The History and Significance of Char Dham Yatra
Char Dham Yatra is an important Hindu pilgrimage, visiting four sites, Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath bundled in the magic of the Great Himalayas. “Char” symbolizes four and dham denotes a sacred place in the Hindi language. This travel is done in a clockwise direction starting from Yamunotri, via Gangotri, Kedarnath, and ending at Badrinath. Pilgrims and tourists can finish their Yatra by road or, by air there is a helicopter service also. Some devotees finish the Do Dham Yatra where they visit only Kedarnath and Badrinath.
In a small gorge above the Yamuna River, one of the holiest rivers of India next only to the Ganges in Uttarkashi district is the Yamunotri Temple devoted to Goddess Yamuna. Uttarkashi which also has Gangotri Temple where the Goddess of the Ganges dwells is considered the holiest of all the Indian rivers. There is Kedarnath in Rudraprayag district, which is supposed to represent Lord Shiva, and Badrinath which has the temple of Lord Vishnu’s Badrinarayan.
The Chardham Yatra is a path, a pilgrimage, that benefits and sustains one’s soul, which forms the essence of an individual. In Hinduism, the Himalayas themselves are divine, and completing the Parikrama within the Himalayas makes the devotees divine in their intention. Every shrine stands for one aspect of Hindu belief, which provides the devotees with an all-around for purification, protection, and salvation.
Mythological and Historical Significance of the Char Dham Temples
Yamunotri is a temple of the goddess Yamuna who is the sister of Yama god of death and daughter of Surya – the god of the sun. It is said that a bath in the river Yamuna at Yamunotri can release a man from all the sufferings of death. It is believed that the river guards her devotees from early death so making her a provider of life, thus giving her that important role. It is believed that people depend on the mercy of goddess Yamuna who is believed to be the younger sister of Yama for interceding for her devotees before Yama.
Historical Significance Yamunotri Dham : Although the source of the river has been sacred for centuries, the construction of Yamunotri Temple was done by Maharaja Pratap Shah of Tehri Garhwal in the nineteenth century. The site includes an old thermal spring called the Surya Kund, in which the people prepare rice to offer to the goddess.
Gangotri is aptly named because it pertains to the goddess Ganga and it is believed that through this place the Ganga River emerged on earth to cleanse all of mankind. It is believed that King Bhagiratha did penance to have Ganga descended from heaven to purify the ashes of his ancestors. Be it so, Ganga’s coming down is cited as a form of divine mercy because her waters are said to wash away sins and elevate the soul.
Historical Significance Gangotri Dham : The temple is in Gangotri and was constructed in the early 18th century by Gorkha commander Thapa Amar Singh, though it has been renovated more than once. According to Dengzi’s records, it was in the pre-temple period that thousands of saints and ordinary people came to bathe in this period river of the site to cleanse themselves.
Pilgrimages come to Gangotri to seek the favor of the Goddess Ganga and also to seek her blessings. The temple as well as the river come in the second phase of the char dham yatra where the devotees also bathe in the water of Ganga to be blessed with Ganga’s powers.
Kedarnath being the temple of Lord Shiva is one among the twelve Jyotirlingas where lord Shiva appeared in the form of a fire pillar. Many of them include, as per Mahabharata, the Pandavas, having vanquished their enemies took shelter in Lord Shiva to excuse themselves for the sins committed out of passion during the Kurukshetra war. For some day Shiva escaped from them by assuming the shape of a bull and hid in Kedarnath but when Bhima caught hold of him, he disappeared into the earth leaving behind the hump of it which is the shrine of the temple.
Historical Significance of Kedarnath Dham : Kedarnath is said to have been founded by the Pandavas, the modern temple, however, is attributed to one of the greatest philosophers and the founder of Vedanta, Adi Shankaracharya of the 8th century. The period the temple was associated with Adi Shankaracharya who attained samadhi near the temple sealed its relevance as divine philosophy.
It is the third site of the Char Dham Yatra, representing strength and safeguard in the pilgrimage plan.
