A Final Postcard from the Himalayas: Complete Char Dham Yatra Summarized

Arti December 26, 2011
Traveling in the Himalayas was...

...Conversing with my friends; the gurgling streams, the sloping valleys, the towering mountains...

Nature Himalayas

...Surrounding myself with natural beauty all day long… Oh! What a blessing it was!

Nature Sunshine Himalayas

...Taking delight in myth, history and faith mixed in equal parts… just like savoring a delectable dish whipped out by a Top Chef exclusively for me...

Char Dham - Faith History and Myth collage picture

...Listening in to the silences and dipping myself in a world entirely different than my own...

Sunshine Garhwal Himalayas

Traveling in the Himalayas was...

Falling in love...

Nature Garhwal Himalayas

once again... That I will be back here someday...

Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends,
but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers.
The mind can never break off from the journey. - Pat Conroy


The Complete Char Dham Yatra Posts Compilation

The complete Char Dham Yatra series saw close to 40 posts scattered over 7 months, covering 2 of the 4 coveted dhams of the circuit - Gangotri and Badrinath. Thus, to help easy navigation and simple reading, I am bundling up all these posts here so that we have all of it in one single place.

Before the Trip - Planning phase and Mumbai to Delhi


The Entire Trip of 5 Days in 42 Posts

DAY 1: On the road from Haridwar/Rishikesh to Uttarkashi (Night halt)


DAY 2:

Part I - Exploring the town of Gangotri -The temple and other places.


Part II - Back to Uttarkashi from Gangotri


DAY 3: Travelogues describing the journey towards the second dham, Badrinath. Night halt at Birahi.


DAY 4:

Part I - Badrinath and around the town


Part II - Exploring the town of Badrinath and Visiting the Badrinath temple


Part III - Other Places to visit when in Badrinath


DAY 5: Back to Rishikesh and then to Mumbai

Part I - On the Way from Badrinath to Rishikesh


Part II - Rishikesh travelogues

Trip Concludes 


Photo posts


Thank You for your Wonderful Company!

Today, as I write this last post in the Char Dham series... I feel happy, content and a bit tired too, a feeling quite akin to the feeling that we get on our arrival from a long journey back home.

It's been close to seven months since I started penning The Char Dham yatra here. When I had started out, I had never imagined it to go this long. But then the place had so much to explore, so much to discover, so much on offer and so much to take back that I really cannot be blamed. I wanted to document most, if not all, of what I had seen, what I had experienced, what I had come across... in detail... I had wanted to relive an entire experience... And today, I cannot really say which out of the two, the real and the virtual one, has been more fulfilling for me.


Thank you very much for accompanying me here and making it just as memorable as the real one! I have enjoyed every moment spent with you and I do hope to have your company in my future yatras as well :)
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Arti

Posted by Arti

Hi there! I am Arti - constantly on the road, both figuratively and literally, unwrapping my unique gift called life. My blog, which focuses on spiritual journeys, is all about my love of sharing, exploring and learning; a continuous journey where I strive to seek the truth, discover myself, the world, my place therein and experience the real treasures of life along the way. I hope to help those planning to make a trip to these places or simply provide a virtual tour to the rest. If you have any queries, do leave a comment, I will be pleased to help! You can also contact me at - 22arti@gmail.com

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37 Comments

  1. Ricardo MiñanaDecember 26, 2011 at 8:58 PM

    Hello my best wishes for these dates as indicated
    and for the new year arrives that your wishes are met
    Happy New Year 2012!.
    A hug.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sylvia KDecember 26, 2011 at 9:06 PM

    I have so enjoyed your trip through the Himalayas, Arti, and thank you for taking us along through your terrific captures and information that you've shared! Wishing you a very Happy New Year! I look forward to traveling with you through your photos in the coming year! Enjoy!

    Sylvia

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  3. PurviDecember 26, 2011 at 9:39 PM

    These have been really great posts, watching what you saw through the photos was a great experience and of course your vivid narration was great as well :)

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  4. Santosh BsDecember 26, 2011 at 10:48 PM

    Take my bow on this wonderful travelogue...
    I'm out of words to express anything else... :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Felicity Grace TerryDecember 26, 2011 at 11:32 PM

    Sad that this journey has come to an end, I look forward to sharing more with you.

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  6. MartinaDecember 27, 2011 at 12:00 AM

    Dear Arti, i think it is wonderful to do both - travel in real life, and than re-live it while you write about it and deepen the experience you've had, Thanks for sharing your magical memories and impressions!

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  7. Rahul BhatiaDecember 27, 2011 at 12:05 AM

    A very nice post on Char Dham yatra! Every time I read your posts my memories are refreshed!

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  8. RachanaDecember 27, 2011 at 1:25 AM

    Thanks a lot for this virtual trip of chaar dhaam yatra. I feel happy to be a part of this trip.

    Looking forward to seeing and reading about your future yatras.

    Have a lovely week ahead, dear Arti :-)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Ginny HartzlerDecember 27, 2011 at 3:16 AM

    This series was my favorite of all your posts, I am sad to see it end!! But I hope you have more beauty planned for us in the coming year! How will you be celebrating New Year's eve and day?

