It is believed in the Hindu religion that Chardham
are the most sacred of all Hindu pilgrimages. The holy places of
Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri and Gangotri are together called Char
Dham. For the religious minded it is the most holy place on the earth.
Situated on the Garhwal ranges of the Himalayas it is regarded as the
most sacred of all Himalayan ranges among the Hindu pilgrims. It is said
that the yatra or parikrama should be done from left to right starting
from Yamunotri and ending your journey at Badrinath.
Yamunotri
The sacred shrine of Yamunotri dedicated to goddess Yamuna is situated
at an altitude of 3,235 m in the Garhwal Himalayas. It is regarded as
one of the most important Hindu pilgrimage. According to legends
Maharani Gularia of Jaipur built the temple of Yamunotri during the last
decade of the 19th century. In 1923 the temple was destroyed, and only
the idols were left, later on it was again rebuilt. 1982 the temple was
once again damaged. There is a hot water pond at Yamunotri at a place
called Jankichatti, which is 7 km away from Yamunotri where Prasad is
prepared for the deity. Normally the Prasad is of rice and potatoes,
which are prepared by dipping them in the hot water, tied in cloth bags.
The shrine of Yamunotri is in the opposite direction of Gangotri. During
winter from the months of November to April the temple remains closed
for the visitors.
How to reach Yamunotri:
For reaching Yamunotri you have to travel to Hanumanchatti, which is
about 222 km from Rishikesh. Till Hanumanchatti there is motorable road
after that you have to travel on foot to reach Yamunotri. It's a
diatance of 14 km, which you have to travel on foot or on ponies to
reach Yamunotri. And if you want to travel by air than the nearest
airport is at Jolly Grant, Dehradun. And for those who like to travel by
rail the nearest railhead are at Rishikesh, Haridwar, and Kotdwar.
Gangotri
The holy shrine of Gangotri is situated at an altitude of 3,200 m. The
mountain peaks of Shivlinga, Satopanth and Bhagirathi sisters surround
it. It originates from river Bhagirathi. According Hindu legends Goddess
Ganga manifested herself in the form of a holy river to forgive the sins
of King Sagar's sons. Here Goddess Ganga is worshipped in the form of
deity. In the early 18th century the Gangotri temple was built by Amar
Singh Thapa, a Gorkha General and later it was rebuilt by the Maharaja
of Jaipur. Thousands of pilgrims visit this holy place every year.
Various ashrams are located on the other side of the Bhagirathi. During
the winter season from November to April the temple remains closed.
Places of Religious Attractions are:
Gaumukh glaciers, it is about 18 km from Gangotri. Where a dip in the
holy water is a must for all pilgrims.
Temple of Bhairavanath at Bhaironghati, which is about 10 km and the
GMVN Tourist Bungalow, which is located at Bhojbasa, is about 14 km.,
from Gangotri. Pilgrims also trek to Nandanvan (6 km) and Kedartal (18
km) from Gangotri.
How to Reach
For reaching Gangotri by air the nearest airport is at Jolly Grant,
Dehradun, which is about 249 km from Rishikesh. Gangotri is well
connected by a motorable road with Rishikesh, Kotdwar, Dehradun and
Haridwar. Porters and ponies are available for excursions to Gaumukh and
other places from Gangotri during the yatra season.
Kedarnath
The Kedarnath shrine is located at an altitude of 3,581 m against the
background of Kedarnath range. It is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of
Lord Shiva. The journey to Kedarnath is a 14 km trek from Gaurikund. The
name Kedar comes from Lord Shiva, the protector and the destroyer. Lord
Shiva is one of the most important Gods in the Hindu religion. There are
more than 200 shrines devoted to Lord Shiva in Chamoli district only.
Kedarnath is regarded as the most important of all the shrines. There
are four other places other than Kedarnath where Lord Shiva is
worshipped in his different manifestations. They are Tungnath,
Rudranath, Madmaheshwar and Kalpeshwar. Together the five shrines are
called Panch Kedar.
How to Reach
If you want to travel by air than the nearest airport is at Jolly
Grant, Dehradun. For Kedarnath the motorable road is available upto
Gaurikund, which is about 207 km from Rishikesh and the rest 14 km to
Kedarnath you have to travel on foot.
Badrinath
The holy shrine of Badrinath is situated at an altitude of 3,133m in
the lap of Nar-Narayan Parvat, with the majestic Neelkanth Peak at an
altitude of 6,597 m in the backdrop; Badrinath is regarded as one of the
most sacred Hindu shrines of India. According to legends Adi Guru Sri
Shankaracharya built four pilgrimage centers in four corners of India to
revive the lost glory of Hindu religion. The four pilgrim centers are
Jagannath Puri in the east, Dwarkapuri in the west, Badrikashram in the
north, and Rameshwaram in the south.
Places of Worships
Sri Badrinathji Temple
Neelkanth
Tapt Kund
Brahma Kapil
Sheshnetra
Charanpaduka
How to Reach
Badrinath is well connected by a motorable road with Rishikesh,
Kotdwar, Dehradun and Haridwar. If you want to travel by air than the
nearest airport is at Jolly Grant, Dehradun, which is about 249 km from
Rishikesh.
