Chardham Yatra - Religious And Sacred Pilgrimage For Hindus

Uttarakhand Chardham Yatra is one of the religious and sacred pilgrimages for Hindu devotees. It covers four important holy shrines YAMUNOTRI, GANGOTRI, KEDARNATH and BADRINATH. These abodes are dedicated to different god and goddess of Hindu. All shrines are located on the top of Himalayan Ranges in Gharwal district. Devotees believed that taking a Yatra to these temples is a journey for salvation. The route of pilgrimage starts from Yamunotri and proceeds to Gangotri and next to Kedarnath and finally ends at Badrinath.

Destinations of the Yatra are:

Yamunotri – The place is treated as origin of Yamuna River. Temple of Yamunotri is dedicated to Goddess Yamuna. Waters of this river and hot spring located here has medicinal properties, pilgrims take a dip here with faith that doing so, will wash away one’s sins and cure from many illness. It is located at an elevation of 3293 meters over the sea level. Other religious places in its proximity are Surya Kund and Hanuman Chatti.

Gangotri – The abode is second destination for Yatra and situated at a height of 3,200 Meters from the sea level on the bank of Ganga River. The beautiful and religious temple is devoted to goddess Ganga. Goddess is treated as the daughter of heaven. Other places of worship in its nearby are Nandanvan Tapovan, Uttarkashi, Kedar Tal, Dayara Bugyal and Nachiketa Tal. Gaumukh Glacier is one of the major attractions close to this shrine.

Kedarnath – Kedarnath Ji shrine is one of the holy places dedicated to Lord Shiva. This place is easily accessible in comparison with other abodes of journey. There are total 12 Jyotirlingas on Indian soils and Kedarnath Ji is among them. Shrine is located in Chamoli region of state and at an altitude of 3583 meters above sea level. Augustyamuni, Shankracharya Samadhi, Triyuginarayan and Ukshimath are other places of worship around Kedarnath shrine.

Badrinath – The most popular shrine is the final destination of Yatra and devoted to God Vishnu. Total 15 idols are worshipped in the temple namely Lord Vishnu, Parvati, Garuda, God Shiva and many more. Other temples close to shrine are Gauri Udiyar, Chandika Temple, Gorakhnath Temple, Joshimath, Rudranath Temple, Bagnath Temple and Shri Haru Temple. Abode is situated on the banks of Alaknanda River at an elevation of 3,150 meters from the sea level.

These shrines can be reached by bus or car. For more convenient and be in little modern style one can also reach by the service of helicopter. Many travel agencies offers helicopter services at reasonable rates.

One can also visit other holy cities in the state namely Rishikesh and Haridwar along with Chardham trip. Temples located in Rishikesh are Neelkanth Mahadev Temple, Triveni GhatKunjapuri Devi Temple, Tera Manzil Temple, Bharat Mandir, Lakshman Jhula and Ram Jhula. Rishikesh is the gateway to all the shrines of Char dham Yatra.

Har ki Pauri, Rajaji National Park, Mansa Devi Temple and Haridwar Kankhal are the points of tourist interest in Haridwar.

Chardham Yatra packages booking is easily available online, one can book in a single click from home with the help of internet.