The holy Chardhams cradled amid the lofty peaks and serene ambiance of Uttarakhand draw thousands of pious pilgrims from every corner of the nation. The Uttarakhand Chardhams are a replica of the greater all India Chardham circuit and the yatra to Uttrakhand Chardhams is even called Chota Chardhams. To know on the Chardham Yatra Shrines in details, read on-
The Cha Dham Yatra or a visit to the holy shrines of Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath is considered to be one of the most spiritually important journeys a Hindu can undertake in his lifetime.
There is a lot of tourist footfall in Uttarkhand in the Char Dham Yatra season i.e. April to October. In fact the state of Uttarakhand relies heavily on the tourist earnings from the Char Dham Pilgrim Yatra and so it has taken a lot of steps to develop facilities like accommodation, conveyance, genuine sources of food and drinking water for the tourists.
Registration for Char Dham yatra is done via websites and registrations for 2015 char dham yatra have already started from the month of January. Though you will get experience a lot of natural and spiritual beauty during your Char Dham Yatra its best that you get yourself mentally and physically prepared as this Yatra will need you to hike at high altitude in severe cold. Read on to know basic facts and important details of the Char Dham shrines.
Importance of the Char Dhams
A visit to the Char Dhams is supposed to wash away all the sins of past life and to cleanse the soul. There is every reason as to why you should know about the spiritual significance of the Char Dham Yatra as they are the very tenets of the Char Dham.
Yamunotri is the origin of Yamuna River and the birthplace of Goddess Yamuna
Gangotri is the origin of Ganga River and the birthplace of Goddess Ganga
Kedarnath is the sacred abode where the tallest and most powerful JyotirLinga of Lord Shiva resides. It’s the most important destination for Shiv Bhakts.
Badrinath is the home of Lord Vishnu and is one of the most sacred places in whole India. Pilgrims believe it to be the most important of all four Char Dhams.
According to the traditional Hindu Customs the parikrama of the Char Dhams always start from the left and move towards the right (west to east). Thus Yamunotri is visited first followed by Gangotri and then Kedarnath and finally Badrinath.
The Char Dham shrines of Yamunotri Mata and Gangotri Mata will be open for the pilgrims from 21 April 2015
The shrines of Kedarnath and Badrinath will be open for the pilgrims from 25 April 2015.
The route that most pilgrims choose while visiting the Char Dhams is as follows
Haridwar-Rishikesh-Deo Prayag-Tehri- Yamunotri-Uttarkashi-Gangotri-Gaurikund-Joshimath-Badrinath
Yamunotri
The first Dham of the Char Dham Yatra; Yamunotri is the sacred place of Goddess Yamuna. It is at a height of 3295 meters above the sea level in the holy district of Uttarkashi. Yamunotri is accessible from Hanuman Chatti via a drive from Dharasu or Barkot. There onwards there is a sharp trek to Yamunotri temple (14 km). you can reduce trek time by taking a local jeep ride till Janki Chatti and this will save you 8 km. From Janki Chatti you have to walk or take Palanquin or pony ride till Yamunotri. The trek will be through dense forest and harsh weather conditions.
The iconic Yamunotri Char Dham shrine was built by Maharaja Pratap Shah of Tehri Garhwal to offer obeisance to Yamuna mata. The beautiful idol of Yamuna Mata is built of black marble. Devotees offer rice and potato wrapped in clothed to holy water spring which flows nearby and take back the cooked remains as Prasad.
This temple is open from 6.00 A.M to 8.00 PM
Aarti is performed everyday between 6.30 p.m to 7.30 p.m
Don’t forget to see Surya Kund, Janki Chatti and Divya Shila when you visit Yamunotri shrine.
Gangotri
Gangotri is the second of the holy Char Dham shrines in India and it is located at an elevation of 3048 meters. Gangotri is the most important shrine that is built for Goddess Ganga the holiest river of the Indian subcontinent. The shining waves of Bagirathi river and pristine snow capped peaks nearby give a mystical aura to the place. This temple was built in 18th century by Gorkha Amar Singh Thapa. Traditionally water is collected from this point and carried by Char Dham pilgrims to offer to Shiva in Kedarnath. Myths say that this water has nectar that will soothe the throat of Lord Shiva who has consumed poison.
This temple is open from 6.15 A.M to 2.00 PM and 3.00 pm to 9.30 pm
There are lots of beautiful attractions like Gaumukh Glacier, Bhaion Ghati, Tapovan and submerged Shiva Linga which you should definitely see when you are visiting Gangotri shrine.
Kedarnath
KedarNath is situated at an altitude of 3584 meters above sea level on the banks of Mandakini temple. Out of the 12 JyotirLingas of Lord Shiva The Kedarnath Linga is the most famous. Harsh weather and rough terrain marks the long trek to the famous KedarNath shrine.
Kedarnath description is not possible before describing the Kedarnath Temple shrine first. This is a 1000 year old gorgeously carved temple that has a pristine white statue of Nandi Bull at the gates. The entire temple is built of huge and evenly cut and polished slabs of white and grey stone. The inner main sanctum is called Garba Griha and this is here most religious rites take place. The Mandap of the temple is also a major attraction. A conical shaped rock believed to be blessed by Shiva himself, is one of the most revered monoliths of this temple.
Temple idol can be worshipped with Ghee till 3 PM. Post 5 pm the idol is dressed as emperor and pilgrims are disallowed from touching it.
Badrinath
Badrinath became very famous when Nar Narayan who is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu performed Tapasya there. Pilgrims say that Badrinath is the most important of all 4 Char Dham shrines. Badrinath is another name for Lord of Plum forest and this place was filled with plum trees. Badrinath is the oldest Dham and had derived its importance in Sat Yug.
The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and is one of the 108 Divya Desams or holy shrines of the Vaishnavas Char Dham Pilgrims.
Char Dham Yatra Blog 