Char Dham Temples

Chardham Yatra Package

The Char Dham Yatra represents one of the sacred yatra for Hindus. Yamunotri is pure because Yamuna is the river Goddess; Gangotri is the cleanser; Kedarnath is freedom from the cycle of birth and death because of Lord Shiva and Badrinath is liberation and the temple of Lord Vishnu. It has been adopted into mainstream culture through its popularization by Adi Shankaracharya in the eighth century.

Char Dham Temples Overview : History and Location

Yamunotri Temple

Sitting in the laps of the Garhwal Himalaya of Uttarakhand state, the Yamunotri shrine can be a sight of wonder at one time and tranquility at another. This religious destination is the first step on the Chardham circuit and is 3293 meters in height and is the origin of the Yamuna River which is regarded to be very sacred in Hindu mythology.

The center-pieced temple was constructed in the 19th century and it houses Goddess Yamuna; however; it is a beautiful structure that also holds a deep religious significance. Some of the beautiful features of architecture in its construction are the higher steep mountain terrains and vegetation surrounding the temple plus a black marble idol of the Goddess.

Gangotri Temple

In the Hindu mythological belief, one of the top visits is to the Gangotri Temple, which is at Uttarakhand in the Himalayas. To many of the people, this temple has been regarded as essentially a religious place and spiritually very clean because it is believed to be the origin of the Ganga River.

Surrounded by natural beauty and standing at an altitude of 3100 m above sea level it partakes of serenity that is so divine. Constructed in the 18th century by Amar Singh Thapa, the Gorkha commander the temple is dedicated to Goddess Ganga as believed that she descended from the sky due to penance made by King Bhagirath.

Kedarnath Temple

Located on the heights of the Great Himalayas at an altitude of 11,755 meters, Kedarnath temple is the prime shrine and landmark of Hindu devotion. Kedarnath temple is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas- believed to be the twelve different aspects of Lord Shiva. The historical background of the temple might date back thousands of years; the reference to the temple is available in the old Hindu epic Mahabharata. It has roots in folklore one of them involves Pandavas who are believed to have set out in search of the blessings of Lord Shiva after the great Kurukshetra war. Parasurama was the one who tried to avoid them and to do so he took an incarnation of a bull which is why the Kedarnath Temple originated.

Kedarnath temple has been affected by several calamities: natural and historical, but the beautiful work of architecture it displays even to the present time proves it. Indeed, the temple structure shows signs of a highly developed architectural work and devotion of ancient times through stone slabs marked by fine carvings on the walls. Merely the lingam or Shiva’s idol is placed in the Garbha Griha along with similar other.

Badrinath Temple

Located in the pristine and silent environment of the Himalayas in Uttarakhand the Badrinath Temple is a pride of Hindu religion. Situated at an altitude of 3,133 meters above sea level everybody is amazed by the scenery of this holy site. Thus, the truly impressive aspect of the construction is the fantastic-looking wall within the frame. According to Hindu mythology, they commonly believe that in this temple lord Vishnu stayed generations under the tree Badri to protect mankind from suffering.

The deity worshipped here is Badri Narayan – an incarnation of Vishnu in a meditating posture and the statue here is in black stone.

Char Dham Yatra Starting & End Date

The Hindu calendar and climatic conditions decide as to which particular months of the year these Char Dham shrines will be opened or closed. The opening and closing seasons for these shrines are in late April or early May the closing season is in late October or early November though this may vary all the same one needs to consult the local authorities or the travel companies. Among them, permits accompanying physical fitness and showing respect or understanding of the culture and tourism.

Winter Seats of these Char Dham Temples

Char dham yatra remains closed, and so do the temples of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath, because of its very heavy snowfall as well as extremely cold weather. Many people trek to other places of worship or other relic temples that are accessible the whole year through. During the winter closure of the Chardham temples, the following alternative temples and locations are recommended:

Yamunotri : Kharsali is a local village that is used as an alternative place of worship during the closure of the temple in the winter. That is the place of its very own Yamuna temple.

Gangotri : The other one is Mukhba – another village that is quite popular for pilgrimage in the winter season. Mukhba has a temple dedicated to Goddess Ganga.

Kedarnath : Located in the Garhwal area, Lord Kedarnath moves to Ukhimath. During this time, the people go to the Omkareshwar temple in Ukhimath for the darshan.

Badrinath : Joshimath is a small town that has the idols of Lord Badrinath while the temple remains shut for the winter. The Narasimha Temple is at one of the most important religious sites, Joshimath in India. Travelers can visit this place in winter in order to get the blessings of Lord Badrinath.

All these places have this kind of appeal and these spiritual settings that entitle any place as the one to be visited by anybody who wants to have his/her faith reinforced.

How to Reach Char Dham Temples?

