Location :
Each of the four holy shrines of
the Char Dham is located at a
height above 3,000 m above sea
level. The four temples in a
geographical context form two
distinct groups, that of
Badrinath-Kedarnath and
Gangotri-Yamunotri, with the
common starting point at
Rishikesh.
Tourist
Attractions : Chardham -
Badrinathji, Kedarnathji,
Gangotri, Yamunotri.
Best Activity :
Trekking
Nearby Tourist
Destinations : Haridwar,
Rishikesh, Mussoorie.
About Chardham
In the layers of the
snow-covered reaches of the
lofty Garhwal Himalayas in
Uttarakhand are located the holy
Hindu shrines of Badrinath,
Kedarnath, Gangotri and
Yamunotri, together form the
Char Dham or the Four Holy
Shrines. The region is referred
as the land of the gods in the
ancient Puranas. Scores of
pilgrims visit the shrines by
trekking arduously along the
mountain paths, all for a
communion with the divine.
Over the centuries, these sites
have been described in sacred
scriptures
as the very places where
devotees could earn the merits
of all the pilgrimages put
together. Subsequently, temples
were built at these sanctified
sites for all and sundry.
Badrinath-Kedarnath lie towards
the northeast of Rishikesh.
Gangotri and Yamunotri are up
north from Rishikesh. Of these
sites, Badrinath and Gangotri
are directly accessible by road
while Kedarnath is reached by
road followed by a short trek of
15 km from the Gaurikund road
head. Yamunotri is a 13-km trek
from Hanuman Chatti.
Major Tourist
Attractions of Chardham
Badrinath
Badrinath, dwelling at a height
of 3,133 m, is said to be
unparalleled in its sanctity
when compared to other
pilgrimages. Badrinath is
located in the Narnarayan range
against the imposing Neelkanth
peak. The Badrinath temple is
stationed in a beautiful valley
on the bank of the River
Alaknanda and is dedicated to
Shri Badrinathji, that is Shiva
the Creative Destructor. The
temple traces its origin to Adi
Shankaracharya in the 8th
century, though legend has it
that the temple stands on the
site of an earlier shrine.
The present temple was built
about two centuries back by the
Garhwal kings. The main idol in
the temple is of black stone and
represents Vishnu seated in a
meditative pose. The temple is
divided into three parts: the
garbha griha or sanctum
sanctorum; the darshan mandap
where the prayers are held; and
the sabha mandap where devotees
assemble. Below the temple are
the hot springs, Tapt Kund and
Surya Kund, with waters at a
temperature of 55°C. There are
four other Badris or shrines
dedicated to Lord Vishnu that
can be visited from Badrinath.
They are Yogadhyan Badri,
Bhavishya Badri, Bridha Badri
and Adi Badri. Forty-two
kilometers from Badrinath is
Joshimath, the winter home of
Shri Badrinathji.
East of Badrinath is the
beautiful Valley of Flowers and
the holy lake of Hemkund.
According to the Guru Granth
Sahib, the holy book of the
Sikhs, Guru Govind Singh, the
tenth Guru of the Sikhs,
meditated on the banks of
Hemkund.
Kedarnath
Kedarnath, at a height of 3,581
m, is the site of one of the 12
jyotirlingas in the country. The
temple built of solid gray stone
stands against the backdrop of
Kedarnath range. According to
legend, the Pandavas came here
to pray to Lord Shiva after
their victory in the great
battle of Kurushetra to atone
for killing their own kin in the
course of the war. However, Lord
Shiva kept eluding them and
sought refuge at Kedarnath in
the form of a bull. On being
trailed, he plunged into the
ground, leaving only the hump
exposed on the earth, which is
worshipped at the shrine. His
arms are believed to have
surfaced at Tungnath, his face
at Rudranath, belly at
Madmaheshwar, his locks and head
at Kalpeshwar. These spots where
he reappeared (together with
Kedarnath) form the Panch Kedar.
All these places are located in
the Garhwal Himalayas and can be
visited from Kedarnath by road
and subsequent trekking.
The
present temple at Kedarnath
traces its origins to the 8th
century, having been resurrected
by Adi Shankaracharya. It stands
adjacent to the site of an
ancient temple built by the
Pandavas. The samadhi or final
resting place of Shankaracharya
is behind the temple.
Gangotri
Eighteen kilometers downstream
from Gaumukh is Gangotri. It is
an important pilgrim site
located at 3,048 m above sea
level. The Gangotri glacier is
the original source of the
river. There is a temple
dedicated to Goddess Ganga and
the sacred stone where Raja
Bhagirath is believed to have
worshipped Lord Shiva. Submerged
in the river here is the natural
rock Shivling where Lord Shiva
is believed to have received the
Ganges (called Bhagirathi here)
in his locks. It is visible in
the winter months when the water
level recedes.
Yamunotri
The shrine of Yamunotri, at a
height of 3,235 m, is dedicated
to the river Goddess Yamuna. The
temple of Goddess Yamuna is the
main pilgrim site and there are
many thermal springs in the
vicinity. Also present is a
divya shila, a rock pillar that
is worshipped before entering
the Yamunotri temple.
Accommodations
We offer best accommodation as
per your requirements.
Accommodation offered are
complete with high quality
facilities and services, so that
your trip to Chardham is
absolutely satisfying.
