Introduction
Char Dham is a renowned religious place in Uttarakhand which is visited by millions of pilgrims all over the world. The Char Dham consists of 4 shrines, “Gangotri”, “Yamunotri”, “Kedarnath” and “Badrinath”.
Millions of people dive into this religious journey with one single thought. It is to be closer to the almighty and attain salvation.
Char Dham
It is said that a Hindu should go for the Char Dham yatra once in their lifetime to wash away all their sins and look forward to leading a beautiful life ahead with a brand-new perspective and with all those memories of the yatra always intact in their hearts.
Char Dham is located in Uttarakhand within the Himalayan ranges. Char Dham is said to be visited in a clockwise fashion starting from Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and then Badrinath. The four shrines are closed for six months in a year. They usually open around April or May and then close around November. It is said that the best time to take this trip to salvation is during May-June to avoid the monsoon and have a hassle-free journey.
And alas the journey begins!
Start your day by enjoying the delicious chole-bhature right off the bat. Then continue on your journey by leaving for Barkot. Try to book the hotel beforehand to avoid any last time price hiking. It took us around 7 hours, which was approximately 200-215 km, to reach our hotel. Do be astonished by the beauty of the land in your way. The sense of being on a pilgrimage won’t hit you till you sense that wind of holiness and how it makes peace in my mind. Do stop by the Kempty falls and remember that don’t take a dip in it because the rest of the ride will be all wet and cold.
Bet you will wake up before 4 am eagerly waiting to see what the day holds for you! And hence begin your first “Pahad Char Dham yatra” from “Jhanki Chatti” where you’ll travel by a vehicle. Then start the trek to the first shrine that is “Yamunotri” the origin of Yamuna River. The trek will be quite a bit challenging as the steps are a bit steep and that panic mode gets activated.
But nothing of those sorts happens. Everything will go smoothly and once you reach your destination, nature will surely astound you making you speechless. After reaching Yamunotri, go for a dip at the sacred “Garam Kund” and then go for a puja at the Yamunotri temple itself. Do notice the three idols in the temple a black one representing the goddess Yamuna, the white one representing the goddess Ganga and an idol of lord hanuman. After that go to the Surya Kund for your “prasadam”.
After completing all the rituals, head back towards Barkot. Going back is actually not that tiring and then after reaching your hotel sleep out all your tiredness.
Journey Continues
The next morning, leave early for “Uttarkashi”. You will still be feeling a bit tired from the journey. So after resting your leg all you could, after checking in there do fill up your hunger. Then go straight to the one and only “Vishwanath temple”. Worship “Lord Shiva” after exploring the town for a bit go back to the hotel. Then rest there because honestly, you are will need it.
The next day starts with you heading towards the “Gangotri” and the beauty it holds is immeasurable and the temple is as holy as one imagines. They have idols of “Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesh, Lord Hanuman and King Bhagirath”. The way Gangotri is capsulated between the Himalayan ranges is a sight you don’t want to miss. After spending your time there, go back to your hotel in Uttarkashi and go to bed early.
Wake up early the next day to leave for “Guptkashi” and decide to call it a night over there. Uttarkashi is also quite beautiful. The journey will be for about 12 hours and then go straight to bed after checking in your hotel.
End of Journey
Wake up quite early the next day because it is time for your third Dham that is “Kedarnath” . You must be a bit exhausted by the end of the day but do manage to complete your day with utmost sincerity and capturing Lord Shiva in your hearts.
The next day wake up and go for a trek to “Gaurikund” . Here you take a ride to “Rudraprayag” also referred to as the abode of gods. After checking in your hotel, go and explore the town for a bit. It’s really hard to explain in writing how you are going to get surprised by such a small town. But it will be such a religious and cultural past and the cherry on top is the environment and the magnificent view of the rivers.
The End
The next day wake up to embark your journey to the fourth and the last Dham that is “Badrinath”. Here first go to the temple to pray and then take a dip at the “Tapt Kund” . Then continue to visit several other places and to be honest you will be pretty exhausted by the entire trip. But to be honest you are going to be proud about yourself that you completed the entire trip and were able to capture the entire journey within your heart and remember it forever.
