Char Dham as the word suggests it is the pilgrimage tour to four sites- temples in the four corners of the country to attain "moksha" or salvation. The pilgrimage sites are Badrinath, Dwarka, Puri, and Rameswaram. According to the Vaishnavite Hindus, it is said that everyone should visit the real Char Dham once in their lifetime.

Badrinath Rameshwaram Dwarka PuriImage credit

There is a shorter version of Char Dham yatra known as the Chota Char Dham yatra. It consists of sites like Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath. These places lie close to each other in the state of Uttrakhand and are mostly preferred for the pilgrimage journey.

Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath

Char Dham yatra is considered to be done from west to east, hence it starts from Yamunotri and then proceeding to Gangotri followed by Kedarnath and Badrinath.

Yamunotri - Yamunotri the glacier of river Yamuna and the chair of goddess Yamuna. The goddess in this temple is made of black marble. Every year this temple opens on the auspicious day of the Akshaya Tritiya, which by and large falls during the last week of April, or the first week of May. The temple usually closes on the holy day of Diwali in mid-October - the first week of November. The holy abode of Goddess Yamuna is located near the base of Kalind Parbat (peak) and on a part of Banderpoonch Parbat. According to the Hindu mythology Goddess Yamuna is the daughter of Sun and twin sister of Yama (the god of death); in Vedas, Yamuna is called Yami (lady of life). A bath in the sacred waters of Yamuna is believed to purify all sins and protect from an unfortunate or agonizing death.

Yamunotri

Gangotri- the origin of River Ganga from the Gangotri glacier is the said to be the place where Goddess Ganga descended from the locks of hair of Lord Shiva. The height of the temple is around 20 feet and is built from white granite. The snow clad mountains and the mysterious water of the river Ganges add to the purity of the journey. From the very ancient time till the present day, River Ganga has always been a sacred source of purity for the human. The incredible mountain range of the Himalayas and the flowing Bhagirathi River by the side provides for a perfect setting to behold the life-giving, calm yet powerful deity.

Gangotri

Kedarnath- Kedarnath Mandir dedicated to Lord Shiva lies in the Garhwal Himalayan range. "Kedarnath" literally means "the lord of the field" as the "the crop of freedom" grows here. According to Hindu mythology, it is considered that the five Pandava brothers of Mahabharata built it and it is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas. Constructed along the flowing Mandakini River, mesmerizing landscape and fine sceneries in the shape of the snow-clad mountains, and peaceful environment makes Kedarnath a serene and pleasing site to be present at.

Kedarnath

Badrinath- Badri denotes to a berry that was in fact said to grow in large quantities in the spot, and Nath means "Lord". Badrinath is the abode of Lord Vishnu and is one of the holiest spaces of the holy shrines of Char Dham pilgrimage in India. Lord Vishnu is worshipped in a black stone statue sitting in a meditative pose surrounded by idols of other gods like Nar, Narayana, Narad, Ganesha, Garud and Kuber. In the winter season, the idol of Lord Badri is shifted to Yogadhyan Badri in Pandukeshwar.

Badrinath

Chota Char Dham Yatra of Uttrakhand takes around 10-11 days to complete. The best time to visit Chardham is before the winter season kicks in as these temple closes during the winters due to heavy snowfall. From the month of April to the starting of November is the preferred period to visit char dham.

However, now you can visit these places in just two days via the helicopter services. But the preferred trip would be by the road on foot where you can enjoy and gasp every paranoiac view of the beautiful hills and valley.

How to Reach Char Dham

Char Dham of Uttrakhand is well connected from Rishikesh, Haridwar, and Dehradun and from the national capital of New Delhi.

By Air:

The nearest airport is in Dehradun (Jolly Grant Airport). This airport is well connected to Delhi and other parts of the country. It is at a distance of around 109kms from Kedarnath, 146kms from Badrinath, 114kms from Gangotri and 210kms from Yamunotri.

By Helicopter:

These days there is around service for Chardham yatra by helicopter which can be completed in only 2 days which starts from Dehradun.

By Road and Railway:

The roads are well connected to all the char dham and buses leave from Delhi ISBT for the Char Dham yatras. There are a couple of trains to reach the destination as well from where you can take a cab to reach the temple or trek there.

There are attractive tour packages for the Chardham Yatra. Choose your desired package and get set to your pilgrimage tour.