Char Dham Pilgrimage

Adi Shankaracharya defined the term Char …Chatur Dhama ( Sanskrit : चतुधाम ) is a set of four Hindu
pilgrimage sites consisting of Badrinath, Dwarka, Puri and Rameswaram.

Badrinath, Dwarka, and Puri are shrines of Vishnu, whereas Rameswaram is a shrine of Shiva.
Defined by Adi Shankara, each dhāma represents a particular yuga:
Badrinath representing Satya Yuga
Rameswaram representing Treta Yuga
Dwarka representing Dvapara Yuga
Puri representing Kali Yuga

It is believed that human beings can find God through:
Penance in Satyug
Yagnas in Tretayug
Daan in Dwaparyug
In Kaliyug they may attain God only through Naam Sankirtan (God gave Kaliyug five places to live-in
gambling, in alcohol, in brothels, in slaughter houses and in gold acquired from evil.)

Many Hindus believe visiting these sites can help achieve moksha (liberation or salvation).

Uttarakhand, commonly referred to as Devbhumi (Land of Gods), is a state in northern India that is home to some of the holiest Hindu temples and shrines. The Chota Char Dham is a devotional circuit in Uttarakhand viz. Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath The Chota Char Dham shrines are closed in winter due to snowfall and reopen for pilgrims with the advent of summer.

Uttarakhand is also famous for Gurdwara Hemkund Sahib, a Sikh place of worship and pilgrimage site in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. It is devoted to Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, and finds mention in Dasam Granth.

5 nights Char Dham Yatra by helicopter.

🚁 Dehradun to Yumnotri
🚁 Kharsali to Gangotri
🚁 Gangotri to Kedarnath
🚁 Guptkashi to Badrinath
🚁 Badrinath to Dehradun

Preparation and guidelines for the yatra:

Doctor’s Checkup – The altitude of Kedarnath temple is 11500 feet, and that of Badrinath temple is 10000 feet. Some pilgrims may experience difficulty in breathing due to a lack of oxygen, especially at Kedarnath. Hence, they are advised to walk slowly. One should take advice from a doctor before undertaking this yatra.

Luggage – Passengers can carry only up to 5 kg of handbags provided by the aviation company, as suitcases cannot be kept in the helicopter.

Kedarnath helipad to the temple is nearly 500 meters away. So pithu (Shoulder Carriage) or ponies can be arranged for those passengers who are unable to walk.

Clothing – Comfortable clothing according to the season and light in weight. Although day temperatures at these locations are normal, it becomes cold at night, so one must carry a wind cheater with hoody, scarfs, gloves and maybe a money cap. It is better to dress in layers.please also carry a set of thermals.

Footwear – Comfortable slippers and walking shoes and also extra socks as they get wet in the temple. A friend was saying to carry disposable pair of slippers that you get in hotels.
If you are walking down from Kedarnath, it is advisable to cut the shoes from the big toe side; this will prevent your big toe nail from getting hurt).

Drinking water – One needs to be well hydrated. So carry a light weight bottle or flask.

Medication – It is recommended that one carries all necessary and daily medication. Especially for diarrhea, nausea, electrolytes, acidity, crepe bandages, ointments and sprays for sprains.

Food – Recommended high energy foods that are easy to carry and will last through your trip, like dry fruits & nuts, energy bars, badam burfi, etc.

Money – Small currency notes in a water proof pouch. Plastic bags to keep Prasad. Small waterproof bag to carry a few things.

Miscellaneous – Foldable light weight umbrella ,Disposable raincoat, a small cloth bag for soiled clothes. Please also take some Disposable diapers…as sometimes the bathrooms are not available or are very dirty .
-It’s always a good idea to have a water proof rucksack for all the things to carry.

Yamunotri @ 10,804 feet

Yamunotri, the source of the river Yamuna, is the westernmost shrine in the Garhwal Himalayas.

In Hindu scriptures, Yamuna is the daughter of Surya, the sun god, and Sanjna, the cloud goddess. She is also the twin sister of Yama, god of death. She is associated with the deity Krishna as one of his eight principal consorts, called the Ashtabharya. Yamuna plays an important role in Krishna’s early life as a river.

Yamunotri is the temple devoted to the Goddess Yamuna and the holy thermal springs at Janki Chatti .

A dip in the Yamuna is said to protect one from untimely death.

The trek to Yamunotri starts from Janki Chatti, which is about 3 km away from Yamunotri. The trek is about 7 km long and takes around 4-5 hours to complete.

Devotees either walk or ride a palanquin or pony to reach the temple. Palanquin is a temporary structure made by wood by people from Nepal every year. Four people carry it…while coming down the hill these palanquin holders run very fast. The person inside has to bend down in a secure position.

There is a small hot water spring at Yamunotri. Rice and potatoes are cooked by pilgrims in this water and served as prasad. Yamuna river is way down so pilgrims refrain climbing down for a dip.

