Chardham
The legend
Chardham Yatra is a spiritual experience that every devout Hindu awaits in his life. Majestic Himalayas are the abode of the four most holy Pilgrimages in India, Yamunotri, Gangotri, Sri Kedarnath Ji and Sri Badrinath Ji. Collectively they are refereed to as Chardham. All these centres are located in the state of Uttaranchal. Hindu scriptures believe that for age’s saints and pilgrims have undertaken the mystical journey of these 4 holy places to free themselves from the cycle of birth and death. It is said that heaven and earth come together at these holy places and you come to connect with the almighty at an altogether different level. It is believed that being born or dieing here is a boon that very less people get and the ones who get this chance are very fortunate. Package tours to Chardham start from Yamunotri to Gangotri to kedarnath to culminating the journey at Badrinath. The sacred places are visited in this very order to adhere to the Hindu tradition of clockwise Parikrama. Yamunotri and Gangotri are the two holy places dedicated to Rivers Yamuna and Ganga respectively. On the other hand kedarnath is dedicated to lord Shiva and Badrinath is the dedicated seat of lord Vishnu.
Yamunotri
You travel to Chardham India from west to east and the first stopover being Yamunotri. It is located in the Garhwal hills and is dedicated to Goddess Yamuna. The Yamunotri temple is perched along the edge of Bandar Poonchh peak which is 3165 mts above sea level. Yamunotri is situated opposite to Gangotri. Yamunotri is the source of river Yamuna which originates from Champasar Glacier, just 1 km ahead of the shrine, at an altitude of 4321 mts. Every year the temple is flocked by pilgrims who are on Chardham tour package as well as pilgrims who come just to Yamunotri to offer their obeisance to Goddess Yamuna. The temple is open from May to October and closed in winters due to the freezing temperatures. Pilgrims on package tours to Chardham rarely visit the source of the river as it is not easily accessible.
Gangotri
The second destination in Chardham tour packages is Gangotri. It is one of the most picturesque pilgrimages to the hinter lands of the mighty Himalayas. Gangotri marks the origin of the holy river Ganga. It is the very spot where Goddess Ganga descended to earth for the first time. The legend has it that Goddess Ganga descended to earth to purify the sins of King Bhagirath’s predecessors. It was a reward given to King Bhagirath by Lord Shiva, which is why Ganga is also known as Bhagirathi. The shrine is located at a height of 3042 mts and the Gangotri temple was built by a Gorkha commander Amar Singh Thapa in the 18th century. If you travel to Chardham in winters then you might be fortunate enough to come across the sight of the natural submerged Shivling in Ganga.
Kedarnath
The second last destination in a Chardham Yatra is Kedarnath. Among the lofty peaks of kedarnath range resides one of the twelve ‘Jyotirlingas’ of Lord Shiva or Kedar. The origin of the temple can be found in Mahabharata. According to the legend Pandavas sought the blessings of Lord Shiva after the battle of Kurukshetra, but the lord eluded them and kept on fleeing. He ultimately took refuge at Kedarnath and when he jumped into the soil to hide himself, he left behind his bump outside. The conical protrusion is worshipped as idol in Kedarnath.
Badrinath
The last destination in Chardham is Badrinath. The shrine is dedicated to lord Vishnu and it is said that the spot was once covered with wild berries or Badris, hence the Badrinath. The temple is located on the right bank of river Alaknanda. It is built in the form of a cone and is considered the most important amongst the five Badris. |
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