Introduction

The Char Dham Yatra is a famous pilgrim place of India that includes 4 holy spots of India. This Yatra is especially well-revered among the Hindus. They firmly believe that the yatra helps to achieve salvation by washing the their sins. They consider the journey to these places as an attempt to attain spirituality and it is believed that one should go on these places at least once in their lifetime. These places are within Uttarakhand which is also called Devbhoomi or the land of the Gods.

The temples in this whole Yatra, in order are as follows:

1.Yamunotri: This is the first destination situated in a small Gorge near the origin of Yamuna. It is respected to be a very sacred river.

2 Gangotri: The most holyriver in India, Goddess Ganga, is venerated in this temple. It is the Chardham's next destination. Gomukh is the site of the Gangotri Dham that is most well-known. This is where the holy Ganga River springs. On a stone in Gangotri, the mythical king Bhagirath indulged in meditation.

3 Kedarnath: This the most popular Temple in India. With a tiring route, hindus take this trek to be the journey that tests your devotion. This is the third location of the circuit. According to the myths the Pandavas meditated in here after the war of Mahabharatha to attain salvation from their sins. This temple was built in the 8th century BC by Adi Shakaracharya, the holy Saint. This temple is believed to have been built 1200 years ago. Here Lord Shiva is worshipped as the main deity.

4 Badrinath: This temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu who sat here to meditate, unaware of the freezing cold here. This is the fourth shrine of the Chardham. Followed by this, he was protecyted by Goddess Lakshmi who stood above his head in the form of a Badri tree. Vishnu then named this place as the Badrika Ashram.

You need to visit these four temples in the following order.

While these temples are quite famous, there are some other places that you must not miss during the yatra:

Surya Kund- This a great attraction near the main temple Yamunotri. The surya devta is considered to be the father of Yamuna and thus people stop by to offer their prayers to the Sun. The Kund is a thermal hot water spring with great medicinal properties that cures skin diseases and joint pains.

Saptrishi Kund- At a distance of 10km from the Yamunotri Temple. This place is surrounded by the Brahama Kamal, a very unique flower only found in the Himalayan region. This kund is named after the seven great sages of Hindu Mythology. The lake is in a very remote area in the mountains.

Divya Shilla- This is basically a rock pillar near the Surya Kund. People mostly pay their respect. According to Hindu mythology this place this place is very significant.

Harsil- This is a well-secured treasure of the Himalayas, at just a walking distance of 25 minutes from the Gangotri temple. It is in between several tall mountain peaks with some of them being snow-capped.

Jalmanga Shivling- As far as the legend goes, this place is revered as being the spot where Lord Shiva held the river Ganga in his hair.

Gangotri national park- It is one of the highest wildlife sanctuaries of India. It is situated in the state of Uttarakhand in Uttarkashi district. It is home to a wide variety of alpine and coniferous trees and more varieties of fauna and flora. Make sure you visit the Gurmukh glaciers in here, the origin of the Ganga river.

Chorabari Tal- It is also known as the Gandhi Sarovar because the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi were immersed in this lake. This place is near to Kedarnath at a distance of 4 kms. The lake embodies crystal clear water. To reach here you need to take a short trek that has a route covered by beautiful forests and grassy lands.

Vasuki Tal: The lake is situated almost at an altitude of 4328 meters, near Kedarnath. If you are someone who loves adventure this place is meant to be explored by you. The lake is named after the snake Vasuki nag because the shape of the lake resembles the snake coil. You will also witness amazing views of the Chaukhamba peak from this lake.

Bheem Pul- Built over the Saraswati river and situated in the village of Mana, this bridge derieves its name from of the Pandavas. Bheem was believed to have built this bridge for his wife Draupadi. This is one of the unusual places in the Chardham yatra that you should visit if you want to escape from the traffic.

Vasudhara Falls- Visit this place to experience the true spirituality of the Badrinatrh temple. The falls are of a staggering height of 400 feet. Trek to this place in between May till November and you won’t be disappointed.

Auli- This place will fall during your journey to Badrinath Dham. This place is popular for its winter games. Flourishing at a height of 2500 meters this place offers beautiful views of Mana Parvat, Nanda devi and Kamat.

Now, that you know about all these places its time to plan your next visit soon.