Char Dham Yatra is a collective term for the tour to Char Dham in Dev Boomi Uttarakhand. It is a religious circuit where pilgrims visit four sacred destinations Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath situated in Garhwal Himalayan range of Uttarakhand. The Yatra is considered of utmost importance with perspective of get rid of sins and attain moksha. This yatra is not restricted to anybody and is not bound by any strict rules. It is the ultimate dream yatra for every hindu once in a lifetime.
Haridwar is the starting point to easily begin the yatra. Haridwar is easily connected with road routes including north Indian regions and New Delhi. Easy connectivity and facilities available for commencing the journey make this char dham yatra most popular among domestic as well as international tourists. From another parts of country, people can travel or fly to Dehradun and then have a road trip to haridwar and Char Dham destinations. Haridwar is city surrounded by temples and tourists must visit har ki pauri to attend Ganga aarti performed every evening. After arriving Haridwar, next stop is Rishikesh and then move further.
Brief details of all four destinations of 4 Dham in Uttarakhand:
| Name of Dham | Devoted to | Height from Ground level (approx) | Travel Route from Rishikesh |
| Yamunotri Dham | River Yamuna | 3300 metres | >>Janki Chatti (by road)>>Yamunotri(Pony/trekking) |
| Gangotri Dham | River Ganga | 3200 metres | >>Uttarkashi (by road)>> Gangotri (trekking/pony) |
| Shree Kedarnath Dham | Lord Shiva | 3100 metres | >>Sitapur (road trip)>>Kedarnath Dham(Helicopter/Pony/trekking) |
| Shree Badrinath Dham | Lord Vishnu | 3600 metres | >> Badrinath Dham (by road) |
Chardham Yatra begins in month of may as per announced auspicious dates and ends in month of October/November. Monsoon season is unpredictable in these regions, hence to avoid the monsoon season is safe. You can plan your char dham tour from Delhi in September and October months.
Important points to consider before visiting Chardham
- Recheck the opening and closing dates of each dham separately. Also check current status and news on official websites of char dham and Uttarakhand Government.
- Follow the religious rules as stated as these places are related to the religious importance of hindus.
- Don’t use polythene bags and litter any wastage here an there. Keep the pristine environment clean and pollution-free.
- Carry sufficient woollen clothes as temperature in summers are low compared to other cities.
- Keep enough cash with you.
- Keep all the necessary types of equipment as torch, medical kit, powerbanks, sunscreen lotion, regular medicines.
- Keep your camera and phone sufficiently charged, as you can face electricity issues.
- Book your hotel room or lodge before yatra as in rush season, there can be problem of non availability.
Place to visit in Char dham Yatra
Gangotri Dham
Dedicated to river ganges, the dham is of revered importance. It lies on banks of river Bhagirathi and come out from Gaumukh. The region has rich flora and fauna. Pilgrims fill the holy waters in bottles from here and store it as ganga jal. Mythological significance of Gangorti Shila is related to the sacred stone which took the brunt of the gushing river lies close to the Gangotri shrine, marking the place where the river first landed on earth.
Yamunotri Dham
Yamunotri temple is built near to source of river Yamuna. Pilgrims reach here by taking a trek of 5 km from a remote village called Janki Chatti. People cook rice and potatoes in the hot springs water near the Dham. The dham is surrounded by forested peaks and gustling valley. Yamuna River is the daughter of Devta Surya and sister if Yam Dev. The Yamunotri Temple is dedicated to the goddess Yamuna who is depicted by a black marble idol in the temple. Places you can explore on your Yamunotri trip include Divya Shila, Hanuman Chatti, Surya Kund and Saptarishi Kund Lake.
Kedarnath Dham- Kedarnath lies close to the source of the Mandakini River. The stone that is inside premises of temple has mythological importance related to era of Mahabharat. Kedarnath Dham is one of the jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva, so must include this dham at your Char Dham holiday packages. You can reach Kedarnath from Gaurikund, the closest road-head which is about 14 kilometre away. The trek goes uphill from Jangal Chatti, about 4 kilometre away, the Chhoti Linchuli and Badi Linchuli before crossing the Mandakini River and heading to the southern face of the Kedarnath peak.
Badrinath Dham
It is nestled in the quiet Garhwal valley, on the shores of the mighty Alaknanda. The Badrinath town is pristine and beautiful, peppered by thick forests, ample views of frosted mountain peaks and the holy river cutting through the green valley and flowing down it. You can enjoy famous festivals as Kedar-Badri Utsav, Janmashtami and Mata Mruti ka Mela. Famous sightseeing places near to Badrinath include Badri Narayan Temple, Panch Prayag Temple, Tapt Kund for their hot water springs, Mana village, Bheem Pul, and Vasudhara Falls.
If you want to book Char dham yatra, can consider this tour package with a detailed itinerary.
Travel route of Char Dham tour from Delhi:
Delhi-haridwar- barkot- yamunotri-Uttarkashi-Gangotri-Guptkashi- Kedarnath-badrinath-Joshimath-rudraprayag- haridwar-Delhi
For detail route and 12 days chardham yatra travel plan, visit https://www.traveltoindia.org/12-days-chardham-tour-package-ex-delhi.html
If you are not able to complete the char dham yatra in one go, then you can go for ek dham, do dham or teen dham yatra as per open and close date schedule of dhams.