Uttarakhand, which is also called Dev Bhoomi where Dev means God and Bhoomi means land this derive land of God. Uttarakhand is the place where holiness seems to be spread in each and every corner. This piousness came to this place because there are four most holy religious spots over here which altogether known as Chardham of Himalayas and also Char Dham of Uttarakhand.
Char Dham Yatra in Hinduism is the most revered pilgrimages and every Hindu wishes to embark once in a lifetime. Originally the Chardham referred to a pilgrimage circuit encompassing four important temples—Puri, Rameswaram, Dwarka, and Badrinath – located roughly at the four cardinal points of the Indian Subcontinent. The Chardham in Uttarakhand State is Yamunotri, which is the origin of Yamuna, Gangotri, Ma Ganga, Kedarnath, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva, and the last Vaikuntha Dham Badrinath is the city of Lord Vishnu.
Chota Char Dham Yatra or Char Dham Of Uttrakhand is the most important Hindu pilgrimage circuit in the Indian Himalayas. Traditionally, the Char Dham is undertaken from the west to the east, thus, the yatra starts from Yamunotri, then proceeding to Gangotri, and finally to Kedarnath and Badrinath. Pilgrims traditionally first visit Yamunotri and Gangotri and bring with them the holy waters from the sources of the rivers Yamuna and Ganga and offer abhishekams to Kedareshwara. The yatra starts in the month of April – May and ends starting of winter October – November due to snow. All the shrines get closed for winters and could be worship at their winter abodes. The gates for yatra are opened to millions of devotees every year for six months.
1] Yamunotri: It is located in the Uttarkashi district in Uttarakhand. The holy place is dedicated to Goddess ‘Yamuna’
2] Gangotri: It is also situated in the Uttarkashi district and dedicated to Goddess ‘Ganga’.
3] Kedarnath: Situated in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand and dedicated to God ‘Shiv’. According to beliefs, the temple is built by Pandavas.
4] Badrinath: Badrinath temple which dedicated to Lord ‘Vishnu’ is situated on the bank of river Alaknanda in the hills Chamoli district of Uttarakhand.
The yatra was too difficult during olden times but with the advancement of technology the yatra has become easy, there are many tour operators which provide Char Dham Yatra package, which will help you in taking yatra easily. While each site is unique in its own fashion, inclusion in the Char Dham has, over time, caused them to be viewed together in the popular imagination and actual pilgrimage practice. The accomplishment of the Chardham yatra is thought to be therapeutic for the soul it freedoms the soul from the life-death-life chain. It is one the most popular busiest pilgrimage route, with millions of devotees paying homage to all these religious places in the aspiration of eliminates all sins and attaining “moksha”.
Opening the doors of the yatra is taken by the Char Dham temple committee and Kedar-Badri Mandir Samiti. Dates are decided by pujari and temple priest Indian calculation according to Panchang and Hindu times. The temple board makes arrangements for the devotees who visit the famous Chardham (Uttarakhand) shrines of the country every year. Dates are chosen right before Akshaya Tritiya also known as Akha Teej which is very auspicious for the Hindu community for bringing good luck.
The Chardham Yatra is also growing popular among foreign tourists, who are blessed to see the heavenly natural beauty and Himalayas with a chance to know more about the culture of India. Nowadays, you can also get helicopter services to complete Chardham Yatra in just 2 days. Due to scenic surroundings breathtaking view, high altitude mountain region (Himalayas), dense forests, large valleys, and alluring environment provides an opportunity to the tourist to unwind themselves by breathing fresh air with experience of majestic locations.
Opening dates for Char Dham yatra
Opening dates for Yamunotri and Gangotri are on the occasion of Akshay Tritya each year. Every year the opening date of Kedarnath is declared and decided on the day of Maha Shivratri and for Badrinath Temple, the dates are decided on Basant Panchmi.
Yamunotri Temple – 14th May 2021
Gangotri Temple – 14th May 2021
Kedarnath Temple – 17th May 2021
Badrinath Temple – 18th May 2021
Closing dates for Char Dham yatra
Closing dates for Yamunotri are on the day after the Diwali festival and Gangotri is on the day of Bhai Dooj. The closing date of the Kedarnath temple is fixed i.e on Bhai Dooj and closing dates for Badrinath Temple will be declared on Vijayadashmi.
Yamunotri Temple – 6th November 2021
Gangotri Temple – 6th November 2021
Kedarnath Temple – 6th November 2021
Badrinath Temple – 10th November 2021
- Gangotri and Yamunotri temples will reopen on 14 May. The Char Dham Yatra will begin after the re-opening of the four temples.
- Kedarnath Temple will be opened on May 17, and the idol of Lord Shiva will be moved from his winter abode at Ukhimath’s Omkareshwar temple on May 14 and the doors of the temple will open at 5 am on May 17th. The temple was closed on November 16 last year.
- Badrinath Temple, which was closed on November 19, will reopen to devotees on May 18.
