Uttarakhand is known as the heaven on earth and is well known as Dev Bhoomi. Most of the deities of all cultures had selected this place to meditate and do penance. This state is so beautiful that even deities have selected this place to spend the best time of their lives.
This Himalayan state houses millions of temples all around the state and hosts many pilgrimages. Out of these, one of the most prominent is the Char Dham Yatra. In this tour, pilgrims visit Yamunotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath temples in one go. All these temples are nestled in the lap of the Himalayan ranges and offer breathtaking views of some of the highest peaks in India. As per the holy scriptures, it is said that this yatra was first done by Pandavas before going to heaven. Since then, millions of devotees have taken this tour every year in search of deities and to get rid of their sins. Now let's discuss each temple in more detail.
Yamunotri Temple is located at the origin of the holy river Yamuna in the western region of the Garhwal Himalayas, at an altitude of 10797 feet above sea level in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. This temple houses an idol made up of black marble dedicated to the Lord Yamuna and the incarnation of the holy river. According to archaeologists and historians, Yamunotri temple was first constructed by Sudharshan Shah in 1839. Since then, it has been reconstructed multiple times after getting damaged due to flooding and snowfall.
Gangotri Temple: The second temple of this circuit is located at the origin of the river Ganga. It is situated at a height of 10200 feet above sea level in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand and around 99 km away from district headquarters. As per the legend, this is the place where Maa Ganga first touched the earth after Lord Shiva released her from his matted hair. In this temple, idols of Maa Ganga and other deities can be seen and are well connected by road. The river that originates here is known as Bhagirathi and gets its name from Ganga when it meets with Alaknanda in Devprayag. Gangotri temple is made up of white marble and is very beautiful. Historians believe this temple was constructed by Nepalese general Amar Singh in the 19th century. Like other temples of the Chota Char Dham Yatra, this temple also gets closed during the winter season due to heavy snowfall.
Kedarnath Temple: The third temple of this circuit is Kedarnath Temple, which is located at an altitude of 3583 meters above sea level in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand. Kedarnath temple is the only temple that is common in the 12 jyotirlingas in India: Panch Kedar, Do Dham, and Char Dham yatra. As per the holy scriptures, the hump of Lord Shiva in the form of a bull is present here and is worshipped as shiv linga, and this is the only temple where shiv linga is triangular. The original construction date of the temple is yet unknown, but as per the holy scriptures, it is said that it was first constructed by Pandavas when they visited here in search of Lord Shiva for atonement. Later on, it was reconstructed by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century, when he visited here. Every year, millions of devotees take the Kedarnath Yatra to seek the blessings of Lord Shiva and admire the beauty of this place. There is a famous saying about Kedarnath temple: "एक ही फर्क है स्वर्ग या केदारनाथ में, स्वर्ग में देव रहते हैं या केदारनाथ में महादेव" which means, there is only one difference between heaven and Kedarnath is that in heaven you will meet gods but in Kedarnath you will get Mahadev and it's true. This beautiful temple is decorated with colourful flowers and snow-capped mountains in the background, making it worth visiting. The divine environment all around the temple makes it worth visiting.
Badrinath Temple: The last temple of this circuit is the Badrinath temple, also known as the temple of Satyuga. This temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. As per the legend, it is said that Lord Vishnu used to meet every visitor personally until Satyuga. However, in Treta and Dwapar Yuga, he used to meet only saints and people with higher attainment. But for Kalyuga, it is said that whoever visits Badrinath Temple will get salvation. In Hindi, it is said that "जो जाए बद्री वो ना आए ओदरी" which means those who visit Badrinath temple will never come to womb again. This was the last temple that the Pandavas visited before going to heaven via Swargarohini.
The total road journey of Chota Char Dham Yatra is 1500 km, and the best time to visit this place is from May to October. All these temples remain closed during the winter season during heavy snowfall and remain inaccessible.
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