Badrinath Dham
Badrinath is the temple devoted to Vishnu – the deity, the Vanaspati myth recounts that Vishnu stood on one leg for thousands of years under the Badri tree. Vishnu selected this place to deliver them from the RN and work for the liberation of the devotees. It also has a connection with Nar and Narayana – Youdhistra incarnations of Vishnu who meditated at the site in the interest of mankind.
Historical Significance Badrinath Dham : It is well documented that Adi Shankaracharya revived the Badrinath temple in the eighth century. Earlier, the site was abandoned and it was Chinta that brought about the change through Shankaracharya. The service of an idol of Vishnu established in the temple turned Badrinath as the holy site of Vaishnavites, and the last place to visit of the Char Dham pilgrimage.
The Char Dham Yatra has an annual cycle of opening and closing which is influenced by the weather patterns of the Himalayas. The Yatra usually starts in the late spring around April or May and closes in October or November. Due to the heavy snow and unfavorable weather conditions, the temples remain shut throughout the winters. There are winter abodes to which the deities are shifted when the temples are not in use as well as off-season timings for each temple for opening and closure.
Opening and Closing Months of Each Temple
The Char Dham Yatra has a schedule in place that enables effective management of the opening and closing of the various temples while taking care of the extreme weather conditions witnessed during the Himalayan region. The practice of shifting the idols to a winter seat ensures that the devotees can worship even during the non-pilgrimage seasons, thus reducing the chances of the sites losing their importance. This regular shift of the idols correlates with the rich history embedded into the practice of the yatra and the commitment of the millions of adherents who go seeking the blessings many months of the year.
- Opening Date : Akshaya Tritiya, which usually occurs in April or early May is when the Yamunotri Temple usually opens up.
- Closing Date : The Temple of Yamunotri will close on Yamuna Ashtami in October or November with the onset of the end of the travel season.
- Yamunotri Winter Seat : The statue of Goddess Yamuna is relocated to Kharsali in Uttarkashi, a nearby town that allows devotees access to the Goddess even in the winter months.
- Opening Date : At the same time, Akshaya Tritiya is observed together with Yamunotri every year, therefore Gangotri Temple opens around the same time.
- Closing Date : The last day of the yatra is signaled by Ganga Dussehra which falls in October or November and on this day, the temple is closed.
- Gangotri Winter Seat : The idol of Goddess Ganga is relocated to a village known as Mukhba in Harsil, which is some distance from Gangotri, where it is kept for the winter period.
- Opening Date : Kedarnath temple opens around the time of Akshaya Tritiya which is usually in early May.
- Closing Date : Kedarnath temple offered for worship is closed on Bhai Dooj this day comes in October and November not long after Diwali celebrations.
- Kedarnath Winter Seat : The image of lord Shiva is shifted to Omkareshwar Temple at Ukhimath and admirers offer prayers during the winter periods.
- Opening Date : Also within the other temples boarding, Badrinath opens on Akshaya Tritiya. This day falls generally in early May.
- Closing Date : The Badrianth temple is closed on Badrinath Dwadashi, this day is said to fall also between October and November.
- Badrinath Winter Seat : The image of lord Vishnu is shifted to Yogadhyan Badri Temple in Pandukeshwar, Joshimath during the winter.
Shrinking Distance between Char Dham and Pilgrims through Helicopter Services
The Helicopter service known as the Char Dham Helicopter Yatra has brought a new revolution to CharDham Yatra that can be easily undertaken by people of all age groups or with some difficulties especially those who cannot make it through the harsh and toughest Himalayan terrains. Through the availability of better and safer modes of transportation such as helicopters, the devotees can undertake this pilgrimage to Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath within hours instead of days. This has saved the sacredness of the Yatra by providing the tourists an opportunity to visit all the temples in the normal cycle without further hardships of extreme climatic conditions and long cumbersome trekking, which many otherwise cannot undertake or will be less likely to do.
Furthermore, new Comforts such as the Helicopter service have given immense value to the spiritual journey as mere physical strain does not occur enabling the devotees to concentrate and feel the spiritual level. As for accessibility, more devotees can achieve the process of purification and salvation connected with the 4 Dham journey because all its stages are directed to the attainment of purifying and redemptive aims. Helicopter Yatra has enabled most of the contemporary devotees to pay their respect to the old customs and realize their desire to attain blessings and liberation.
