedarnath-
It has been a center since ancient times, has been said that the Kedarnath temple is constructed by the legendary Pandava brothers.
Highest among other 12 Jyotirlingas. This place is close to the source of the Mandakini River at an elevation of 3,583 m above sea level.
The snowcapped mountain behind the temple looks magnificent and the big commercial helipad will catch your vision.
Kedarnath temple have staues of lord Shiva, Pandava brothers, Nandi, Draupadi. There is a pillared hall in front of the Kedarnath temple where the pictures of Parvati and Pandavas are unscripted.
Ghee, water and Bal leaves are used to worship. Reaching to Kedarnath temple is comparatively difficult because you need to trek about 21km, before 2013 the trek was 16 km but flash floods in June 2013, the flood destroyed Kedarnath town, and whatever came on its way the flood took everything away.
The worst area affected by the flood was the town. Despite every other thing destroyed, the Kedarnath temple survived.
Rescue operation started and about 10,000 people were uplifted. Around 200 people were killed and 4,021 people went missing.
The priest of Kedarnath belong to the highest community of Karnataka. Helicopter services are available for tourists
From Dehradun, you can rent the helicopter service. Places you can enjoy while traveling to Kedarnath are-
Sonprayag- is a religious place where two holy rivers Basuki and Mandakini meets.
Gaurikund- is a dedicated place to Goddess Parvati. According to mythological stories, this is a place where Parvati practiced yoga to wins Shiva’s heart.
Rudra Cave – This cave is constructed by Nehru Mountaineering Institute to practice yoga. It’s a peaceful sight at the holy site of Kedarnath.
Badrinath-
It is in the Himalayas, a holy town in Chamoli district in the state of Uttarakhand.
It is situated at an elevation of 3,300m and on the banks of the Alaknanda River. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams devoted to Lord Vishnu.
It is said to be that, Pandavas passed through Badrinath and the village name Mana on their way to heaven, and Vyasa wrote Mahabharata in that village.
The day got better when we went to the Mana village, the ‘last village Indian village’, the sight of River Saraswati is horrifying and yet it’s beautiful and River originates from there.
The day got better when we went to the Mana village, the ‘last village Indian village’, the sight of River Saraswati is horrifying and yet it’s beautiful and River originates from there. Helicopter services are available for tourists.
From Dehradun, you can rent the helicopter service. Places you can enjoy while traveling to Badrinath are-
Vasundhara Falls- A waterfall located in Mana Village at an altitude of 12,000 feet. It is said that this pace has been a resting place for Pandavas.
Tapt Kund- It is believed that it is home of Lord Agni, is a natural hot water spring heating to 45 degrees Celsius. Believed to have medicinal properties and cure skin diseases.
Last year 29 lakh pilgrims visited Char Dham, including 9.2 lakh to Kedarnath, 10.2 lakh to Badrinath, 4.4 lakh to Yamunotri, and 5.03 lakh to Gangotri.
It is believed that Hindus should go to these places once in their lifetimes. Who so ever go to Char Dham Yatra attains peace of mind.
