Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand is known as the Char Dham of India. The four major Adobes in the Himalayas consist of four holy shrines that include: Badrinath, Kedarnath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri. These four temples are located in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand. Char Dham Yatra is prominent amongst Hindus. The majority of masses believe that each Hindu does this yatra once in their life.
Overview of Char Dham Yatra:
There is specific timing to go for the Char Dham Yatra. The timings are from late April to November. The majority of pilgrimages do this Yatra in May and June. As July to September is the monsoon season, it can be difficult for the masses to do this. It is because routes get slippery because of the rain.
Where is the location of Char Dham:
- Badrinath and Gangotri- You can reach directly from Haridwar, Rishikesh, Dehradun, and Kotdwar by road to these holy places.
- Yamunotri- Journey commences from the Janki Chatti which is at a distance of 225 kilometers from Rishikesh.
- Kedarnath- It commences from Gaurikund which is 130 miles away from the Rishikesh.
Original Char Dhams
According to the Indian philosopher Adi Shankaracharya, the actual Char Dhams are:
Badrinath
The town of Badrinath is situated on the bank of the prominent river Alaknanda and in between the Nar & Narayan mountain ranges. It belongs to Lord Vishnu.
Check out the package for planning a trip to the 5 Nights 6 Days Badrinath Tour Itinerary from Delhi.
Rameshwaram
Located in the Gulf of Mannar in Tamil Nadu in South India. It is a place where Lord Rama constructed the Rama Setu bridge to Sri Lanka. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Check the tour package including with Rameshwaram 5 Nights 6 Days Tirupati Madurai Rameshwaram Kanyakumari Trip Itinerary.
Puri
Puri is one of the oldest cities that is situated in Odisha. The people pay obeisance to the Lord Krishan here that is worshipped as the Lord Jagannatha. It is the only shrine where the sister of Lord Krishna (Subhadra) worshipped with her brothers (Lord Jagannatha & Lord Balabhadra).
Dwarka
It is a part of West India and is located in Gujarat. It is known as the dwelling town of Lord Krishna. In Dwarka, people pay obeisance to Lord Krishna.
Packages for Trip to Dwarka (Gujarat): 2 Nights 3 Days Dwarka Somnath Trip Package
Chota Char Dham Circuit:
Chota Char Dham gains popularity in 1962 after the war between India and China. After that, India commenced the construction of roads and invest money in different infrastructure development projects. The construction of roads makes this yatra possible for individuals.
You can easily do the Chota Char Dham Yatra in a fortnight. Devotees have the option of traveling in buses and jeeps to do Char Dham Yatra.
1. Yamunotri Dham Yatra
Yamunotri is known as the seat of Goddess Yamuna and the major source of the Yamuna River. This Temple is situated at the foot of the hills and pilgrims pay obeisance here. A silver idol of the Goddess Yamuna is in the temple.
Opening timing- 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM (From May’s first week to Diwali)
Aarti time- 6:30 PM- 7:30 PM
Besides this, pilgrims have the opportunity to explore the Saptrishi Kund, Surya Kund, and Divya Shila.
Check out the package to plan a vacation to Yamunotri for 4 nights and 5 days from Delhi.
2. Gangotri Dham Yatra
The place Gangotri is the sear of Goddess Ganga and this place is visited by millions of devotees per year. This Dham is located at a distance of 19 km from Gaumukh. This place is the origin of the Ganga. The Gorkha General Amar Singh Thapa constructed the Gangotri temple in the 18th century.
Opening hours- 6:30 am – 2 pm, 3:00 pm- 9:30 pm (1st week of May to Diwali)
Aarti Timings- 3: 00 PM to 9: 30 pm
After taking the blessings from Gangotri temple, you can explore Bhagirath Shilla, Pandava Gufa, and Submerged Shivling.
Planning a trip to the 4 Nights 5 Days Gangotri Tour Package from Delhi.
3. Kedarnath Dham Yatra
Kedarnath is located closer to the head of River Mandakini in the Himalayas. The view of snow-capped mountains is mesmerizing and eye-catching. This city got its name after King Kedar. He ruled in the Satya Yug. The Kedarnath Temple was construed by the Hindu Philosopher Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century. Check more details: Interesting Facts about Kedarnath Temple.
There is a conical rock formation is situated inside the temple. Masses worshipped it as the Sadashiva. This is basically a form of Lord Shiva. Find more about the Kedarnath Temple Opening Date for the Public in 2022 is 6 May.
Opening Hours- 6:30 am -3:00 pm, 5:00 pm-9:30 pm (From May to October)
Aarti Time- 5: 00 PM to 9: 30 PM
Along with Kedarnath Dham Yatra, you can explore Gandhi Sarovar, Bhairon Temple, and Shankaracharya Samadhi.
4. Badrinath Dham Yatra
People worshipped Lord Vishnu in his aspect of Badrinarayan. It is part of the Chota Char Dham circuit and the original Char Dham yatra. The story of this temple is related to Shankaracharya. He found the stone which has an image of Lord Vishnu. Further, he enshrined this same in the cave which is closer to the Tapt Kund Hot springs.
After that, the king of Garhwal placed the stone idol in the Badrinath temple in the 16th century. Read More: Top Tourist Places to See in Badrinath: Famous Attractions.
Opening hour- 4:30 am – 1: 00 pm, 4: 00 PM – 9:00 PM (May-October)
The devotees can become witnesses to the beauty of Neelkanth, Vasudhara falls, and Tapt Kund.
Check the package for same-day Badrinath Dham Yatra By Helicopter.
Reasons to go for Char Dham Yatra
There are numerous reasons to consider the Char Dham Yatra. You will surely get peace and get rid of all the worries while exploring it. Char Dhams is the blend of four holy places of the Hindu Pilgrimage. The four different locations make this holy pilgrimage that includes: Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, as well as Badrinath. The majority of the masses believe that those who visit these holy shrines will get the Moksha or Salvation.
The difficulty level of Char Dham Yatra
There are various factors that describe the difficulty level of Char Dham Yatra such as poor climate and road conditions. There are also the chances that you may experience landslides which make your journey quite cumbersome. Sometimes, the temperature may be dropped to as low as about 1 degree C at night mainly in Kedarnath.
On the other hand, there are chances that the temperature will reach to high as 40 degrees C after a few hours. Hence, it is essential to keep thick woolen clothes so that you can bear the drop in temperature.
How do you best prepare for the Char Dham Yatra?
As such there are no guidelines related to Char Dham Yatra. However, because of the strenuous demands, the preferable age is from 7 to 65 years. Additionally, you need a medical certificate for validating your health conditions. The Char Dhams has first aid boxes including the oxygen cylinders.
However, it is recommendable that you should bring your own first-aid kid. Char Dham Yatra has mainly two treks that are 6km way trek that commences from the Jankichatti to Yamunotri. Another trek is from Gaurikund to Kedarnath which is at a distance of 21 km. You need comfortable shoes and clothes to complete this journey. If you do not like trekking, you can consider the Ponies, Palkis, and Pithus.
Between April and June, the weather is quite pleasant. Doubtlessly, winters are chilled but there are fewer chances of rains and landslides. Additionally, you need to bring jackets, gloves, sweaters, and woolen socks to protect yourself against the chilled weather. Do not forget to bring a raincoat mainly when you are traveling in the rainy season.
Final Verdicts
April and June is the peak season of Char Dham Yatra. It is essential to check the weather, availabilities, and commuting mode. Due to it, you will not face any problem in doing the char Dham yatra.
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Hello Tusktravel !
It was great reading your blog , the information provided by you is very useful and helpful for Chardham yatra .
Thankyou for this informative blog.