Uttarakhand, also considered Devbhoomi or the Land of Gods, is home to several temples and greets devotees from across the world. If you are wondering which is the most popular religious place and circuit in Uttarakhand that most devotees wish to go for then the answer is Char Dham Yatra. This yatra is basically a complete tour of four sacred sites Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath. All these divine sites are beautifully located high up in the Himalayas. In Hindi, Char means is described as four and Dham as religious destinations. All the four old temples mark the sanctified source of four well-known rivers including River Yamuna (Yamunotri), River Ganga (Gangotri), River Mandakini (Kedarnath) as well as River Alaknanda (Badrinath).
Apart from the religious part linked to it, Char Dham also acts as a major attraction for travelers because the path of this yatra takes you through the most amazing and attractive regions of Uttarakhand’s mountains. When it comes to the Hindu religion, the Chardham yatra holds a special religious significance. Every Hindu has a desire of doing this yatra at least once in lifetime. The Char Dham yatra opens the gate of salvation by washing away all the misdeeds you have done in your entire life. Once you finish the Char Dham yatra, you will automatically achieve absolute peace of mind. The starting point of this yatra is Haridwar from where pilgrims start their journey to these four divine shrines.
However, the Char Dham yatra should be completed in a clockwise direction. First, you need to visit Yamunotri, then Gangotri, further followed by the Kedarnath Dham, and then finally complete the yatra by visiting Badrinath Dham. Located at high altitudes, these shrines are shut for six months every year and then open in the summer season (April or May) and close with the onset of the winter season i.e., October or November.
Yamunotri
In the Himalayas, Yamunotri is one of the four most admired pilgrimages. Located in a wide valley near the Yamuna’s source, the Yamunotri temple is dedicated to the Yamuna. After the Ganga river, Yamuna is the second-most holy river.
Gangotri
Gangotri in Uttarkashi is a small town with the temple of Goddess Ganga. In the Char Dham yatra, Gangotri is the second destination. Among all the rivers, Ganga is the most blessed river. It is said that Ganga appeared from paradise to earth at Gangotri when Lord Shiva freed the massive river from his tresses.
Kedarnath
Nestled in the huge Garhwal Himalayas, Kedarnath is the third pilgrimage destination of your Char Dham yatra. Built around the sanctified Kedarnath temple, the town is situated at a height of 3,580m near the glacier named Chorabari. The source of the river Mandakini is Chorabari glacier.
Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the Kedarnath temple is also one of the 12 jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva across the world.
Badrinath
When we talk about the Badrinath Dham, it is the final destination of the Chardham yatra. In the pilgrimage circuit, Badrinath is said as the most blessed of the four shrines.
The Badrinath Dham is mainly dedicated to Lord Vishnu who is the guardian and preserver of the Hindu Trinity.
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