Chardham Yatra

Chardham is a combination of four religious destinations for the Hindus in the Garhwal range of the Majestic Himalayas in the state of Uttaranchal. The Chardham has been the destination of thousands of Hindu pilgrims for Centuries. It is said that the journey to these four holy destinations will not only wash away the sins, that the person has committed in his life, but also will relieve him from the circles of birth and death. The Chardham or the four sacred places include Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. The journey usually starts from Yamunotri and proceed forward to Gangotri, Kedarnath, and finally ending at Badrinath.

» Yamunotri Yatra:
It is in the 6315 m high Bandarpunchh Peak of the Garhwal Himalayas and has a temple devoted to goddess Yamuna.
There are also the holy thermal springs at Jankichatti which is about 7 km away. For reaching Yamunotri one has to undertake
a journey of 220 km from Rishikesh to Hanumanchatti. From Hanumanchatti one has to undertake another 13 km journey on foot.
The temple remains closed in winters and so the best time to visit the temple is between May to October. The nearest railhead
is at Rishikesh and the nearest airport is at Jollygrant. There are Dharmasalas and rest houses at Yamunotri, to meet the
accommodation needs of the tourists.

» Gangotri Yatra:
It is situated at an altitude of about 3200 m and is one of the four destinations under the Chardham. There is an
18th Century temple constructed by Gorkha General Amar Singh Thapa at the place where Ganga is said to have first descended
on earth from heaven. Places of religious interest at Gangotri include Gomukh Glaciers which is the source of Bhagirathi.
Pilgrims can also trek to Nandanvan which is 6 km from Gangotri and Kedartal which is about 18 km from Gangotri. This temple
is closed during winters and so the best time to visit the temple is between May and October. The nearest airport is at Jolly
Grant which is 17 km from Rishikesh and 265 km from Gangotri. The nearest railhead is at Rishikesh which is about 248 km
away. There are tourist rest houses for the pilgrims to take rest.

» Kedarnath Yatra:
The Kedarnath Shrine is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva and is situated at an altitude of about 3581m. The temple was built in the 8th Century AD by Adi Shankaracharya. The temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is more than 1000 years old and is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Kedarnath is accessible by roads, rail and air. The nearest airport is at Jolly Grant which is 239 km away. Rishikesh Railway Station which is 221 km from Kedarnath is the nearest station. Besides, Kedarnath is well connected by roads from Gaurikund and Ukhimath from where one can come to Kedarnath on Horseback, Dandies and Ponies. There are rest houses for the tourist to meet their lodging needs.

» Badrinath Yatra:
Badrinath is guarded on either side by two mountains – Nar and Narayan and has the famous Badrinath temple which houses the abode of Lord Vishnu. There is a “Tapt Kund", a bath in which is very refreshing to all travelers facing the temple at the bank of the Alokananda river. The temple remains closed during the winters. There are Dharmasalas and rest houses to meet the accommodation needs of the tourists. The nearest airport is at Jolly Grant, which is 314 km from Badrinath. Haridwar is connected by rail service from Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi and Lucknow. The nearest railhead is at Haridwar, which is about 297 km from the temple.