Uttrakhand Char Dham Yatra

The  Char  Dham, also referred to as “the four abodes”, is the journey up the mountains to the four sacred temples in the north-Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is also sometimes called as Chhota Char Dham to differentiate it from the bigger circuit of Char Dham sites. The four temples that comprise Char Dham are: Yamunotri  Dham, Gangotri Dham,  Badrinath Dham and Kedarnath Dham. These four temples are situated in four different directions of Uttarakhand and are devoted to different Gods and Goddesses. Let us now begin with the History of these abodes or Dhaam one by one.

1. Yamunotri Dham

Yamunotri Dham, the first Dham en route the yatra, is situated at Yamunotri- where the sacred river the Yamuna originates. It named after Goddess Yamuna, the twin sister of Yama (the God of death). A bath in the holy waters of the Yamuna river is said to cleanse one of all their sins and protect them from an untimely death. It is believed that sage Asit Muni lived in a hermitage close by and bathed in both the Ganga and the Yamuna. In his old age, when he was unable to go to Gangotri, a stream of the Ganga started to flow across the steam of the Yamuna. At the Yamunotri Dham, the idol of Goddess Yamuna is present in the form of a black marble idol and it is situated in the backdrop of the Yamuna river which jets down from one side of the temple which makes for a breathtaking sight. 

2. Gangotri Dham

Gangothri Dham is the birthplace of the River Ganga. Popular Hindu legends suggests that the River Ganga took birth here because Lord Shiva decided to release the mighty river from the locks of his hair. Dedicated to Goddess Ganga, Gangothri Dham is the second of the four temples at the Chota Char Dham Route. The foundation to this temple was laid by Nepalese General Amar Singh Thapa. Gaumukh, the sacred snout of the Gangotri Glacier is where the mighty river begins its journey. This venue is located about 19 kilometres from Gangotri. Some popular religious locations like the Bhagirath Shila and the Pandava Gufa are also present close to the Gangothri Dham.

3. Kedarnath

It is dedicated to incarnations of the Third Eye Lord. Kedarnath is named after King Kedar, a ruler from Satya Yuga. This is the place where Lord Shiva is said to have liberated the Pandavas from killing their own cousins, Kauravas in the Mahabharata.

In fact, there is an interesting story behind the town and its temple. According to the Puranas, the Pandava brothers did a major penance in Kedarnath to please Lord Shiva.

Another legend of the Kedar temple states that Goddess Parvati worshipped Kedareshwar to unite with Shiva as Ardhaanareshwara.

Earlier, the temple was built by Pandavas. The present-day temple was built by Adi Shankaracharya. Just behind the temple, the samadhi of Adi Shankaracharya can be found.

4. Badrinath

The name of Badrinath Temple has originated from the local word Badri which means a type of wild berry. It is the abode of Lord Vishnu.

The original Badrinath temple was built by Adi Shankaracharya, who initially discovered the Badrinarayan idol in the Alakananda River. It was he who moved the shrine into the hot water springs of Tapt Kund.* Due to natural time taking the course, there was a need for a new temple to be built.

The Present temple was built by King of Garhwal in the 16th century. The stunning ornament stones, traditional carving, pillar designs will take your breath away at the first look! In terms of the architecture, the appearance is similar to the Buddhist Vihara temple.

(*Tapt Kund is the abode of Lord Agni and is famous for its medicinal properties. Before entering the Badrinath Temple, one has to take a holy dip in the Tapt Kund. The dip into the hot water of this kund is believed to be spiritually rejuvenating and relieves the sins.)