Char Dham is a term coined for the four most revered Hindu temples viz' Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. According to the Puranas and various Hindu scriptures the Char Dham Yatra is of very high religious significance. Pilgrims from all around the world brave the severe conditions of landscape and weather to visit the shrines and have the holy darshan of the revered deity. The sources of two rivers, Gangotri and Yamunotri are devoted to the female deities – Ganga and Yamuna. They both, along with Badrinath and Kedarnath form the Char Dham of the Garhwal, the four most blessed shrines in the Himalayas.

 

 

The first stopover for the Char Dham yatra is the westernmost shrine of Yomunotri in the Gharwal Himalayas. Dedicated to Goddess Yamuna, it is perched atop a flank of the Bhandhar Poonch Peak (3165 mts. above sea level) and is situated apposite to Gangotri. The shrine attracts devotes in large numbers from May to October.

Yamunotri is the source of revered river Yamuna which originates from the Champasar Glacier lying 1 kms. ahead of the shrine siyuated at an elevation of 3235 mt above sea level. the approach is extremely difficult and pilgrims therefore offer pooja at the temple itself. the temple was built by manharani Gularia of jaipur in the 19th century. Yamunotri was the home of an ancient sage Asit Muni.
There are hot spring close to the temple, a bath in them is very refreshing after 5 kms. trek from junki chatti to yamunotri.

 

The picturesque pilgrimage in the hinterlands of the Himalayas is the most sacred spot where Ganga, the stream of life, touched earth for the first time.

According to mythology, Godess Ganga - the daughter of heaven, manifested herself in the form of a river to absolve the sims of King Bhagirath's predecessors, following his severe penance of several centuries. Lord Shiva recevied her into his matted locks to minimise the intense impact of her fall. she came to called as Bhagirathi at her legendary source.

Along the right bank of Bhagirathi stands the shrine of Gangotri dedicated to the Goddess. Perched at a height of 3042 mts. , it was constructed in the early 18th Century by a Gorkha Commander, Amar Singh Thapa.. Lakhs of pilgrims throng the temple between May and October. By November, Gangotri is covered by snow. It is believed that the Goddess retreats to Mukhba, her winter abode (12 kms. downstream)

The physical source of river is at Gaumukh, 18 kms. further uphill, along the Gangotri glacier. Several pilgrims trek upto the source to offer prayers either on foot or on ponies.
 

Amidst the montainscape of the majestic Kedarnath Range stands one of the 12 Joytirlingam of Kedar or Lord Shiva, lying at an altitude of 3584 mts. On the head of river Mandakini, the shrine of Kedarnath is amongst the holiest pilgriages for the Hindus.

The origin of the revered temple can be found in the great epic - MAHABHARATA. According to the legend, the Pandavas sought the blessings of Lord Shiva to atone their sins after the battle of Mahabharata. Lord Shiva eluded them repeatedly and while fleeing took refuge at Kedarnath in the form of Bull.on being followed, he dived into the ground, leaving behind his hump on the surface. This conical protrusion os worshipped as the idol in the shrine.

The remaining protions of Lord Shiva are worshipped at 4 other places-

-- the Arms (Bahu) at Tungnath
-- Nouth (Mukh) at Rudranath
-- Navel (Nabhi) at Madmaheshwar
-- Hair (Jata) at Kalpeshwar

Together with Kedarnath, these places are known as Panch Kedar.

The Lingam at Kedarnath is pyramidical, unlike its usual form. A statue of Nandi - the celestial bull stabds at the entrance of the temple and exquisitely catved images adorn the interiors of the temple.

During the winters, the shrine is submerged in snow and hence is closed. The ideal time to visit is between May to October. Kedarnath is reached through a 14 kms trek from Gaurikund.

 

Cradled in the twin Mountain ranges of Nar and Narayan is the holiest of the four main shrines - Badrinath along the left bank of River Alaknanda with the towering Neelkantha Peak as the splendid backdrop. Once the spot was carpeted with "badris" or wild berries and hence was famous as Badri van.

Legend has it, when the Ganga was requested to descend to earth to help suffering humanity, the earth was unable to withstand the force of its descent. Therefore the mighty Ganga was split into 12 holy channels. Alaknanda was one of them that later become the abode of Lord Vishnu or Badrinath.

The temple of Shri Badrinathji on the banks of Alaknanda River dates back to vedic times. Situated at an altitude of 3.133 mts., the present temple is believed to have been built by Adi Guru Shankaracharya - an 8th century Philosopher saint, who also established a math here. Also known as "Vishal Badri", Badrinath is one of the Panch Badris.

The temple remains closed during the winter season and open from April - May to October - November.

Short trip ite....

