Char Dham Yatra

The Char Dham Yatra includes the holiest Himalayan shrines of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. Badrinath lies on the banks of Alaknanda river and is at an altitude of 3,133mts above the sea level. Built in the 8th century by Adi Guru Shankaracharya, the famous Badrinath temple is located here. It is15mtrs high and is devoted to Lord Vishnu. Kedarnath is situated amidst the Kedarnath mountain ranges, on the banks of river Mandakini and is one of the jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. Gangotri, is at an elevation of 3,200mtrs above sea level and originated from the Bhagirathi river in the Garhwal hills. Yamunotri, is widely known for the thermal springs and glaciers and has originated from the river Yamuna. Surrounded by the Himalayan ranges this pilgrimage site is near the Bandarpunch mountain just opposite to Gangotri.

Getting There

By Air : The closest airport is at Jolly Grant in Dehradun.

By Road : Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri are connected by road to Haridwar, Rishikesh Dehradun and other places of Tehri Garhwal.

By Rail : Nearest railway station is at Rishikesh which is connected to all major cities in India.

Related Accommodations

There are no dearth of accommodation in these sacred places and one can see plenty of hotels, ashrams, guesthouses and dharamshalas to stay.

Attractions

Hemkund Sahib

This sikh pilgrimage site is 43kms away from Badrinath. It is close to the Valley of Flowers and houses the wonderful Hemkund lake. It is believed that Guru Gobind Singh mediated on the banks of Hemkund lake.

Mana Village

It is near Badrinath and one can see large numbers of Indo- Mangolian tribe living in this village.Vyas Gufa- rock cut cave of Ved Vyas, Bhim pul over the Saraswati river and the Vasundhara waterfall pull in visitors to this village.

Kedarnath Temple

Adi guru Shankaracharya made the kedarnath temple in the 8th century on the same place where Pandavas made it earlier. Inside the temple visitors can see the conical shaped Shivalinga and the divine bull, Nandi. The temple has exquisite architecture and walls of the temple are decorated with figures of dieties and scenes from mythlogy.

Vasuki Tal, Gaurikund, Sonprayag, Guptkashi are also worth visiting here.

Uttarkashi

This pilgrimage centre lies on the banks of river Bhagirathi. At an altitude of 1,150mts. this place has lot of attraction such as the Vishwanath temple, the Ekadash Rudra temple, the Gyaneshwar temple and the Kuteti Devi temple. The Nehru Institute of Mountaineering is an ideal place for the adventurous lovers.

Gangotri Temple, Nandanvan Tapovan, Kedar Tal and Gaumukh are known for their beauti and must be visited.

Hanumanchatti

13km away from Yamunotri lies Hanumanchatti, it is a place where river Ganga and Yamuna meet each other. It is an ideal route for the trekking.

Divya Shila, Surya Kund and the temple of Goddess Yamuna are spell bounding.

Location

Sri Badrinathji, Sri Kedarnathji, Gangotri and Yamunotri, all are located in the state of Uttaranchal and are collectively called the Char Dham.