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Info India Tourism
>> Pilgrimage in India >>
Chardham India
| Location |
Garhwal Himalayas,
Uttaranchal, India. |
| Constitutes Of |
Chardham meaning the four
pilgrimage sites comprises of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri and
Gangotri. |
| Best Time to Visit |
May to October. |
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Chardham - Four Sacred Spots of Hindus.
Chardham, which means four sacred spots, are the holiest of all
pilgrimage sites. According to the ancient scriptures of Hindus, Chardham
include the holy sites of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Yamunotri and Gangotri.
For several centuries, saints as well as pilgrims, have reached these
mystical sites in their search for the divine. It is believed that the
journey to Chardham, not just washes one’s sins, but it ensure
release from the cycle of birth and death. It is also believed that earth
and heaven converge in these four holy places. The pilgrims must follow
the Chardham route suggested by Hindu tradition of parikarma or clockwise
circulation. The suggested route is from left to right, that is, start the
journey with Yamunotri, followed by Yamunotri, Kedarnath and finish the
journey at Badrinath. The holy river Ganges and her tributaries flow
through the four dhams. It is believed that Goddess Ganga landed upon the
earth in the form of a river to help the suffering humanity. The river was
split into four channels, such as Yamuna (in Yamunotri), Bhagirathi (in
Gangotri), Mandakini (in Kedarnath) and Alaknanda (in Badrinath). Blessed
with natural beauty and several ancient temples, the four Dhams (sites)
attract a large number of tourists as well as pilgrims from all over the
world.
Badrinath : The holy place is situated on the bank of
river Alaknanda, at an altitude of 3,133 metres above the sea level.
Cradled amidst the Nar and Narayan mountains, Badrinath has picturesque
Neelgiri mountains in its background. Badrinath is an important pilgrimage
centre on the sacred itinerary of every devout Hindu. Also known as Vishal
Badri, Badrinath is one of the Panch Badris. Once the place was called as
‘Badri Van’ because ‘Badris’ or wild berries, was
abundantly grown here. The sanctity of Badrinath is emphasized in the
ancient Hindu scriptures as “there are many sacred spots of
pilgrimage in the heavens and earth, but there has been none equal to
Badri, nor shall there be.” Badrinath houses the sacred Badrinath
temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The present temple, is believed to be
built by Adi Guru Sankracharya - an 8th century ‘s philosopher
-saint. The 15 metre high temple is surrounded by a verdant valley.
The temple remains closed during the winters, and is open in between
April - May and October - November. Other attractions of Badrinath include
Tapt Kund, Neelkanth, Charanpaduka, Brahma Kapil and Sheshnetra etc.
Kedarnath : Kedarnath, one of the twelve ‘Jyotirlingas’
of Kedar or Lord Shiva, is visited by a large number of devotees every
year. Located at an elevation of 3,581 kms above sea level, Kedarnath is
surrounded by the majestic Kedarnath mountains. Kedarnath is home to the
Kedarnath temple, which is one of the holiest pilgrimage for the Hindus.
The origin of the ancient temple can be traced in Mahabharata. Legend has
that Yudhishthir, the eldest of the Pandavas, departed to Heaven from
Kedarnath. Another legend goes that the Pandavas sought the blessings of
Lord Shiva, to atone their sins after killing their kith and kin in the
battle of Kurukhestra. At the entrance of the Kedarnath temple, a statue
of sacred bull Nandi, stands. The inside wall of the temple are
exquisitely carved with images of deities. The Kedarnath temple remains
closed from mid November to early April. Besides the Kedarnath temple,
other attractions are Ukhimath, Samadhi of Shankracharyaji, Bhairavnath
temple, Agastyamuni, Gupta Kashi, Triyuginarayan, Vasuki Tal, the shrines
of Madmaheswar, Tungnath, Rudranath & Kalpeshwar.
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Gangotri : The revered shrine of Gangotri, is
situated at an altitude of 3,200 metres, above sea level. Dedicated to
Goddess Gangotri, the shrine stands on the right bank of river
Bhagirathi. The temple built in the early 18th century, by a Gorkha
Commander, Amar Singh Thapa is visited by thousands of pilgrims every
year. The temple remain closed from November to May. Several ashrams
spread on the other side of the temple, which provide accommodation
facilities to pilgrims. Major attractions in and around Gangotri
include the Gaumukh glaciers, Bhairavanth temple, GMVN Tourist
Bungalow,Nandanvan and Kedartal.
Yamunotri : Yamunotri is one of the four most
sacred pilgrimage sites of Hindus. The source of the holy river
Yamuna, lies I km ahead, which originates from the Champasar glacier.
The Yamunotri shrine is the first stoppage for Chardham Yatra.
Dedicated to Goddess Yamuna, the shrine is situated atop of the 3,615
metres high Bandar Poonchh peak. The present temple was constructed by
Maharani Gularia of Jaipur in the 19th century. The temple is open
between May to October.
How to Reach
Air : Jolly Grant airport in Dehradun is the
nearest airport from Chardham.
Rail : The nearest railway stations are at
Haridwar, Rishikesh, and Kotdwar.
Road : Badrinath and Gangotri is connected with
Rishikesh, Kotdwar, Dehradun and Haridwar. For Yamunotri road is
available up to Hunumanchatti, 222 Kms away from Rishikesh. From here
one has to walk on foot for 14 Kms to reach Yamnotri. For Kedarnath
road is available up to Gaurikund, 207 Kms away from Rishikesh and the
rest distance of 14 Kms has to be covered on foot.
Accommodation
Chardham is dotted with several hotels, guest houses, ashrams and
dharamshalas, which offer plenty of accommodation facilities.
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