Introduction to Uttarakhand and the Char Dhams

Before starting the Char Dham Yatra, first let us briefly know about Uttarakhand and the Yatra…

Introduction to Uttarakhand

The state of Uttarakhand is also known as Dev Bhoomi meaning the Land of the Gods as there are numerous pilgrimage sites in this region none more important than the Char Dham and Hemkund Sahib. The Pandavas are associated with the place and the epic Mahabharata is also said to have been written here.

Uttrakhand is divided into two regions, Garhwal in west and Kumaon in east. The Kumaon region covers places like Nainital, Almora, Binsar, Ranikhet, Pithoragarh etc… while the Garhwal region covers Mussoorie, Dehradun, Valley of flowers, The Char Dham etc…

Introduction to Char Dham Yatra

The Char Dham Yatra is traditionally always done clockwise, from west to east, starting from Yamunotri then proceeding to Gangotri before moving on towards Kedarnath and finally concluding at Badrinath.

The pilgrimage can commence either from the religious town of Haridwar (from where we started ours) or from the capital of Uttarakhand, the queen of the hills, Dehradun.

Yamunotri

(image courtesy google images)

Situated at an elevation of over 10000 feet and perched on the Bander Poonch Peak, Yamunotri is the place of origin of the second most sacred river of India – The Yamuna. The Temple can be reached after a tiring trek of 14 kms from Hanumanchatti or 5 kms from Jankichatti. The main Temple here is dedicated to Goddess Yamuna. A dip here is believed to defend a person of untimely death as Yamuna is the sister of Yama, the God of death.

Kedarnath

One of the 12 Jyotirlingas, the Kedarnath shrine is situated at a height of 3584 metres or 11800 feet above sea level amidst the majestic Kedarnath range. I had visited Kedarnath in 1996 and I can tell you that the weather there is most fickle of all the four Dhams. It was snowing there in the middle of the summer season!!

(image courtesy www.columbia.edu)

Situated at the source of the River Mandakini and dedicated to Lord Shiva, it is one of the most important temples in India. The temple is believed to have been built by the Pandava brothers to atone for their sins after the battle of Mahabharata. Devotees are required to trek the last 15 kms to reach the shrine from Gaurikund onwards. Behind the Kedarnath shrine lies the samadhi (final resting place) of Adi Guru Shankaracharya, the 8th century reformer and philosopher from Kerela who established the Char Dhams.

Gangotri and Badrinath

As I have travelled to Gangotri and Badrinath, I will describe them in the due course of time as we move along.

All the four temples close down in the winter season (October/November) due to the heavy snowfall and extremely dangerous terrain and open in the summers (May/June). Thus all the temples remain closed for about six months and entire towns from the upper regions shift to lower places during this time. Even the deities are relocated to their assigned winter homes during that time.

These four different pilgrim destinations, the Char Dhams, situated in the magical Himalayas, joined by mysticism and spirituality, sometimes done together and sometimes in various combinations, beckon millions of visitors every year for a voyage into the unknown, for a flight towards the heavens, for a journey into the self…

Tips for Travellers

- When the temples open in May/June, there is a heavy pilgrim rush and if you want to evade the crowd, the best time to visit would be Mid September/November when the rush is less which keeps declining as the temple closing dates appear closer.

- There are hoardes of agents and companies today offering packaged tours for travelers that promise a quality experience of its own (for example check this: Sikkim Homeymoon Packages). Though it's not necessary and we never took one but if you feel the need, you could consider taking the help of these as well!

For Accommodation and other tips Click Here