CHAR DHAM YATRA Location : In Various Part of Uttaranchal Major Religious Sites : Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath Most Important Attraction : Aarti at Gangotri Temple Best Time to Visit : May to October

Gateway to Holy Chardham - Yamunotri

Pilgrim Destinations Kedarnath

Badrinath Gangotri Yamunotri

Mukteshwar

Char Dham Yatra – The Journey of a Lifetime

If your are Hindu, then this journey is a must for you, a do or die situation, but if you are not one then there is even a greater motive to come. Is it not causing you an inquisitiveness to know, after all what is there in this journey that make millions of people flock to India and be part of it? Char Dham is essentially a journey in which the pilgrim has to cover the four major religious sites in Uttaranchal, which is better known as the abode of God. The four major site are Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. These holy paces are opened for tourists from the period of May to October and the rest of the year they remain unreachable due to chunk of ice they lie covered with.
This is one of the most holy journey in the country and you should definitely be a part of it. Take up pilgrimage tours of Char Dham in Uttaranchal and visit the four holy peaks that lie in the lap of Himalayas. Besides, bowing the popular temple, you can also indulge in various adventure options that include trekking and camping.

Begin Your Journey from Yamunotri – The Source of the Holy Yamuna

After paying homage in the temples of Rishikesh and Haridwar, move towards Yamunotri where pilgrims indulge in a 6 kms long trek to reach atop where a temple is located. As per the Hindu mythology, this town is a sacred spot because it was the abode of an ancient sage by the name, Asit Muni. The shrine in the temple is dedicated to Goddess Yamuna and inside the temple, you should not miss seeing the silver statue of the Goddess that is embellished with garlands. Here you should enjoy the Prasad that is distributed among the devotees. Another attraction here is the hot water spring where as per rituals raw rice is cooked and then made in to the prasads. Other tourist attractions around are Janaki Chatti, Hanuman Chatti and Saptrishi Kund.

Pilgrims Outside Gangotri Temple During Char Dham Yatra

The Holiness in Gangotri – Next in Line

After the pilgrims have paid their reverence in Yamunotri temple, they pave their way towards Gangotri which is an important land in the hinterland of Himalayas. The legend associated with this spot revolves around king Bhagirath who supposedly performed his penance here. The religion savvy definitely love to visit this place that has a beautiful temple and also offer options for trekking. The main religious activity in the temple is the famous aarti that you should miss seeing. One of the important tourist attraction that you should not miss is the Gaumukh glacier. One should explore this area by taking up trekking excursions to see the lake attractions and other small towns that one encounters on the way. This destination is just a day journey from Rishikesh (249 kms), Haridwar or Dehradun (26 kms). Enjoying pony rides to the temple has its own unique charm.

Kedarnath Welcome the Pilgrims After Gangotri

Known as one of the most religious centre in India, Kedarnath has its signature as the Kedarnath temple, where pilgrims flock to kowtow. The term Sri Kedarnath Ji, is self explanatory of the religious importance this hill station of Uttaranchal holds. To reach this place you will take to take an interesting 14 kms trek, at an altitude of 3,581 mts. Here the mythological stories is spun around Lord Shiva and incidents from his life. Travel to Kedarnath in order to know more of this interesting legend that has gripped the minds of people to an extent that they are more than willing to come here on foot. The nearby attractions of the town is also worth visiting.

Pilgrims at the Famous Kedarnath Temple

Badrinath – Where The Consecrated Journey Ends

It might be the last, but there is no dearth of sanctity in Badrinath. This is the seat of Hindu goddess Vishnu, which can be reached by taking up a two-day's journey from Kedarnath. This is the most pious destinations among all the other dhams. Clearing the clouds of the rumor that the famous Badrinath temple was earlier under Buddhist control, this temple has striking colors that gives a wonderful site against the while Himalayas.