A country known for diversity is rich in its culture and divinity. India is said to be the country of Dev's, Devi's and Guru's, where it is repleted with holy shrines and temples.
Known for its renowned traditions across the world, India is a melting pot of diversification of customs and religions. The country is diversified in traditions and spirituality, the people believe The pilgrimage yatra of the Chota Char Dham I'm Uttrakhand is the "Adobe of god's".
The four Abodes or the Char Dham yatra in the Himalayas include four holy shrines of Hindus: Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. The fusion of these four pilgrimage hubs carries a lot of beliefs and religious piousness by people around the globe.
It's said that one should follow the Hindu mythology while pursuing the yatra which says that the Chardham yatra is auspicious and should be done clockwise i.e. from West to East. The yatra starts from Yamunotri followed by Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath respectively. You can cover the yatra by road or by helicopter and it allows you to trek along the way to explore adventures on the yatra as well.
The religious significance
Char Dham, literally ‘the four abodes’, yatra refers to the journey up the mountains to four sacred temples in the North Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is also referred to as 'Chhota Char Dham' to differentiate it from the bigger circuit of Char Dham sites, which are Badrinath (Uttarakhand in North), Rameswaram (Tamil Nadu in South), Puri (Odisha in East), and Dwarka (Gujarat in West).
✨ Yamunotri Dham, named after the Goddess Yamuna, is the first Dham en route to the yatra. A bath in the holy waters of the Yamuna river is said to cleanse one of all sins and protect from untimely death.
✨ Gangotri Dham, the second temple that falls on the Chota Char Dham circuit, is the birthplace of the holy river Ganga.
✨ Kedarnath, known as the land of Lord Shiva, has the highest located jyotirling. Situated on the banks of Mandakini River, the view of this temple against its snowy backdrop is resplendent.
✨ Badrinath, named after Lord Badri(Vishnu), is located along the banks of the Alaknanda River. Also part of the bigger Char Dham circuit, it stands beautifully on Garhwal Hill, rearing its golden head and fluttering its red flags with Godly presence.
✨ Char Dham yatra opens on the auspicious day of Akshay Tritiya of Chaitya month and remains open until Bhai Dooj.
A detailed travel guide for the Char-Dham-Yatra
You can begin your char Dham Yatra journey from Delhi, Haridwar or Rishikesh and commute by Air or self-drive or by bus.
The Routes
The Dhams Badrinath and Gangotri can be reached directly by road from Rishikesh, Haridwar, Kotdwar, and Dehradun. For Yamunotri, there is a trek you have to take from Janki Chatti (approx. 210 km from Rishikesh). Similarly, for Kedarnath, a trek starts from Gaurikund (93 km from Rishikesh).
YAMUNOTRI: You have to commence your Char- Dham- Yatra from Yamunotri. Located on the Western Garhwal Himalayas of Uttarakhand and with a height of 3293 M, the holy place of Yamunotri stands proudly surrounded by snowcapped peaks, glaciers and the roaring Yamuna River, being India’s second most sacred river. Also known as the seat of goddess Yamuna, Yamunotri is one of the pilgrimages of the Chota Char Dham Yatra. The Yamuna, “Lady of Life” originates from the Yamunotri glacier.
GANGOTRI: The Gangotri Dham at 3100 M is located in the Gangotri range of the Himalayas. With its intimate relation to the river Ganga, Gangotri is the holiest of all for Hindus. Being a sacred source of virtue for mankind, the river Ganga (Mother) originates from the Gangotri glacier at Gaumukh.
KEDARNATH: The Kedarnath Dham is one of the most predominant locations for the worshippers of Lord Shiva situated in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand. Situated at a height of 3854 M, Kedarnath has a heavenly backdrop of snowcapped mountains near the source of the Mandakini River. The temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlingams. However, the road access is till Gauri Kund after which one has to trek for 14 km to reach the Kedarnath temple. With a splendid and tranquil spiritual atmosphere hovering around the temple the Kedarnath Temple has the best possible settings one can ever imagine. With the mighty Kedarnath Peak (6940 M) standing tall behind the temple, Kedarnath is spectacularly glorious.
Badrinath Dham: Badrinath is an important holy shrine for Vaishnavites and is one of the 108 Divya desams incarnations of Vishnuji. Also, Badrinath the town is part of Panch Badri temples which include Yog Dhyan Badri, Bhavishya Badri, Adi Badri and Vriddha Badri, along with Badrinath temple.
And, Badrinath is situated at an altitude of about 3415 m, in the Chamoli District of Uttarakhand. Located in the Silent valley of Garhwal, Badrinath lies on the shores of the Alaknanda river.
A few Travel tips for a smooth trek to the Char Dham Yatra:
There are some of the most essential tips that are required by travellers so that they can plan their trip with utmost care.
Carry the mandatory Altitude Sickness medicines.
Drink a lot of water so that you can protect yourself from dehydration.
Carrying along heavy woollens is quite necessary because the weather conditions during the Char Dham Yatra are quite unpredictable.
Get a medical examination of your body done before you start with this 1,400 ft. high journey.
You must move slowly during the trek as this arduous pilgrimage requires discipline.
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