Amongst the four Char Dhams, Yamunotri andGangotri are dedicated to goddesses Yamuna and Ganga respectively. On the other hand, Kedarnath is dedicated to Lord Shiva while Badrinath is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Moreover, people also visit Hemkund Sahib in the vicinity, which is one of the highest located religious sites in the country. Thus, pilgrims visit all these places in aspiration of washing away their sins and to attain salvation, by the blessings of the Lord.
Owing to the significance of this religious circuit, devotees from all over the world, come here to experience the eternal bliss. Char Dhams are hustling and bustling with activity during the summer months, as hundreds of devotees embark upon the holy journey. The picturesque surroundings of the mountainous region are simply enthralling, giving the visitors a perfect opportunity to unwind themselves by filling their lungs with fresh air. Moreover, these otherwise silent and tranquil locales resound with the names of the Lord as the pilgrims advance towards their destination.
According to Hindu mythologies and myths, Char dham signifies the journey to the moksha and a divine life after that. Chardham can be split into Char that means four and dham meaning destinations. These four destinations that are Gangorti the source of ancient river Ganga, Yamunotri, Kedarnathji and Sri Badrinathji, are considered to be the door to the spirituality and eternity. Placed at almighty Himalayan region in Uttrakhand India, the Char dham pilgrimage yatra turns into Lone of Godly having all the traits of refining the spite of visitors' soul & grand peace of mind.
Uttarakhand – Chardham (The Holiest places in Uttarakhand)
Uttaranchal is a state of natural beauty and some of the untouched and un spoilt natural places such nainital, valley of flowers, dehradun, himalaya, kausani etc."Char Dham", is the most important Hindu pilgrimage circuit in the Indian Himalayas located in the Garhwal section of the state of Uttarakhand. The term Chardham is coined after the four holiest of pilgrimages of Hindus, Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath.
Uttarakhand has been a destination for the devout. The five Kedars (seats of Shiva), the Five Badris (Shrines of Vishnu) and the five Prayags (holy confluences) are the cherished goals of the Hindu Pilgrim.
Chardham- (Four Sacred Places)
Chardham- Hindus hold close to their heart their religion. Perhaps no other religion is so interestingly vast. The four most holy pilgrimages of India -Yamunotri, Gangotri, Sri Kedarnathji and Sri Badrinathji, collectively referred to as the Char Dham of Hinduism. Traditionally, the yatra is done from the west to the east - starting from Yamunotri, it is the source of the Yamuna River and the seat of the Goddess Yamuna in Hindu mythology. It is situated at an altitude of 3,293 meters (10,804 ft) in the Garhwal Himalayas and located approximately 30 kilometers North of Uttarkashi. It is the western most amongst the Chardham and is visited first on a Chardham trip. The temple of Yamunotri falls on the left bank and was originally constructed by Maharaj Pratap Shah of Tehri Garhwal. Near the temple are three hot springs. The most important, Surya Kund, is a tank full of boiling water into which rice and potatoes are dipped to be cooked and taken as "prasad". The second one is Gangotri which is the origin of the river Ganga and seat of the goddess Ganga, sites in the Char Dham pilgrimage circuit. The river is called Bhagirathi at the source and acquires the name Ganga from Devprayag onwards where it meets the Alaknanda. The origin of the holy river is at Gaumukh, set in the Gangotri Glacier. Every year, thousands of pilgrims come to sacred temple between May and October. By November, Gangotri is covered by snow. Anyone who comes up till here can not remain untouched by the holy aura that hangs in the air of the place. Kedarnatrh is another important holy place of Uttaranchal where thousands and thousands of pilgrims come to visit every year. Kedarnath is abode to one of the twelve major jyotirlings of Kedar or Lord Shiva in the country. Blessed with some great scenic beauty, Kedarnath is also the origin of River Mandakini. The fourth one is Badrinath; the abode of Lord Vishnu is in the itinerary of every devout Hindu's. Every year thousands and thousands of pilgrims pay a visit to this place in summers, since due to snowfalls, the temple remains closed during winters. Badrinath is covered within the two mountain ranges of Nar and Narayan, with the Neelkanth peak on the background.
Other Visiting Places (During Chardham Yatra)
There are lots of places during your Chardham Yatra. According to your tour packages First you can visit Rishikesh known as City of Saint where is the famous Laxman Jhula or Swarg Ashram. After that the second place to visit is Barkot, One can stay here at night. After visiting these places the other place is Syanachatti, from here Yamunotri is only 7 km, one can take Pony and Doly which are available in this trek. Visit the first sacred place Yamunotr. After darshan of Yamunotri dham the other place is Uttarkashi, Take the Darshan of Kashivishwanath Temple. From here the other destination is Gangotri. It is beautiful place with hot water. ancesters. It is believed that one dip in pious Ganga washes all the sins of a yatrik. Take a dip here and enjoy with holy Ganga. After visiting here continue your yatra towards the another palaces Rudrapryag, Guptkashi, Kedarnath, Pipalkoti ,Joshimath, Badrinath. After visiting your chardham return your tour towards Devpryag, Srinagar and finali reach at Haridwar. Haridwar is regarded as one of the seven holiest places to Hindus. The evening prayer(Aarti) at dusk offered to Goddess Ganga at Har-Ki-Pauri (steps of God Hara or Shiva) is an enchanting experience for any visitor. A spectacle of sound and colour is seen when, after the ceremony, pilgrims float diyas (floral floats with lamps) and incense on the river.
Staying Places
Chardham Yatra is a big yatra in Uttarakhand, so there is no any problem to stay because there are a lots of big and Small hotels and cottages, which are available in the vicinity. There are guesthouses of PWD, GMVN, Jal Nigam, and the forest department. Many religious organizations maintain Dharamshalas, which are very cheap and clean. The food served is necessarily vegetarian and simple in preparation. Alcohol is neither available nor encouraged. A Tourist Rest House, Temple Committee Guest House, private hotels, lodges and dharamshalas are available. Hence there is not any accommodation problem during Chardham Yatra. But we offer to all tourists to book their hotels in advance because in seasonable time all hotels already booked.
What to eat
During your chardham yatra you can eat only vegetarian food. You can eat Indian, Gujarathi, South Indian & Continental cuisines, snacks can be savored in many restaurant you can enjoy with lassi and hot milk. In fast food you can eat Chinese food or south Indian dishes. You can also take tea or coffee in evening time in any tea stall.
