About Char Dham Yatra
Chardham or Chota Chardham Yatra is one of the most pious yatra in Uttarakhand. The devotees consider visiting Haridwar and Rishikesh before their Chardham yatra. Chardham is a set of four revered sites- Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath. This sacred yatra is done in a clockwise direction and thus, pilgrims start from Yamunotri temple then proceed towards Gangotri, Kedarnath, and at last visit Badrinath. As per Hindu belief, visiting the Chardham helps one achieve moksha.
Chardham Names :
1. Yamunotri
Yamunotri temple is devoted to Goddess Yamuna and is situated on the bank of the river Yamuna in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. One needs to commence a 5km trek from Jankichatti to reach. As per mythology, Yamraj, the brother of Yamuna, bestowed a holy boon to her on the auspicious day of Bhai Dooj that whoever takes a dip in the Yamuna river at Yamunotri temple will attain salvation and will thus have freed oneself from being taken to Yamlok.
2. Gangotri
The Gangotri Dham is situated in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand and is devoted to Goddess Ganga. Gangotri Dham is one of the four sacred sites of Chota Chardham. Gangotri temple is built close to Bhagirath Shila, a pillar where King Bhagirath prayed to Lord Shiva to bear the descent of river Ganga. The devotees collect the water from the pillar and take it to their homes as Amrit and use it for various religious purposes.
3. Kedarnath
Kedarnath Dham is devoted to lord shiva and is nestled at a height of 3583 m in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand and can only be reached by an uphill trek of around 16km. One of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva Kedarnath temple witnesses lakhs of devotees every year. As per the mythology, Nara-Narayana requested that Lord Shiva reside here, to which he agreed.
4. Badrinath
Badrinath Dham is located in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand and is situated at a height of 3300m. As per the Hindu mythology, Lord Vishnu sat meditating in the forest full of Badri bushes. To shelter meditating Lord Vishnu from the sweltering heat of the sun, Goddess Luxmi stood next to him, providing shade, and with time, Goddess Lakshmi turned into Badri Vishal herself, and Lord Vishnu became the Badrinath
The Best Time To Visit Chardham
Commence your Char Dham Yatra between May to June and October to November. Some devotees consider the Monsoon season, which is July to September, too, but it is recommended to avoid the monsoon season as there are chances of Landslides. The overflowing rivers and flooding, helicopter services remain adjourned at regular intervals during this season. Due to inaccessibility, Chardham stays closed during the six months of winter, ie, between November to April.
Chardham Yatra Registration
If you are planning to visit Char Dham, make sure to get your Char Dham Yatra registration. The government is providing both offline and online options for pilgrims to do Chardham registration. For online registration, open the official Uttarakhand Tourism Department website or Chardham E-Pass Portal. Create an account and complete the registration form. For offline registration, visit a designated registration center in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, and after your registration is done, you will receive a QR code and a Yatra registration letter.
Opening and Closing Time of Char Dham Yatra
Chardham is open for six months. The dates are usually declared by the Chardham committee, Kedar-Badri Mandir Samiti, before the holy day of Akshaya Tritiya or Adha Teej. The Yamunotri and Gangotri temple opens on the day of Akshaya Tritiya every year, followed by the portal opening of the Kedarnath and Badrinath temples after a couple of days. The Yamunotri and Kedarnath Dham close on Yama Dwitiya Bhai Dhooj, whereas Gangotri Dham closes on the day of Diwali and Badrinath temple closes on the day of Vijay Dashmi. The pious Dhams of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath open every year with the arrival of summer in April-May and close with the start of the winter season- October-November.
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