The Divya Shila is a holy rock pillar located near the Yamunotri temple. The term Devotees believe that this rock pillar is a divine stone and they offer their prayers before entering the Yamunotri temple.

Best Time To Visit: April to June and September to November

Gangotri @ 10,319 feet

Harsil is a village, a tourist hill station and an army area located on the banks of the Bhagirathi River, on the way to Gangotri.

Gangotri Temple is the highest temple dedicated to Goddess Ganga. It is a 20 feet high structure made with white granite.

The holy River Ganges originates from the Gangotri glacier and is called Bhagirathi. The water from
Gangotri is carried to offer to Lord Shiva at Kedarnath. It is believed that this water has nectar. It helped in soothing Lord Shiva’s throat when he gulped down the poison.

Surya Kund is a spectacular waterfall in Gangotri, located 500 metres from the Gangotri Temple. Suryakund holds religious significance, as it is believed that Goddess Parvati used to take a bath here, paying homage to the Sun God. It is also believed that a rainbow is created every time water falls down into the kund while the sun is shining bright.

Gomukh holds a very religious significance in Hindu mythology and it is the place of emergence of the holy Ganga River. Its height is 13,200 ft.

The Pujaris and Priests who perform in the temple belong to the village of Mukhwa.

Kedarnath @11,755 feet

Kedarnath is seen as a homogeneous form of Shiva, the ‘Lord of Kedarkhand’, the historical name of the region.

It is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, the holiest Hindu shrines of Lord Shiva. The Pandavas were supposed to have pleased Shiva by doing penance in Kedarnath.

The Kedarnath Temple is near Mandakini river. One of the most interesting features of the Kedarnath Temple is its unique lingam. Devotees believe Lord Shiva himself worships here. Unlike other lingams that are made of stone or metal, people believe it to be a natural rock formation in the shape of a lingam.

According to Hindu legends, the Kedarnath temple was initially built by the Pandavas, The Pandavas were on their way to Heaven, they wanted to find lord Shiva. lord Shiva did not want to meet them as He was displeased with Pandavas for killings at the battle of Kurukshetra so Shiva took the form of a bull and mingled in group of bulls. The Pandavas detected which bull is Shiva and Bhim tried to catch Shiva and got hold of his tail…Shiva went inside the ground it is believed that the hump of Shiva is the conical linga that is worshiped at Kedarnath.
legend says and Shiva’s head came out from the earth in Kathmandu…which is worshipped now at Pashupatinath temple.

The presiding image of Kedarnath in the form of Lingam is of irregular shape with a pedestal 12 ft in circumference and 12 ft in height.

There is a small pillared hall in front of the temple, that has images of Goddess Parvati and of the five Pandavas.

The first hall inside Kedarnath Temple contains statues of the five Pandava brothers, Krishna, Nandi and Virabhadra, Draupadi and other deities are also installed in the main hall.

The head priest (Raval) of the Kedarnath temple belongs to the Veerashaiva community from Karnataka.

Bhim Shila, located in the holy town of Kedarnath, holds immense mythological significance.
The is the rock which protected the temple in 2013 flash floods .

The temple is open to pilgrims only between the months of April (Akshaya Tritiya) and November (Kartik Purnima, the autumn full moon).

During winters, the vigraha (deity) of the temple is carried down to Ukhimath to be worshipped for the next six months.

Note: It is advisable to carry puja samagri like belpatra, Ganga jal, honey, chandan etc. with you as there are no shops outside to buy.

Badrinath Temple @ 10,279 ferry

Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the Badrinath Temple is one of the most important pilgrimage sites.The present temple, was built by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century. The temple finds mention in several ancient books like Bhagavata Purana, Skanda Purana and Mahabharata. It is one of the 108 Divyadesam dedicated to Lord Vishnu, who is worshipped as Badrinath.

It is believed that Lord Vishnu himself had appeared

here in the form of a human avatar – Badri. Badrinath town gets its name from the Badri tree,which is found in the vicinity.

As per legend, Lord Vishnu sat in meditation at this place. During his meditation, Vishnu was unaware of cold weather. Lakshmi, his consort, protected him in the form of the Badri tree. Pleased by the devotion of Lakshmi, Vishnu named the place Badrika Ashram. Hence Goddess Lakshmi was called the “Badri Vishal” as a large Beri and Lord Vishnu as “Badrinath” husband of Badri.

Their is also a belief that Badrinath was once the site of a great sage named Badri. Badri was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu and did severe penance to please him. Pleased with his devotion, Lord Vishnu appeared before him and asked him what he wanted. Badri asked for a place where he could always be in the presence of Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu then took Badri to this place and told him that he would always remain there in spirit form.

It is also believed that the great sage Narada had visited this place and was so impressed by its beauty that he decided to stay here permanently.

