History and Importance of Char Dham Yatra India
The Char Dham yatra, popularly known as Teerth Yatra, covers four holy destinations of the Hindus, whereas Hindus believe that visiting these sites helps in achieving "Moksha" (salvation). The Char Dham 'four abodes' is the set of most sacred four pilgrimage sites in India. It is considered by Hindus that every Hindu must visit the char dham during one's lifetime. The Char Dham as defined by Adi Shankaracharya consists of four Hindu pilgrimage sites.
The Char Dham is Located in the four directions of India, the circuit consists of four sites - Badrinath in north , Dwarka in west, Rameshwaram in south and Puri in east popularly known as the Jagannath Dham. Adi Shankaracharya founded four mathas (monasteries) as seats of Hindu religion Sringeri Matha, Sharada Matha,Jyotir Matha ,Goverdhan Matha respectively.
A Small Circuit in Uttarakhand of Four Most Sacred Pilgrimage Sites - Chhota Char Dham Yatra
Chhota Char Dham Yatra is another circuit of four ancient pilgrimages Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath to differentiate it from this bigger circuit of Char Dham sites. Char Dham originally refers to four pilgrimage places Badrinath, Dwarka, Puri and Rameshwaram originally as established by Adi Shankaracharya back in the eighth century AD.
Gateway To God - Haridwar
Haridwar is a holy city in Uttarakhand which is regarded as one amongst the seven holiest cities by Hindus. Haridwar is amongst the first places where the river Ganga touches the plains after flowing down the mountains. Haridwar is marked as entry point to the four main centers in Uttarakhand namely Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri.
Haridwar was established when a drop of nectar spilled over from the kundalini beings being carried by the celestial bird Garuda after the mythical Samudra Manthan. Ganga Snan, a dip in the holy waters of river Ganga which at Haridwar according to Hindu belief washes away all sins and allows the chance to start life afresh, devoid of any sins and ill deeds. Haridwar in sacred writings specified as Kapilsthan, Gangadwar, and Mayapuri. Most significant of the events is the Kumbha Mela, which is celebrated every 12 years in Haridwar.
Travel Route, Whether, Special Attractions - Haridwar
Dehradun's Jolly Grant airport, situated at a distance of nearly 20 kilometers, is the nearest domestic airport to Haridwar, while Delhi airport, at a distance of nearly 200 kilometers, is the nearest international airport to this city. You can also board train from Delhi regular express train services are also available.
Haridwar experiences moderate climate throughout year Best time to visit Haridwar is from October to February and if you are at pilgrim the best time to visit would be during Kanwar Mela in July and Diwali in October.
Haridwar's best places to visit and special attractions include Hari ki Pauri following ghat constructed on the banks of the Ganga by king Vikramaditya to commemorate his brother Brithari’s penance to get divine blessings where in evening aarti, an enchanting and spiritually rewarding experience, is offered to Goddess Ganga where, after the aarti, diyas are set afloat in the river.
Other attractions include Chandi Devi Temple: Constructed in 1929 by Suchat Singh, the king of Kashmir, this temple is dedicated to Goddess Chandi.Mansa Devi Temple: Situated atop the Bilwa Parvat and offering a panoramic view of the city below, Mansa Devi temple is the place to go if you need your desires (mansa) to be fulfilled.Neel Dhara Pakshi Vihar: A bird watcher’s delight, the Neel Dhara bird sanctuary is situated approximately 3.5 km from the city.Sati Kund: Another place of historical and cultural importance. This is the place where, if legend is to be believed, Sati immolated herself.
Temple Dedicated To Lord Vishnu - Badrinath or Badrinarayan (Char Dham UttaraKhand)
Badrinath is located in the Garhwal hills, on the banks of the Alaknanda River in the state of Uttarakhand. Badrinath is a holy shrine as it showcases the traditional Garhwali wooden archietechture many Hindu devotees are smitten by charm of it. Badrinath is a holy town which is named after the Badrinath temple dedicated to the preserver, Lord Vishnu. Badrinath being established by Adi Shankaracharya is said he found the Saligram idol of Lord Badri immersed in the waters of Alaknanda and installed it in a cave near the Tapt Kund.
Badrinath is recommended to visit from April to October each year. The fastest way to reach Haridwar to Badrinath is by bus from Haridwar. Badrinath having nearest the Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun which has connectivity with major Indian cities, like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. Piligrims to visit Badrinath via flights can book from Delhi, where as helicopter service is also available from Dehradun to Badrinath at an aerial distance of 146 kmaway.
