Char Dham Yatra

Char Dham Yatra – Uttarakhand is known as “Dev Bhoomi” because of numerous pilgrimage sites and worshipped by the devotees but the Four Pilgrimage sites Yamunotri,

Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath are most prominent which known as “Char Dham” and visiting these places in a sequence known as “Char Dham or Tirtha Yatra”.

These four pious sites are located in Indian Himalayas away from the pollution in soothing climate and invigorating greenery at different districts of Uttarakhand.

Beliefs for Char Dham Yatra

The Char Dham Yatra is done in a sequence from west to east-

•  Yamunotri
•  Gangotri
•  Kedarnath
•  Badrinath

“Char Dham” holds a great position in Hindu Mythology and people believe that it is important to go for this yatra once in a lifetime to get salvation and overcome all the sins. It is great for the people who are in search of spirituality and tranquility.

History of the Char Dhams

Each Pilgrimage site has its own mythological history which made these places great holy sites.

YAMUNOTRI

Goddess Yamuna is the daughter of Lord Surya and the sister of Yamraj. A saint named “Asit Muni” lived here and took a bath in Ganga and Yamuna.

At the time of his old age, he was unable to go to Gangotri then Ganga’s stream started to flow across the Yamuna.

 It is the source of River Yamuna and is the second most holy river in India after Ganga in Uttarkashi district.

“Yamunotri” temple built-in 1839 by “Naresh Sudarshan Shah” the king of Tehri.

 It is believed that bathing in the water here purifies the soul of a person and washes all the sins.

 Hot water springs are present around the temple and Surya Kund is most important among all, rice and potatoes are boiled in this hot water spring as Prasad.

GANGOTRI

During Ashwamedha Yagna King Sagar sent his 60,000 sons along with a horse and the horse got lost and the sons went in search of a horse to saint Kapila’s ashram, he was in deep meditation.

The saint in anger opened his eyes and turned all 60,000 sons into ashes. Then, Kapila advised Anshuman (grandson of King Sagar) to request Goddess Ganga to come on earth and cleanse all the ashes and provide salvation but he failed.

 Bhagirath’s extreme meditation made the goddess Ganga come down to earth.

Lord Shiva Tied Ganga then distributed the water into many streams to save earth from the powerful force.

 The origin of River Ganga is Gomukh glacier in Uttarkashi district, this Dham is Goddess Ganga’s shrine and the temple was built by “Amar Singh Thapa” in 19th century.

KEDARNATH

The Pandavas wanted Lord Shiva to forgive them for their sins which they committed at the battleground of “Mahabharata” by killing their brothers “Kauravas”

but Lord Shiva did not want to forgive them and transformed himself into a bull and was hiding in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand.

The Pandavas found him and Lord Shiva dived into the ground.

All the parts of Shiva differentiated at different places – Hump at Kedarnath, Navel at Madhya Maheshwar, Hair at Kalpeshwar, Face at Rudranath and Arms at Tungnath. and All these five holy places known as Panch Kedar.

 The temple of Kedarnath was made by Pandavas and Saint Adi Shankaracharya made a temple next to it in the 8th century. It built in a very remote area.

 The structure is strongly built and it survived the floods in 2013.

BADRINATH

Lord Vishnu meditated here as an act of penance his wife Goddess Laxmi became a tree and protected him from the tough natural elements.

 Badrinath was Shiva’s kingdom and Lord Vishnu tricked him and stayed here.

 This holy site is also included both “Char Dham” Saint Adi Shankaracharya found statue or idol of Lord Vishnu in Alaknanda River and the saint kept it in a cave around Tapt Kund.

 Garhwal King erected the temple and it has been reconstructed many times.

Best Time to do Char Dham Yatra

 The perfect time to go on this Yatra is from May to October.

 The gates of these holy sites are closed during monsoon and winter season because the areas receive heavy snowfall in winters and are prone to landslides in monsoon.

The routes get blocked and the idols shifted the pilgrim sites which are nearby.

Char Dham Yatra Cost: Per person 25999/- from Haridwar to Haridwar

Short Itinerary of Char Dham Yatra

Day 1 – Haridwar to Janki Chatti (239 km) (8/9 hours) Overnight stay Hotel

Day 2 – Janki Chatti to Yamunotri and back (5 km) (3/4 hours) Overnight stay Hotel

Day 3 – Janki Chatti to Gangotri (222Meter) (7/8 hours) Overnight stay Hotel Uttarkashi

Day 4 – Uttarkashi to Sonprayag ,fhata, (228 km) (8/9hours) Overnight stay Hotel

Day 5 - Sonprayag to Gaurikund (5.2 km) and Kedarnath dham Trek (16.5 km) ( 7/8 Hours) Overnight stay Hotel

Day 6 - Rest day kedarnath

Day 7 –kedarnath to Sonprayag by Trek (16.5km) (5.2 km) Drive and gopeshwar, mandal (112km) (4/5 Hours) Overnight stay Hotel

Day 8 –Gopeshwar,Mandal to Badrinath (98km) (4/5 Hours) Overnight stay Hotel

Day 9 – visit Badrinath pandukeshwar

Day 10 -Badrinath to Haridwar (315 km) (9/10 Hours) Railway station drop group