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Char Dham Yatra

The Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand is a perennial favorite among the devout Hindu pilgrims. The Char Dham indicates the four famous religious shrines.

Yamunotri


Yamuna, a major tributary of River Ganga, flows through the north Indian plains. Important cities like Delhi and Agra are located at its bank. This river originates from Yamunotri Glacier at an elevation of 6387 mts, which is located near Bandar Poonch peak in the Mussoorie range, situated in district Uttarkashi of Uttarakhand. However, as the actual origin is inaccessible, the Yamunotri Temple dedicated to River Yamuna is located at the foot of the mountain at Yamunotri at an altitude of 3235 mts. Even this temple is reached by 7 km trek from Janki Chatti or 13 km trek from Hanuman Chatti, which is the last road head to Yamunotri. In any case, the Yamunotri Temple is the spot, which is accessible closest to the origin of River Yamuna and thus is a venerated site for the Hindus. Janki Chatti is 168 km from Dehradun via Mussoorie and 389 km from New Delhi via Saharanpur, or 442 km via Haridwar, Rishikesh.

Gangotri

Ganga is considered the holiest river in Hinduism. Its sanctity places this river as one among the pantheon of Hindu gods. Every devout Hindu aspires at least one opportunity in life to take a dip in its holy waters, which absolves one of all sins and leads to the ultimate liberation from rebirth.

Ganga acquires its name at Deoprayag (altitude 465 metres, or 1,526 feet) in Uttarakhand, at the confluence of Bhagirathi with Alaknanda. However, as per tradition, Bhagirathi is considered the original Ganga, which came down from the heavens due to severe austerities undertaken by King Bhagirath for the emancipation of his 60,000 ancestors at Gangotri (altitude 7,756 mts, or 25,446 ft) in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. The highly venerated Gangotri Temple is 240 kms upstream from Deoprayag, though Bhagirathi emanates from Gaumukh, the snout of Gangotri Glacier, which is still additional 18 kms upstream, which is accessed by a difficult trek. Gangotri is considered to be one of the four holiest of holy Char Dhams in Uttarakhand, apart from Yamunotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath.

Gangotri is 468 kms drive from New Delhi, or one can take a comfortable train journey to Haridwar from New Delhi and from there it is 260 kms. The nearest airport is at Jolly Grant in district Dehradun, which is 250 kms from Gangotri.

Badrinath

Located at an altitude of 3,415 metres (11,204 feet), amidst the Nar and Narayan mountains and overshadowed by the towering Neelkanth Peak, Badrinath is not only one among the four Char Dhams in Uttarakhand, but is considered to be one among the four major, most venerated Hindu Shrines in India. These four major shrines were established by the revered Aadi Guru Shankaracharya (circa 788 - 820 AD) at Badrinath in Uttarakhand, Jagannath Puri in Orissa, Dwarka Puri in Gujarat and Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu to unify the then feuding sects in Hinduism and to create an enduring phalanx against all opposing existing faiths.

Situated on the banks of River Alaknanda in district Chamoli of Uttarakhand, the Badrinath temple finds repeated mention in almost all important Hindu scriptures and is one of the biggest attractions for the pilgrims in Uttarakhand. The temple, dedicated to Lord Maha Vishnu, is the most accessible temples among the Char Dhams of Uttarakhand, as the national highway from New Delhi leads directly upto this highly venerated shrine, which is 526 kms direct drive from the national capital. Otherwise, one can board a comfortable train to Haridwar, from where it is 318 kms. The nearest airport Jolly Grant in Dehradun district is located at 310 kms from this shrine.

Kedarnath


Considered to be one among the famous ‘Char Dhams’ of Uttarakhand, Kedarnath is the site of one of the most important Shiva temples in India. Despite a difficult 14 kms trek from Gauri Kund and an often inclement weather, this holy shrine is visited by lakhs of pilgrims every year within a short span of 6 months, when the roads are open. Located near the origin of River Mandakini at an altitude of 3584m (11759 Ft.) above sea level, Kedarnath is surrounded by awesome snow-capped peaks. As per popular belief, the Kedarnath temple was erected by the Pandavas, who underwent severe austerities at this site to atone for the killing of their kith and kin during the Mahabharata war.


Being located high up at Himalayan altitudes, all the four remain snow bound during harsh winter months and are accessible only with the onset of summer season, when their doors are opened to receive visitors around Akshay Tritiya (end of April or beginning May) and again close up for winters immediately after Deepawali.

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