Temple Dedicated To Lord Shiva - Kedarnath (Char Dham UttaraKhand)
The text names Kedara (Kedarnath) as the place where Shiva released the holy water from his matted hair. Kedarnath temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva which is located on the Garhwal Himalayan range near the Mandakini river, state of Uttarakhand, India. Kedarnath temple committee states there are more than 200 shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva in Chamoli district but the most important one is Kedarnath. It is believed Pandavas after having won over the Kauravas in the Kurukshetra war felt guilty of having killed their own kith and kin and sought the blessings of Lord Shiva for redemption.
Shiva not willing to forgive Pandavas so he turned himself into bull and hide among cattle on hill , as Pandavas managed to track him he disappeared by sinking head first to ground , when Bhima grabbed his tail he forced him to forgive them. The Pandava brothers then built the first temple at Kedarnath.Kedarnath temple has a conical rock formation inside the temple is worshipped as Lord Shiva in his Sadashiva form.
Kedarnath best time to visit is April-May every year, direct buses are available from Haridwar to Kedarnath, Ariel distance from Haridwar to Kedarnath is 125 km, where daily helicopter services are provided by Pawan Hans from Phata and Agustmuni to kedarnath.
Source of Holy River Ganges - River Ganga and Temple Gangotri
Gangotri is defined as the main origin of the river 'Gaumukh' which is a glacier located 19km away from the Gangotri temple , it is original source of 'Holy River Ganga' which is one of important Char Dham pilgrimages in Hindu Religion. Gangotri's original temple was built by Nepalese general Amar Singh Thapa and following is a site where the river Ganga descended from heaven after being released by Lord Shiva from his locks.
King Sagara's grandson to free his ancestors from the curse of Sage Kapila, undertook penance for 1000 years to please Ganga to descend on earth, at last, his endeavors proved to be fruitful, River Ganga satisfied by his commitment arrived on earth and for this reason, it's also called Bhagirathi.
Gangotri is usually visited after Yamnotri located within the western region of Garhwal hills, where pilgrims generally make Uttarkashi as their base camp, time taken to visit Gangotri from Uttarkashi temple is about 4 hours by road. Gangotri can be visited by airways nearest airport from Gangotri is Jolly Grant, which is located just 26 km from Rishikesh.Gangotri can be visited by railway's where station is located at Rishikesh, about 249 km away, Gangotri is easily accessible by road with most of the major cities of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and NCR region which is located at a distance of 452 Km from Delhi & 229 Km from Rishikesh.
Source of Holy River Yamuna - River Yamuna and Temple Yamnotri
Yamnotri is situated in western region of Garhwal Himalayas which has a shrine dedicated to goddess and was built by king of Tehri, Naresh Sudarshan Shah in 1839. Yamnotri is about 3,293 meters above the sea level, which stands proudly with enormous mountain peaks, glaciers and gushing waters of Yamuna. The Yamuna is considered as second most sacred river of India which originates from Yamunotri and is part of pilgrimage sites in the Chota Char Dham Yatra Uttarakhand. A bath unsanctified waters of Yamuna is said to cleanse all sins and protect from an untimely or painful death. The Yamuna who is daughter of Sun and the twin sister of Yama (the God of death) in Vedas, the Yamuna is called Yami (the lady of life).Hindu mythology has placed Yamuna Devi in high ranks of divinity. The Yamuna coming out of Kalind Parbhat is also known as Kalindi. Lord Hanuman doused the fire of his tail after burning Ravana's Lanka in chilly waters of Yamuna at Banderpooch hence the peak is called Bander Monkey's tail.
Yamnotri can be reached by airway's Jolly Grant Airport Rishikesh Road, Dehradun is the nearest airport to Gangotri, to reach by railways regular trains are available all times of the To save hardships of the journey one can hire ponies, palanquins, buses and taxis are available from important destinations like Rishikesh, Dehradun, Uttarkashi, Tehri, and Barkot.year, to reach by bus where the motorable road ends at Janki Chatti tough trek measuring up to 6/5 km is initiated till the holy shrine of Yamuna Devi.
Best Season to Visit Tirth Yatra - Char Dham Yatra India
Char Dham is a pilgrimage at least once in one’s lifetime is a Hindu’s sacred duty. Since all these pilgrimage spots are located high in the mountains of Uttarakhand they can be snowbound during winter and be negotiating the narrow passes becomes impossible. The temples here have a rule of opening only around Akshay Teej in April/May and close for winter around Diwali time.
This yatra is quite difficult and one must plan for accommodation and travel costs. As the number of pilgrims rises, so does the cost of travel and accommodation as well as food. May and June are expensive on all these counts so if you are on a budget, pick some other time like July and August. If you can put up with rains, then you will find plenty of low priced hotels and cheaper travel. Prices during September and October are moderate, which makes these two months a good time to undertake the Chardham yatra.