Day 01: Delhi - Haridwar (210 kms)
Morning leave for Haridwar. Stop for lunch enroute at Cheetal Grand. On arrival check in hotel The Haveli Hari Ganga. Evening free at Har Ki Pauri to attend Aarti. Overnight at hotel.

Day 02: Haridwar - Barkot - 230 kms (7 - 8 hrs)
 Depart from Haridwar early morning and take lunch on the way in Mussoorie. Restart your journey  and reach Barkot in the evening after visiting Kempty Falls on the way. On arrival check in The  Chardham Camp Yamunotri, just 1 km out of Barkot town on the Yamunotri Road. Overnight at The  Chardham Camp.

Day 03: Barkot - Yamnotri - Barkot (Drive 32 kms, trek 10 kms round)
 Again after an early breakfast leave for Hanuman Chatti ( Drive 32 kms ) to start your journey. Take a  local jeep to reach Phool Chatti to shorten your trek by 5 kms. Arrive at Yamnotri and pray at temple  and also take a holy Achman to start your most sacred pilgrimage to Char Dhams. Come back to  Phool Chatti in the evening to return back to Camp resort for dinner and relaxation with Ayurvedic  Massage at the resort. Overnight at The Chardham Camp.

Day 04: Barkot - Uttarkashi (Drive 62 kms, 2 - 3 hrs)
 After a relaxed breakfast leave for Uttarkashi. Reach Uttarkashi for lunch. On arrival check in Camp  Hammock. Evening visit famous Vishwanath temple. Overnight at camp.

Day 05: Uttarkashi - Gangotri - Uttarkashi (Drive 105 Kms one side)
 After breakfast leave for Gangotri and on arrival take a holy dip in the River sacred The Ganges, also  called Bhagirathi at its origin. Perform Pooja after that and relax for sometime in the lovely surround  ings. Come back to Camp resort in the afternoon to relax in the bright sunshine and some of breath  taking views of the valley beautiful. In the evening perform the Ganga Aarti at resorts own riverbank.  Dinner and overnight at Camp Hammock.

Day 06: Uttarkashi - New Tehri (90 Kms)- Guptakashi (155 kms) (Drive 7 - 8 hrs)
 After a very early breakfast leave for Guptkashi. Enroute stop at New Tehri for lunch at Camp  Hammock. On the way see the heritage city of Tehri going down in to the mighty waters of Holy River  Ganges, because of the construction of Tehri Dam. After lunch restart your journey and today for the  first time see the river beautiful MANDAKINI. Travel along this to reach Guptakashi late in the evening.  On arrival check in The Chardham Camp (Guptakashi) located 2 kms out of town towards Gaurikund.  Dinner and overnight at The Chardham Camp.

Day 07: Guptakashi - Kedarnath. ( Drive 32 kms trek 14 kms )
 After breakfast pick up your packed Lunch and leave for Gaurikund ( a 32 kms drive one way ) on  arrival start your journey on the tough trek ahead. Stop for the lunch en route and restart after that to  arrive by late afternoon. On arrival check in Punjab Sind Awas. After freshening up perform Pooja and  also Darshan at the Shri Kedarnath ji. In the evening also visit Adi Shankaracharya samadhi at the  back of the temple. Dinner and overnight at Punjab Sind Awas.

Day 08: Kedarnath - Guptakashi. (Trek 14 kms, drive 32 kms)
 After breakfast start you journey back to Gaurikund and on arrival leave for Guptakashi by road to  reach the Chardham Camp by evening. Relax with Ayurvedic Massage. Dinner and overnight at The  Chardham Camp.

Day 09: Guptakashi - Joshimath Via Chopta. 175 kms. ( 6 - 7 hrs )
 After breakfast leave for Joshimath via Chopta, one of the most beautiful sites on the whole trip. Enjoy  the beautiful drive through the thick medicinal forest. Arrive at The Chardham Camp Joshimath by late  afternoon. Evening free in Joshimath. Dinner and overnight at The Chardham Camp.

Day 10: Joshimath - Badrinath - Joshimath. 45 kms one way (1 - 2 hrs)
 After breakfast leave for Badrinath, on arrival take the holy Darshan and spend time visiting Mana  village the last village before the Tibet border. Come back in the evening. One can also go to Auli, the  ski resort by ropeway. Overnight at camp.

Day 11 : Joshimath - Haridwar. 280 kms (8 - 9 hrs)
 Early morning we leave with packed breakfast from Joshimath for Haridwar. On the way  visit  Devprayag and Rishikesh. Enroute stop for lunch in Srinagar. On arrival check in hotel The Haveli  Hari  Ganga.

Day 12 : Haridwar - Delhi. 210 kms (6 - 7 hrs)
 After breakfast visit Chandi Devi by Cable car. After lunch proceed for Delhi