On 28 April, the highly auspicious and revered temples of Gangotri and Yamunotri that form part of the much sought after Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand were opened to public after a long winter break.
With chanting of hymns and prayers that also marked the ‘Akshay Tritiya’, devotees thronged to both temples to be among the early ones to offer prayers at respective temples. Kedarnath is expected to be opened to public on 3 May and Badrinath will open its doors on 6 May.
Uttarakhand is home to four of the holiest temples of Hindu religion that form part of the Chota (Mini) Char Dham; Gangotri (10,300 ft), Yamunotri (10,750 ft), Badrinath (10,500) and Kedarnath (11,750).
As per Hindu religious leader and guru Adi Shankaracharya, Char Dham is the pilgrimage to four holiest places in India; Badrinath in the North (Uttarakhand), Puri in the East (Odisha), Rameshwaram in the South (Tamil Nadu) and Dwarka in the West (Gujarat).
For the true believer, life is incomplete unless one visits the Char Dhams, a pilgrimage aimed at setting free the soul after it leaves the human body. However, the mini Char Dham in Uttarakhand also holds deep religious significance.
For the first time traveler to Uttarakhand, it’s important to understand the preparation required for the pilgrimage, as it can be physically challenging for some. Here are some tips and information that will prepare you for the trip.
Reaching there
- By air: the nearest airport is Jolly Grant in Dehradun. One can take a taxi or public transport from there to reach Rishikesh and then launch your pilgrimage based on your convenience.
- By Rail: One can reach Rishikesh, Haridwar or Dehradun by train and then travel onwards by road.
- By Road: Rishikesh is the place to reach and rest before setting off for the pilgrimage.
- Haridwar: 25 km
- Dehradun: 42 km
- Devprayag: 72 km
- Rudraprayag: 140 km
- Uttarkashi: 171 km
- Yamunotri: 220 km
- Kedarnath: 234 km
- Joshimath: 254 km
- Gangotri: 270 km
- Badrinath: 298 km