The four of them are located at the Garhwal in the Himalayas in the state of Uttarakhand in India – Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath. Where applicable, some of these sites can be accessed on road, rail, and air transport and then by trekking or by road transport when you get to the base of the mountain for the temple.

Nearest Airport

The Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun is nearly for all four temporal shrines of Chardham. All destinations are within a 210 km to 320 km radius from the airport. From the airport, one has to get a taxi to travel to some nearby town or another destination.

Nearest Train Station

Rishikesh is the nearest railway station to all these four dham temples of pilgrimage and these are situated 200–295 km away from this place. To visit these areas or the base points of the respective temple one has to hire a taxi or take a bus from Rishikesh.

Travel by Road

They can drive themselves or take a taxi service from any of the major cities of Uttarakhand like Rishikesh, Haridwar, and Dehradun if you want to roam around on the roads. Taxis and other ordinary buses also ply the base points of each of the 4 Dham temples.

Treks and Accessibility: For Yamunotri and Kedarnath treks are necessary starting from the base locations.

Best Way to Get to Char Dham Temple Through Helicopter

If you desire not to embark on road rides and especially the trekking that is almost imminent when visiting any of the temples, hiring a helicopter that will take you to the 4 Dham Temples in Uttarakhand is again one of the best options as much as time is concerned. This is particularly so if you wish to visit some of the temples around the area. If you pre-arrange a helicopter, all four of the Chardham Temples are accessible by mode of transport. The following is a rundown on how to get to each one of them via helicopter:

Yamunotri : Yamunotri helicopter services are usually available from the helipad at Kharsali which is almost at Yamunotri. From Dehradun or any other city close by like Rishikesh or Haridwar; Simply follow the route to get there to Kharsali. From there the Yamunotri temple is about 6 km away to which you may either trek or hire a pony to reach there.

Gangotri : Most helicopters to Gangotri operate from Harsil as it is the nearest helipad to Gangotri. The road transport is used to get to Harsil from other important city centers of the region including Dehradun, and Rishikesh among other major cities in Uttarakhand. However, after you have gotten to Harsil the temple in Gangotri which is about 25 km away can only be accessed on foot or by hiring a vehicle from the locals.

Kedarnath : The helicopters for Kedarnath are operated from Phata, Sitapur, and Guptkashi Helicopters to Kedarnath are available from Phata which is located in Rudraprayag District; One has to trek on foot to reach Kedarnath. Helicopter will drop you at the nearest helipad to Kedarnath and then one has to trek about 1 to 2 kilometres to cover the Kedarnath temple.

Badrinath : The helicopter services are invariably from the Ghangaria helipad or directly from the Phata helipad or the nearby helipad in Badrinath town. The paths to these helipads can be driven by a car and some of these cities are Dehradun and Rishikesh.

Pooja and Aarti at the Char Dham Temples

Chardham Yatra consists of foyers to four holy shrines and each temple even offers different late evening Aarti against the grandiosity of the Himalayan ranges. Here are the timings and descriptions of the Aarti rituals at each temple:

Yamunotri

  • Morning Aarti: Around 6 AM at sunrise.
  • Evening Aarti: Around 6 PM after sunset.

Gangotri

  • Morning Aarti: Around 6 AM at dawn.
  • Evening Aarti: Around 6 PM at sunset.

Kedarnath

  • Morning Aarti: The Rudra Abhishek Puja, a very popular one begins at 4 in the morning and then one can witness many activities.
  • Evening Aarti: Around 6:30 PM.

Badrinath

  • Morning Aarti: Mangala Aarti is performed from 4.30 AM to 6.30 AM.
  • Evening Aarti: From 6:00 PM to 7:45 PM.

Every Aarti wins a religious component to the ’Tirth Yatra’, conducted in the backdrop of the serene Himalayan surroundings.

Char Dham Temples

Char Dham Temples

The Char Dham Yatra represents one of the sacred yatra for Hindus. Yamunotri is pure because Yamuna is the river Goddess; Gangotri is the cleanser;...

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Kedarnath Temple

Kedarnath Temple

Sited at an altitude of 3,584 meters above sea level on the banks of the Mandakini River, this has attracted hundreds of devotees every year....

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Badrinath Temple

Badrinath Temple

Badrinath is one of the four important Char Dham Sites, and the Chota Chardham of India. Lying on the banks of the River Alaknanda, it...

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Gangotri Temple

Gangotri Temple

Gangotri Temple where Bhagwati Ganga Devi resides is regarded as the place where the river came down on earth. Gangotri Dham with an elevation of...

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Yamunotri Temple

Yamunotri Temple

In Hindu tradition, Yamunotri Dham stands as one of Uttarakhand's holiest pilgrimage sites amid Uttarkashi's Himalayan mountains. Yamunotri is the beginning site for the four...

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