Char Dham Yatra in Uttrakhand  :

There are four Abodes in Himalayas collectively referred as "Chota Char Dham of India " and popular as "CharDham Yatra" which includes four holy shrines of Hindus: Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. All of these temples are situated within the Garwhal region of Uttarakhand state in North India.

Among four Scared sites Kedarnath is dedicated to Lord Shiva while Badrinath is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. On the other hand, Yamunotri and Gangotri are dedicated to Goddess Ganga and Yamuna rivers respectively. Badrinath is also one of the four destinations (with each destination being in different corners of the country) of the longer Char Dham from which the Chota Char Dham likely draws its name. In Hindu religion, the CharDham Yatra have a great importance, and it is considered that every hindu should do Chardham yatra at least once in a lifetime.

Traditionally, the pilgimage is begins from West and ends in the East. Thus, the Char Dham Yatra commences from Yamunotri, then proceeding to Gangotri and finally to Kedarnath and Badrinath. In accordance with the Hindu conventions, thousands of devotees take up this pious pilgrimage in the hope to experience bliss and successfully purge their souls of all worldly demons.

Each of these four sites is devoted to a specific deity. Akha-Trij or Akha-Teej (Julian and Gregorian Calendars, May) marks the beginning of the Char Dham Yatra. The ‘Yatra’ typically closes 2 days after Diwali, on the day of Bhai-Bij (or Bhai Dooj).

Also, there are chances of roadblocks due to heavy rainfall in late July and August. In May and June, tourists flock in large numbers. So, there is very little time offered for ‘Darshan’. So, it is best to take the Char Dham Yatra in mid May to July and September - October.

Yamunotri Dham :

Yamunotri is the original source of Yamuna River surrounded by lofty peaks forest and large valley. Yamuna is the second largest and one one holiest river in India after Ganga. It is part of the four holy abodes in Chardham pilgrimage yatra. Pilgrims also get to enjoy a number of hot water springs in the vicinity of the temple.

Yamunotri is located at an altitude of 3293 metres above sea level, in the Garhwal Himalaya about 40 km away from Barkot in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. The actual source of Yamuna River lies in the Yamunotri Glacier at a height 6,387 metres near Bandarpunch Peaks in Lower Himalayas.

History :

The Yamunotri temple is dedicated to goddess Yamuna, the main Deity of the temple is made up of Black marble. Yamunotri temple was built by Maharani Gularia of Jaipur in the 19th century after the temple has been destroyed by Climate. The Yamunotri Shrine was originally constructed by Maharaj Pratap Shah of Tehri Garhwal on left seashore of Yamuna River. According to Hindu mythology, It is believed that Yamuna is the daughter of Surya the Sungod & the sister of Yama, the god of death.

Gangotri Dham :

Gangotri is one of the origin sources of Holy River Ganga (Ganges), and one of the important Char Dham pilgrimage in Hindu Religion. The main origin of the river is “Gaumukh” which is a glacier located 19 km away from gangotri temple. Ganga river is the longest and most sacred river in world. Gangotri is located at an altitude of 3100 meters above sea level, on the banks of Bhagirathi river. Gangotri is the starting point of Ganga river where the goddess Ganga workshipped by the Pilgrims or Devotees. In Ancient time the river is called Bhagirathi and attains the name Ganga from Devprayag onwards where Bhagirathi meets with Alaknanda form Ganga River. Gangotri is the home place of many ashrams, small shrines and temple.

History :

According to Hindu Mythology, It is said that the Ganga is a result of reward given by lord “Shiva” to the king “Bhagirath” for his penance. However due to her pride and the fact that the earth would be devastated if Ganga came down in her full force, Lord Shiva caught her in his locks. The sacred stone near the temple denotes the place where Ganga first came down to earth. This is why Ganga is also called by the name of Bhagirathi.

The Present temple was constructed by a Gorkha Commander Amar Singh Thapa in the early 18th Century. It is said that at the time of construction of temple Gaumukh Glacier was here but receded to it's present location due to global warming.

Kedarnath Dham :

Kedarnath temple is one of the sacred pilgrimage centre in Northern India, located on the bank of Mandakini river at an altitude of 3584 meters above sea level. The historical name of this region is "Kedar Khand". Kedarnath temple is a part of Char Dhams and Panch Kedar in Uttarakhand and one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva in India.

History:

Renowned temple Kedarnath is dedicated to incarnations of Lord Shiva. Kedarnath is named after King Kedar who ruled in the Satya Yuga. It is believed that Kedarnath Dham is the place where Lord Shiva absolved Pandavas from the sin of killing their own cousins Kauravas in the battle of Kurukshetra war. There is an interesting Story behind the Town and its temple. According to the Puranas, the Pandava brothers did a major penance in Kedarnath to please Lord Shiva.

Earlier the temple was built by Pandavas and Present temple was built by Adi Shankaracharya. 

Badrinath Dham :

Badrinath is one of the holy shrines for Vaishnavites among the 108 divya desams incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Badrinath town is also the part of Panch Badri temples including Yog Dhyan Badri, Bhavishya Badri, Adi Badri and Vriddha Badri, along with Badrinath temple.

The temple is located in Silent valley of Garhwal Himalayas on the seashore of flowing water of Alaknanda river.

History :

Although Badrinath temple was built by the Adi Shankaracharya, who initially discovered the Badrinarayan idol in the Alakananda River and installed it in hot water spring of Tapt Kund. Present temple was built by King of Garhwal in 16th century. Ornament Stones, Impressive traditional carving, Pillars Design is the first features to strike lots of devotees visually. The Archectiture appearance of the Badrinath temple is similar to the appearence of Buddhist Vihara temple.

According to legend it is believed that At the time of Satya yuga , Lord Shiva meditated here for thousands of years when Goddess Lakshmi provided shadow over her husband in the form of a Badri tree. So the place came to be known as name of Badrinath. Actually, the whole valley encompassing Kedar-Badri was the home of Lord Shiva. It is one of the reason that, The Temple is flooded with devotees during mahashivratri Festival as well.

                Before embarking on this journey, one has to be prepared to experience physical and mental hardships on the Himalayan roads. The Char Dham Yatra is one of the quite accessible yet most arduous journeys. The Yatra route in the state is usually bustling with activity, especially during the summer. The scenic beauty of the mountains solemnly provides strength to the pilgrims, moving towards their destination.