Char Dham

According to the popular Hindu religious belief, four Hindu religious sites in Uttarakhand are known as Char Dhams. Nestled in the lap of majestic Himalayas, these four sites are Yamunotri, Gangotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath. Traditionally, if you are on your Chardham Yatra, it will start from the west to the east. So the Yatra starts from Yamunotri, then proceed to Gangotri, then Kedarnath and finally ends at Badrinath. Respectively Yamunotri and Gangotri are dedicated to goddesses Yamuna and Ganga. Kedarnath is dedicated to Lord Shiva and Badrinath is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. These pilgrimages are visited in aspiration of washing away their sins and to attain salvation.
Yamunotri
The revered shrine of Yamunotri is located at the 6,315 mts on Bandarpunchh Mountain. The place Yamunotri boasts holy shrine of goddess Yamuna. From city the 7 km away, you will find holy thermal springs at Jankichatti. In the 19th century, the present temple was constructed by Maharani Gularia of Jaipur. To reach to Yamunotri, one has to undertake a 220 km journey from Rishikesh to Hanumanchatti. From Hanumanchatti, where the motorable road ends, you have to walk for 13 km to reach to the main Temple. The temple remains closed during the winter months of Nov. to April.



How to reach

• Air : Nearest airport is Jolly Grant.
• Rail : Nearest railhead is at Rishikesh.
• Road : The road to Yamunotri diverts from Rishikesh-Gangotri road at Dharasu.
• Important road distances : Hanumanchatti 13 km; Dharasu 107 km; Tehri 149 km.

Gangotri
Gangotri is situated at an altitude of 3,200 mts above sea-level amidst sylvan surroundings. Revered by hundreds of thousands pilgrims every year, this 18th century temple constructed by Gorkha General Amar Singh Thapa. It is said that Pandavas, came here to perform the great 'Deva Yajna'. In the right bank of Bhagirathi, the temple is situated. Generally pilgrims from here trek to Nandanvan (6 km) and Kedartal (18 km) from Gangotri. Due to the severe winter conditions, the temple remains closed from Nov. to April.

How to reach

• Air : Nearest airport is Jolly Grant (26 km from Rishikesh)
• Rail : Nearest railhead is at Rishikesh, 249 km.
• Road : Important road distances are Uttarkashi 97 km, Tehri 167 km, Dharasu 125 km, Yamunotri 232 km, Mussoorie 250 km.

The Kedarnath
The Sri Kedarnathji shrine houses one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. At an altitude of 3,581 mts, against the backdrop of the majestic Sri Kedarnathji range, this beautiful temple is situated. Sri Kedarnathji is also considered as one of the main shrines of Panch Kedar. Pilgrims can reach this place just after 14 kms trekking from Gaurikund, which is connected by road with Rishikesh, Kotdwara, Dehradun and Haridwar.

How to Reach

• Air : Nearest airport is Jolly Grant airport in Dehradun (251 Kms).
• Rail : Nearest railheads are Rishikesh (234 Kms) and Kotdwar (260 Kms).
• Road : Reachable only on foot from Gaurikund (14 Kms), which is connected to Rishikesh, Kotdwar, Dehradun and Haridwar.

Shri Badrinathji
Located in the lap of Nar-Narayan Parvat, with the towering Neelkanth peak (6,597mts.) in the background, Badrinath is one of the most revered Hindu shrines of India. It is believed to one of the four pilgrimage centres, made by Adi Guru Sri Shankaracharya. The main highlights of Badrinath are Badrinath Temple, Tapt Kund, Neelkanth, Charanpaduka, Brahma Kapil, Sheshnetra etc. Every year the temple usually remains open from first week of May to 2nd week of November.

How to Reach

• Air : Jolly Grant airport in Dehradun (317 Kms), is the nearest airport from Badrinath.
• Rail : Rishikesh (297 Kms) and Kotdwar (327 Kms) are the nearest railway stations.
• Road : Badrinath is connected to Rishikesh, Haridwar, Kotdwar, Dehradun etc by road.