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| Badrinath temple |
A religious hub, Chardham is considered
the holiest religious circuit
in the country and is visited by thousands of pilgrims every year.
in the country and is visited by thousands of pilgrims every year.
A visit to four famous Hindu
pilgrimages (Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gongotri and Yamunotri) gives us
heavenly pleasure and paves the way for moksha (liberation from the
cycle of rebirth).
Given a chance every Hindu's heart
craves for the memorable and holy yatra.
In the Vedas, there are plenty of
references to Four Dhams (Chardhams) and these four dhams include
Devaloka or Deva-dham, the abode of
Brahman, Pitriloka or Pitri-ddham, the abode of Fathers, Mukti-dham,
the abode of the liberated enlightened Souls and Turiya-dham, Brahman
Himself.
The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad speaks
about the passage of the departed soul in these words: "When a
man goes away from this world he comes to the wind that opens the
door to the sun, the sun to the moon and the moon to a world which is
sorrow less and snow less and there he remains."
Thus a visit to the modern Char Dhams
gives us equal amount of bliss and paves the way for the liberation
of the soul to its heavenly abode.
Nestled in the lap of mighty Himalayas,
these four Holy places are the epicenter of religious buzz.
Traditionally, the Chardham yatra is
undertaken from the west to the east and accordingly, the yatra
starts from Yamunotri and then proceeds to Gangotri and finally to
Kedarnath and Badrinath.
The char dhams are also dedicated to
separate gods. Thus, Yamunotri and Gangotri are dedicated to
goddesses Yamuna and Ganga, respectively, whereas Kedarnath is
dedicated to Lord Shiva and Badrinath to Lord Vishnu.
If you are out on a char dham yatra
also make it a point to pay a visit to Hemkund Sahib, which is one of
the highest religious sites in the country.
And the motive behind a char dham yatra
is to wash away all the sins and to attain salvation, by the
blessings of the Lord.
Char Dhams are chock-a block with
tourists during the summer, only period when the four holy sites are
snow-free and become accessible.
The scenic surroundings of the
snow-capped region are simply enthralling, giving the visitors a
perfect opportunity to unwind themselves by filling their lungs with
fresh air. Moreover, these otherwise silent and tranquil locales
resound with the names of the Lord as the pilgrims advance towards
their destination.
Badrinath
One of the holiest for the Hindus,
Badrinath Temple is situated in the hill town of Badrinath in Chamoli
district, Uttarakhand. Along the river Alaknanda, the temple is
essentially a Lord Vishnu shrine. Also known by the names Badri
Vishal and Badrinarayan, it is one of the Char Dham sites and the one
amongst 108 Divya Desams. This has contributed to the fact that
Badrinath is vital with reference to travel and tourism.
The gates of the temple are open only
for a period of six months, due to extreme weather conditions in
Himalayas. There are a number of hot water pools here namely Tapt
Kund, Narad Kund etc. These pools are filled with hot steaming water
in the winter months also and are considered to posses medicinal
properties. Many people even perform the last rites of the departed
souls at Brahm Kapal.
It is a flat platform on the banks of
river Alaknanda. Sheshnetra and Chandrapaduka are other rock boulders
present along the river, which are believed to have footprints of
Shesh Nag and Lord Vishnu. Another important temple here is the Mata
Murti Temple. These temples are also considered as evidences of the
rich historical past of Badrinath. Referring the mythological facts,
it is believed that Lord Vishnu was practicing penance at this place.
In order to save him from the harmful
rays of the sun, his divine consort Lakshmi took the form of a Badri
plant and provided shade to him. Pleased by her fervor and devotion,
the Lord told her that this place would be famous by her name. Hence,
it came to be known as Badrinath. Splashed by Alaknanda, the divine
site serves as an ideal location to experience the eternal bliss
associated with spirituality.
Kedarnath
A sacred town in Uttarakhand, Kedarnath
is the remotest Char Dham sites as it is located amidst the
snow-capped mountains of Himalayas, near the river Mandakini. During
the last year's catastrophic floods, though many parts of the area
were badly damaged the main temple remained intact thanks to its
religious gravity.
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| Kedarnath temple |
Dedicated to Lord Shiva and is built by
Adi Sankaracharya, the glory of Kedarnath Temple may be measured by
the fact that it is one of the 12 jyotirlingas (Lord Shiva shrines),
present in the country.
The temple remains open only for a
period of six months, due to heavy snowfall in the winter months.
Testing the fervor and dedication of the pilgrims, the temple is not
directly reachable by road.
The only way being, a 14 km trek path
from Gaurikund. The present temple stands adjacent to the initial
temple built by the Pandavas. According to historical data, Pandavas
after winning the battle of Mahabharata, felt guilty of killing their
own brothers. They came here in search of Lord Shiva, who kept hiding
himself. Finally Bhima, the strongest Pandava brother recognized him.
Lord Shiva, who was disguised as a bull, escaped leaving behind his
hind part.
