|
Char
Dham are four most sacred places for Hindu's. It is another name
for four holy places of Garwal Hills -The sources of two rivers,
Gangotri and Yamunotri are devoted to the female idol
- Ganga and Yamuna. They both, along with
Badrinath and Kedarnath form the Char Dham of the
Garhwal, the four most sacred shrines in the Himalayas.
Char Dham is a combination of four spiritual destinations for
the Hindus in the Garhwal range of the Majestic Himalayas in the
state of Uttaranchal. The Char Dham has been the
destination of thousands of Hindu pilgrims for Centuries. It is
said that the journey to these four sacred destinations will not
only wash away the sins, that the person has committed in his
life, but also will reduce him from the circles of birth and
death. The journey generally starts from Yamunotri and
proceed forward to Gangotri, Kedarnath, and
finally ending at Badrinath.
The Ganga, particularly, is the river of India, favorite of her
people, around which are entwined her memories, her hopes and
fears, her songs of victory, her victories and defeats. She has
been the symbol of India's age long traditions and civilization,
ever-changing, ever-flowing and thus far ever the same Ganga.
Ancient India gave countless names to the Ganga. Among them is
River of the World. In its most pristine form, Goddess Ganga as
she is deferentially known, first descended to Earth from Heaven
at Gangotri where Lord Shiva received her into his
entwined locks to counter the immense impact of her fall From
there; the one which commenced from Yamunotri was termed Yamuna,
from Gangotri - Bhagirathi from Kedarnath - Mandakini and the
one which commenced from Badrinath was termed Alaknanda.
Yamunotri:
Yamunotri is in the 6315 m high Bandarpunchh Peak
of the Garwal Himalayas and has a temple faithful to
goddess Yamuna. For reaching Yamunotri one has to start a
journey of 220 km from Rishikesh to Hanumanchatti. From
Hanumanchatti one has to take on another 13 km journey on
foot. The temple remains closed in winters and so the best time
to visit the temple is between May to October. The adjacent
railhead is at Rishikesh and the nearest airport is at Jolly
grant.
Gangotri:
Gangotri is located at an altitude of about 3200 m and is one of
the four destinations under the Char Dham. There is an 18th
Century temple constructed by Gorkha General Amar
Singh Thapa at the place where Ganga is said to have
first fall down on earth from heaven. Places of religious
significance at Gangotri include Gomukh Glaciers which is the
source of Bhagirathi. Pilgrims can also trek to Nandanvan
which is 6 km from Gangotri and Kedartal which is
about 18 km from Gangotri. This temple is closed throughout
winters and so the best time to visit the temple is between May
and October. The adjacent airport is at Jolly Grant which is 17
km from Rishikesh and 265 km from Gangotri. The
nearest railhead is at Rishikesh which is about 248 km away.
Kedarnath:
The Kedarnath holy place is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord
Shiva and is located at an altitude of about 3581m. The temple
was built in the 8th Century AD by Adi Shankaracharya.
The temple devoted to Lord Shiva is more than 1000 years old.
Kedarnath is nearby by roads, rail and air. The nearest airport
is at Jolly Grant which is 239 km away. Rishikesh Railway
Station which is 221 km from Kedarnath is the adjacent station.
Besides, Kedarnath is well connected by roads from Gaurikund
and Ukhimath from where one can come to Kedarnath on
Horseback, Dandies and Ponies.
Badrinath:
Badrinath is protected on either side by two mountains Nar
or Narayan and has the famous Badrinath temple
which houses the abode of Lord Vishnu. There is a "Tapt
Kund", a bath in which is very stimulating to all
travelers facing the temple at the bank of the Alaknanda
river. The temple remains closed throughout the winters. The
adjacent airport is at Jolly Grant, which is 314 km from
Badrinath. Haridwar is linked by rail service from Kolkata,
Mumbai, Delhi and Lucknow. The nearest railhead is at
Haridwar, which is about 297 km from the temple.
|
