Hindus hold close to their heart their religion.Perhaps no other religion is so interestingly vast.What amazes one is the sheer faith they have in their religion. Chardham Yatra is one example of this. The term Chardham is coined after the four holiest of pilgrimages of Hindus,Gangotri,Yamunotri,Kedarnath and Badrinath.The former two are the shrines dedicated to the two holiest rivers of Hindus, river Ganga and river Yamuna. Kedarnath is the seat of Lord Shiva while Badrinath is the seat of Lord Vishnu. According to the Puranas, every Hindu must undertake this journey once in his lifetime;pay a visit to these holy places to attain salvation. A journey of Chardham will wash one of all his sins,so is believed.To be born here or dying here is the fate of only fortunate ones.
The majestic Himalayas, the greatest of all ranges in the world are home to the Chardham. These shrines rest in the Middle Himalayas and are covered under snow for a significant part of the year. However to soothe the pilgrims, the journey though treacherous at times is marked with scenic spots. The views of snow capped mountains, meadows, green landscapes and refreshing springs in between to take a dip. These hot, cold and thermal springs are equally significant in journey of Chardham.
The journey of Chardham begins from the western most shrine of Yamunotri (the western most), then Gangotri, next is Kedarnath and the last one is Badrinath. This way journey follows the rule of following a clockwise direction of parikrama or circumambulation, which is the prescribed Hindu way.
Badrinath temple, sometimes called Badrinarayan temple, is situated along the Alaknanda river, in the hill town of Badrinath in Uttarakhand state in India. The temple dedicated to god Vishnu and it is open only for six months in a year, due to extreme weather conditions in the Himalayan region.
Badrinath was originally established as a pilgrimage site by Adi Shankara in the ninth century. Shankara discovered the image of Badrinarayan in the Alaknanda River and enshrined it in a cave near the Tapt Kund hot springs. In the sixteenth century, the king of Garhwal moved the murti to the present temple.
According to the Bhagavata Purana, "There in Badrikashram the Personality of Godhead (Vishnu), in his incarnation as the sages Nara and Narayana, had been undergoing great penance since time immemorial for the welfare of all living entities." The Skanda Purana states that “There are several sacred shrines in heaven, on earth, and in hell; but there is no shrine like Badrinath.” The area around Badrinath was also celebrated in Padma Purana as abounding in spiritual treasures.#Top
Kedarnath is a Hindu holy town located in the Rudraprayag district in Indian state of Uttarakhand. The most remote of the four Char Dham sites, Kedarnath is located in the Himalayas, about 3584m above sea level near the head of river Mandakini, and is flanked by breathtaking snow-capped peaks.
Kedarnath is a majestic sight, standing in the middle of a wide plateau surrounded by lofty snow covered peaks. The inner walls of the assembly hall are decorated with figures of various deities and scenes from mythology. Outside the temple door a large statue of the Nandi Bull stands as guard. The temple has a " Garbha Griha" for worship and a Mandap apt for assemblies of pilgrims and visitors. A conical rock formation inside the temple is worshipped as Lord Shiva in his Sadashiva form.
The temple opens on Akshaya Tritiya (April end or first week of May) and closes on Bhai Duj (October end or 1st week of November). During winter due to heavy snowfall, the Temple is closed and no one stays in Kedarnath. For six months (November to April) the Palki of Lord Kedarnath is transferred to a place near Guptakashi called Ukhimath.#Top
One of the four sites of pilgrimage of India,Gangotri is the seat of river Ganga.It is the point from which it originates and plummets down the hills,
valleys and plains stretching approximately 2500 kms across the Indian subcontinent.Among the Greater Himalayas, Gangotri at an altitude of 3048 mts holds immense mystic charm.
The town Gangotri by the banks of River Bhagirathi is a quaint town with remains gripped with an aura of the pristine atmosphere.#Top
Yamunotri. the source of the YAMUNA river is situated in Uttrakashi district of Uttrakhand.It is the one of the four sites in india's char dham piligrims.The temples of Yamunotri falls on the bank of river Yamuna.this temple was built by Maharani Guleria of Jaipur.
the temple of yamunotri is at the foothills of kalind parvat at a height of 3,185 meters.
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