The Char Dham yatra is the holiest pilgrimage of the Hindus. People from different parts of the world visit the sacred sites of Yamnotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath situated in the Garhwal hills of Uttarakhand every year.
It is believed by the Hindu devotees that visiting and worshipping the char dham deities washes off one’s sins.
We believe that before planning or visiting the char dham yatra, you should know the origin and history of this sacred pilgrimage.
It is believed that Sage Adi Shankara, who is said to have established the Advaita school of Hinduism ( which is said to be the founding base of the origin of Char dham), first undertook the Char Dham Yatra along with his disciples, during his journey amidst the arduous terrains, he also composed to very famous hymns called as the “Chardham Mahamantras”.
People also say that earlier the tourism was more evident in Haridwar and Dehradun, and from there people started visiting and worshipping the 4 dhams- Yamnotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath in Uttrakhand.
They say that receiving blessings of the char dham deities is a spiritual fulfillment indeed. It is also believed that worshipping the Char Dham Shrines bestows you with magical inner peace, it reunites you with the faith in God.
The char dham shrines have there roots in Hindu scriptures and Hindu mythology. They say that may kings, sages, rulers have worshipped these shrines to attain utmost devotion and tranquility.
The Hindus strongly believe that you attain the state of moksha or salvation from the cycle of life,death and sufferings, once you worship these holy char dham shrines at least once in a lifetime.
In fact sage Adi Shankara promoted worshipping at the char dham shrines to attain the Moksha and free the souls from the materialistic world.
Even in today’s time, millions of devotees annually travel and worship the char dham to attain the spiritual fulfillment. Some devotees even visit the Char dham with their spiritual Gurus to completely surrender themselves to their Guru and the almighty.
Though the name of these four char dham shrines is always taken together, but what links these four pilgrimages in a circuit is still unknown to all.
These four holy shrines are dedicated to different Gods. The Yamnotri temple is dedicated to Goddess Yamuna, the Gangotri temple is dedicated to Goddess Ganga, the Kedarnath temple is dedicated to lord Shiva and the Badrinath temple is dedicated to lord Vishnu. These shrines unfurl mystic energies that literally wash off your tumult and negativity.
The best time to visit the Chardham pilgrimage is in the months of May-June and September -October because of the favorable weather during these months.
People plan their Char dham yatra in advance according to their time and budget. Some plan their Char dham yatra through roadways while some plan their Char dham yatra with helicopter.
Devotion, dedication, faith and optimism will certainly help you complete your char dham yatra without much hurdles.
