Char Dham Yatra Pilgrimage Tours
On the bosom of mighty Himalayas, four most sacred pilgrimages of India are nestled- Gangotri, Yamunotri, Sri Kedarnath ji and Badrinath Ji. They are collectively known as Char Dham. All these Dhams should be visited in clockwise beginning from Yamunotri and culminating the journey at Badrinath.
Yamunotri is a sacred place where River Yamuna originates. Yamunotri is located at an altitude of 3,293 meters above sea level in the Uttarkashi district of the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. Yamuna springs from the glacial lake of Saptarishi Kund, on the Kalind Parbat. The winters are snow bound and temperature falls below 0°C. It is the first stopover point for Char Dham Yatra.
Badrinath is situated in between the twin mountain ranges of Nar and Narayan along the left bank of the River Alaknanda. Once this spot was covered by the badris or wild berries and got famous as Badri Van. The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu- the preserver. The Temple houses fifteen black stone idols. Due to periodical avalanches, the Temple was renovated several times. There is a newly constructed colorful Singh Dwara or the main entrance gate. The three main parts of the Temple are Garbha Griha (the sanctum sanctorum), Darshan Mandap (for pujas) and Shobha Mandap (for devotees to assemble).
Sri Kedarnath ji lies at the head of the River Mandakini is located at an altitude of 3584 meters. It is one of the twelve 'Jyotirlingas' of Kedar or Lord Shiva. The Temple built in the 8th century by Adi Shankaracharya stands in proximity to temple built by Pandavas. Outside the Temple door stands a Nandi Bull. The Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Here Lord Shiva is worshipped in his Sadashiva form.
Gangotri is the source of river Ganga. Goddess Ganga came on Earth to absolve the sins of King Bhagirath's predecessors. She fell from the locks of Lord Shiva to minimize the effect of destruction and she came to be called Bhagirathi Ganga.
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