    ReplyDelete
  10. SridharanDecember 27, 2011 at 5:40 AM

    Fantastic summary..It was an interesting series..as usual containing lot of useful details..
    Thanks Arti..! Looking forward to your next Himalayan sojourn..!

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  11. magiceyeDecember 27, 2011 at 6:22 AM

    wonderful post Arti!
    loved it!
    thank you so much for all the info and a ready reckoner for the char dham yatra!

    ReplyDelete
  12. sunilDecember 27, 2011 at 8:30 AM

    Life is a beautiful journey - the destinations keep changing.
    You are a traveller at heart, and I'm sure that soon you'll find someplace to travel.

    All the best for your future endeavors.

    Wishing you & your loved ones a happy and prosperous New Year.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Kavita SahariaDecember 27, 2011 at 8:43 AM

    That was one enjoyable ride Arti !Each one of your post is beautiful and wonderfully narrated.Looking forward to more from you .

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  14. RenuDecember 27, 2011 at 9:26 AM

    I hope that i am too able to make this wonderful trip and then your help would be invaluable in planning..

    ReplyDelete
  15. BGTDecember 27, 2011 at 9:41 AM

    I loved your line "Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends.." And you have a nice way of managing all your posts Arti - All in one place!! Nice one..

    ReplyDelete
  16. TeamgsquareDecember 27, 2011 at 11:24 AM

    A great and enlightening series . Hats off to you to bring in some much of information on Char dham .

    ReplyDelete
  17. R Niranjan DasDecember 27, 2011 at 12:38 PM

    Awesome!!! Very informative. Thanks for sharing.

    www.rajniranjandas.blogspot.com

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  18. SamratDecember 27, 2011 at 3:47 PM

    Extremely beautiful post with equally lovely photos. Great.

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  19. AnonymousDecember 27, 2011 at 4:25 PM

    What a long journy.I enjoyed most of them.
    Hope you'll keep your blog up. :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. zephyrDecember 28, 2011 at 5:06 AM

    You know, this one is bookmarked for future reference. You are a wonderful traveller, wanting to share all the things you enjoyed and experienced with your friends. I have taken the sunshine pic from this one for my desktop :D

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  21. Sallie (FullTime-Life)December 28, 2011 at 5:23 AM

    I am grateful to you for taking me along on the journey! What a great time of year to be ending the virtual journey and looking back upon it -- perfect timing.

    I loved the line about travel being 'dipping into a life different from my own' -- perfect!

    ReplyDelete
  22. P.N. SubramanianDecember 28, 2011 at 10:41 AM

    Enjoyed following you. It was great.

    ReplyDelete
  23. NancyDecember 28, 2011 at 5:52 PM

    You take such beautiful shots of the mountains, Arti. I just love them! :)

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  24. RIZALENIODecember 28, 2011 at 8:43 PM

    Silhouettes over silhouettes of mountains. Wow! Definitely on my bucket list.

    Very informative entries, my friend. Happy Holidays! Wish you more travels next year.

    So happy to have known you through this blogging world. :)

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  25. GayatriDecember 29, 2011 at 3:08 AM

    What an amazing trip. I feel like I've seen it through your posts. But I'd still like to go there someday. Love that quote by Conroy. Thanks for sharing :)

    Gayatri

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  26. Saru SinghalDecember 29, 2011 at 6:34 AM

    An absolute treat Arti. Great compilation...

    I guess we know which page to bookmark now on your blog, thanks:)

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  27. N.S.KirtiDecember 29, 2011 at 9:53 AM

    these are really beautiful photographs :) love them :)

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  28. AnonymousDecember 29, 2011 at 4:51 PM

    Such utterly magical photos - what glorious memories!

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  29. AnonymousDecember 29, 2011 at 9:00 PM

    all of your posts took a lot of work. Amazing, really. Thank you for sharing and providing so much information. Wishing you a very happy and healthy new year, Arti.

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  30. AngeliDecember 30, 2011 at 6:10 AM

    thank you for this. i will surely use this as a reference when i finally do my trip to the himalayas.

    happy holidays, Arti!

    ReplyDelete
  31. NavDecember 30, 2011 at 11:57 AM

    magical photos!! I am glad I could be part of the yatra thru the photos :)

    xo Nav
    http://navlandstyle.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  32. KarthickDecember 30, 2011 at 7:46 PM

    nice summary of the yatra... the day by day links gives a good idea to a new traveler... photos are good as usual...

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  33. DeboshreeDecember 31, 2011 at 11:28 AM

    Beautifully done as always Arti. I look forward to many more splendid posts in the new year. :)

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  34. Rakesh KumarDecember 31, 2011 at 2:46 PM

    I had also once an opportunity
    to visit 'chaar dhaams'.

    But,how beautifully you described
    and presented it with beautiful pictures that is unique and amazing only.

    Many many thanks Arti ...ji.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Felicity Grace TerryJanuary 4, 2012 at 11:16 PM

    Stopping by to wish you and yours a happy 2012, I hope you have a magical year.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Here I Am CarrieJanuary 19, 2012 at 8:34 AM

    What an amazing journey you have shared with us. Your writing and photos really made it an adventure for me. Well done.

    ReplyDelete
  37. UnknownDecember 21, 2013 at 3:03 PM

    I have read till day4 and it was amazing. I am also planning to go from a long time. Lets see when Badrinath deity will call us..

    ReplyDelete

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