This led to the construction of the
temple here. The present Kedarnath Temple has been built by huge
slabs of gray stones, standing undeterred with all its glory and
majesty. The divine peace and tranquility of the place leaves the
devotees completely mesmerized. The haunting environment and secluded
surroundings compel all the visitors to feel the inner connection
with the Almighty. Thus, Kedarnath is considered a must visit place
amongst pilgrims, before leaving this world.
Gangotri
Gangotri, a sacred city in Uttarakhand
is known as the source of River Ganges and also the seat of Goddess
Ganga. Gangotri is an ideal location for you to take a holy dip into
the oceans of divinity, as well as those have a thirst for adventure.
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| Gangotri |
According to mythological records, King
Bhagirath did penance here and as per Lord Shiva's wishes, River
Ganges came down on earth.
However, to save the earth from the
fierce force of the river, Lord Shiva held her in his locks. Thus,
river Ganges is also known as Bhagirathi here. Moreover, it is also
believed that Pandavas came down to this place to perform Deva Yajna.
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| Gangotri Temple |
Hundreds of devotees throng the place
every year in order to unleash the secrets of spirituality. Gangotri
Temple was built by Gurkha monarch Amar Singh Thapa, around 3000
years back. Another pilgrim site here is Jalamagna Shivalinga, which
is a natural rock Shivalinga submerged in the river.
It is the place where Lord Shiva held
Ganga in his locks. This Shivalinga is only visible in winter months.
Yamunotri
Located amidst sprawling Garhwal Hills,
Yamunotri is another revered pilgrim spots in the same state.
Yamunotri is the source of sacred river Yamuna and also the abode of
goddess Yamuna and is famous for its thermal springs, glaciers and
scenic locales. In effect, it is one of the must visit places from
travel and tourism point of view.
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| Yamonatri Temple |
According to Hindu mythology, this
place was once the abode of Asit Muni, an ancient sage and due to its
significance thousands of devotees visit this sleepy yet busy
pilgrimage place. The temple was built by Maharani Gularia of Jaipur
in the 19th century and the shrine is dedicated to goddess Yamuna.
She resides here in the form of a silver idol adorned with garlands
and it is believed that a holy dip in the sacred water of river
Yamunotri relieves everyone from a painful death since Yamuna is the
sister of Yama, the God of Death.
So, pilgrims visit the place in order
to seek the blessings of Yamuna and save themselves from the agony of
death. There is a place here called Surya Kund which is known for its
thermal springs some of which are used to cook rice and potato as
Prasad (holy offerings to God). Divya Shilla is a rock pillar here,
which is worshipped by the devotees before entering the Yamunotri
temple.
Hemkund Sahib
The holiest shrine of Sikhs in India,
Hemkund Sahib is located amidst snow-capped peaks of Himalayas in
Uttarakhand.
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| Hemkund Sahib |
There is a beautiful lake called
Hemkund and on the banks of this lake is located a Gurudwara,
dedicated to the tenth Guru of Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh.
The breathtaking beauty of the glacial
lake is added by the surrounding seven soaring peaks, giving a boost
to the travel and tourism industry.
It is believed that Sikh Guru, Guru
Gobind Singh performed penance here in his previous birth and united
with the Almighty. There is also a Hindu temple called Lakshman
Temple here. It is believed that Lakshman, the younger brother of Ram
performed penance here. Hence, Hemkund Sahib is a sacred place for
both Hindu and Sikh devotees.
The ideal time to go for a Char Dham
Yatra is from May to October. It is advisable to skip the rainy
seasons. Last year catastrophic rains swept the entire Uttarakhand
causing damages to parts of Kedarnath Temple and hundreds of pilgrims
lost their lives during the yatra. The yatra was badly hampered by
the June 20134 flash flood and subsequent natural calamity. Also
because all the four holy places are located in Garhwal Himalayas,
which is prone to heavy snowfall. As a result, all the passage
leading to the shrines are blocked. Moreover, during the monsoon
season, there is undue threat of having landslides, which can further
disrupt the journey. For safety reasons, the gates of the temples are
also closed for this period of time and the idols are shifted to
nearby pilgrim points.
Key inputs: Chardham Yatra Packages
The Uttarakhand Tourism provides easy
transport facility for the char dham yatra.
For the Chardham Yatra, you need to go
for at least 11 Nights/12 Days Package and you will cover
destinations like Delhi - Haridwar -
Saynachati - Yamunotri - Uttarkashi - Gangotri - Uttarkashi -
Gaurikund - Kedarnath - Badrinath - Joshimath - Rishikesh - Haridwar
- Delhi
Char Dham Yatra 2015 Opening Dates
Gangotri Temple Kapat opens on 1th May
2015
Yamunotri Temple Kapat opens on 30th
April 2015
Kedarnath Temple Kapat opens on 3th May
2015
Badarinath Temple Kapat opens on 5th
May 2015
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