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Chardham Yatra 2024

Uttarakhand is knowns as the land of gods (Devbhoomi), the state is enveloped with countless temples and shrines, towering mountains, and what not. The most celebrated and visited temples here are Chardham which are Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath. Lakhs of devotees come here at Uttarakhand from all corners of the globe for Chardham Yatra and to seek blessings. Chardham Yatra also contributes a significant amount of revenue into the GDP of state and millions of people earth their livelihood from Chardham Yatra and that is the reason the Government also promotes this sacred Yatra of Chardham.

This divine tour of Chardham Yatra is also knows as the Uttarakhand’s Chhota Chardham Yatra. The famous philosopher and saint revived and re-established these temples and he was the one who initiated the Chardham Yatra to revive the Hindu religion and to awaken the faith and devotion of Hindus in Sanatan Dharm.

These four divine temples are also the origin of four holy Rivers of India which are River Yamuna (Yamunotri), Ganga River or River Ganges (Gangotri), Mandakini River (Kedarnath) and the last one is River Alaknanda (Badrinath). There are several cities which are situated at the banks of these Rivers.

These Chardham pilgrimage sites are considered as most sacred and holiest temples of India and believed to cleanse the devotees from their sins. The Yatra starts from Haridwar/Rishikesh/Dehradun in sequence and the first spot is Yamunotri Dham, second is Gangotri Dham, third is Kedarnath Dham and in last pilgrims visit the Badrinath temple. This Yatra takes several days with patience and faith to complete and is believed that the completing of Chardham Yatra brings spiritual attainment and blessings..

Details of Chardham Yatra

The pilgrimage sites of Chardham

Yamunotri: Dedicated to goddess Yamuna, Yamunotri is the first visited temple in Chardham Yatra cicuit. The temple of Yamunotri was built around 18th century by Maharani Guleria who was the queen of Jaipur at that time. The temple is situated at the altitude of 3293 meters above from sea level and houses the deity of Yamuna in a form of silver idol and offers a majestic view of the surroundings.

Gangotri: The second visited temple in the route of Chardham Yatra is devoted to goddess Ganga and elevated at 3100 meters above from sea level. The Temple was built by a Gorkha general Ajay Sing Thapa around 18th Century. It is believed to attain salvation and cleanse the sins of the devotees who offer prayers here at Gangotri temple. The temple is surrounded by several snowcapped mountain peaks, towering devdar trees, and other natural beauties.

Kedarnath: Kedarnath, dedicated to the protector and destroyer of the universe lord, Shiva. The kedarnath temple is nestled at the altitude of 3583 meters above sea level in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand state. It is believed that the temple of kedarnath was constructed by the heroes of epic Mahabharata, Pandavas. Every devotee of lord Shiva should visit the Kedarnath temple at least once in their lifetime.

Badrinath: The fourth and the last temple in the Chardham Yatra, the Yatra considered complete after visiting the Badrinath temple. The temple of Badrinath is devoted to the preserver of the universe and the supreme god of Hinduism lord, Vishnu. The shrine of Badrinath is located in thechamoli district of Uttarakhand state and elevated at 3133 meters above from sea level.

Why Chardham Yatra

Uttarakhand’s Chardham Yatra refers to a set of four divine temples in the Uttarakhand state of Northern India, and hold great significance in Hinduism. All of these sacred pilgrimage sites are nestled in the Himalayas of Garhwal region. Each of these holy temples represents different manifestations of spiritual and winsome energy.

The tour of Chardham Yatra is not just journey of religious site but it is also an enriching tour through the exalted Himalayas which offers the opportunity to devotees for introspection of the spiritual renewal, majestic beauty of surroundings and to enjoy the nature. It is an ultimate desire in the heart of every Hindu to visit these sacred temples at least once in their lifetime to attain Moksh (salvation).

According to Hinduism Teerth Yatra is one of the main five duties of every Hindu along with Following and guarding Dharma, Worship God, Sanskar (Discipline), and meditation. The Chardham Yatra is a more than a mere journey it is a profound exercise in willpower, devotion, humanity and faith. As the devotees embarks on the journey of Chardham they face several difficulties in their way before completing the Yatra, but these difficulties are not more than an assessment which tests the devotion of pilgrims towards their lord.

Opening and Closing of Chardham Yatra 2024

The opening and closing of Chardham Yatra, the sacred pilgrimage to the four sacred Himalayan shrines in Uttarakhand, typically opens in the end April or early May and closes around End of October or Mid November every year. However, the temple opening and closing dates are decided with the help of astronomical calculation and Hindu calendar.

Yamunotri and Gangotri both of these shrines open on the auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiya every year. The other two Kedarnath and Badrinath temple’s opening dates are depended on the Hindu calendar and weather conditions in the region.

The three temples of Chardham Yatra (Yamunotri, Gangotri, and Kedarnath) closes two days Diwali and the Badrinath Dham closes around late October or Mid November every year.

Places covered in Chardham Yatra

Mussoorie: Mussoorie is very popular hill station which has several sightseeing places to explore, it is also covered in Chardham Yatra.

Harsil: Harsil is also a very popular village and visited by several tourists throughout the year and Harsil in also covered in Chardham Yatra tour.

Chopta: Chopta is also a very popular destination and has various places to visit such as Tungnath, Deoria taal, ukhimath, etc. Chopta is also covered in the Chardham Yatra.

Panch Prayag: Panch prayags are five sacred confluences of Rivers in Himalayas. The panch prayags are Rudraprayag, Devprayag, Karnaprayag, Vishnu Prayag and nand Prayag, these are also covered in the Chardham tour.

There are various other sightseeing places in Chardham route such as: Mana village, Joshimath, Rishikesh, etc.

Best time to Visit

Summer (End April – June): The Chardham Yatra opens for devotees every year around end of April or early May and is considered as the best time to visit as the weather remain very delightful and there are not much chances for rain.

Automn (Mid-September – Mid-November): The autumn season is also a very great time to embark on the Chardham Yatra as the weather remain very calm and a bit cool than summer season making the reason very pleasant to explore.