Legend says that Lord Hanuman, visited this place while searching for Sanjivani booti to revive Lakshman during the Ramayana war.

Another popular legend states that Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati had once meditated here for several years.

One legend says that when the Ganga river was brought down from heaven by Bhagiratha, she threatened to destroy everything in her path. To save the world from destruction, Lord Shiva held her in his matted locks until she calmed down. When she flowed out from his hair, she split into seven streams, one of which flowed through Badrinath. This is why the Ganga is considered holy here and pilgrims take a dip in her waters.

Legend– One day, four Kumaras, named Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana, and Sanatkumara, arrived at the entrance of Vaikuntha. By virtue of their tapas or austerities, they appeared to be children but, in reality, they were very old and spiritually advanced. As they were about to enter the spiritual realm, they were stopped by Jay and Vijay the dwarapalakas or gatekeepers of Vaikuntha. Considering them children, Jaya and Vijaya arrogantly declared that they could not be allowed inside the abode of Vishnu. They were unaware that these four Kumaras happened to be the mind-born sons or manasaputras of Brahma.
The Kumaras cursed the twin gatekeepers to lose their divinity and take birth in the material world.
On being cursed, Jaya and Vijaya let go of their arrogance and pleaded with the Kumaras to revoke the curse.
In the Satya Yuga, Jaya and Vijaya were born as the asuras Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu. Hiranyaksha was slain by the Varaha avatar of Vishnu, and Hiranyakashipu was slain Vishnu’s Narasimha avatar.

In the Treta Yuga, they were born as the brothers Ravana and Kumbarkarna. They were both destroyed by Rama, the seventh avatar of Vishnu.

In the Dwapara Yuga,  they took birth as Shishupala and Dantavakra. They were both defeated by Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu.

The depiction of Jaya and Vijaya guarding the gates of Vaikuntha loka is a common feature of most Vishnu temples, showing how inseparable they are from their lord.

According to the tradition, Dharma had two sons, Nar, and Narayan— they are of which are modern names of Himalayan mountains in between which the Badrinath Temple is situated. It is also believed that they are the incarnation of Jay and Vijay.

Adi Shankara found the temple’s fossilized black stone idol of Lord Vishnu (in the form of Lord Badrinarayan) in the Alaknanda River.The deity is one of eight swayam vyakta kshetras, or self-manifested deities of Vishnu.
The main shrine houses the one feet Shaligram (black stone) deity of Lord Badrinarayana, which is housed in a gold canopy under a Badri Tree.

The deity of Lord Badrinarayana shows Him holding a Shankha (conch) and a Chakra (wheel) in two of His arms in a lifted posture and the other two arms resting on His lap in a Yogamudra (Padmasana) posture  The sanctum also houses images of the God of wealth—Kubera, sage Narada, Uddhava, Nar and Narayan.

Adi Shankara installed a Nambudiri Brahmin chief priest there, from Kerala in south India where he was born. The tradition of having such a priest from Kerala continues today, even though the temple is in north India.
The priest, known as a Rawal is chosen by the erstwhile rulers of Garhwal and Travancore.

At a distance of 5.5 km from Badrinath, the ancient Vyas Cave is located on the banks of Saraswati River in Mana village.

Vyasa is traditionally regarded as the author of the epic Mahābhārata. Many Hindus also regard Vyasa as a partial incarnation (Sanskrit: अंशावतार) of Lord Vishnu.

The story behind Vyas Gufa is that the Guru Ved Vyas was reciting the Mahabharata to Lord Ganesh and Shukdev. While he was doing so, Ganesh Ji was writing the scripture. At the same time, the River Saraswati was making a loud noise, and Ganesha ji asked the river to be quiet. So the river Saraswati disappeared from there and came out in Prayagraj.

Sage Shringi’s son had cursed King Parikshit that he would die from a snake bite. Since he had only a week to live, the King asked sage Shukadev to narrate Lord Krishna’s stories, and thus the Srimad Bhagavatam was born, and the sage stayed there for longer than he ever did anywhere. It is said that Shukadev would stay in a place for a very short time—the time it takes to milk a cow. At the end of the week, Takshaka the snake bit King Parikshit and he died.

The Bheem Pul is located at the point where the Saraswati River meets the River Alaknanda at a tremendous speed. Legend has it that when the Pandavas were taking their final journey to heaven called Swargarohan, they happened to pass through a point near the Badrinath Temple, where they had to cross the Saraswati river. When their wife, Draupadi, was unable to cross the river, Bheema, who possesses the strength of several elephants, brought a huge rock and placed it above the river stream in such a way that it served as a bridge. That rock is now known as the Bheem Pul and is located in Mana village near Badrinath.

For me, this yatra of Char Dham was an opportunity to seek the divine amidst the beauty of nature and experience the rich and meaningful essence of life.