Kedarnath Yatra
Uttarakhand, the Indian state, is of high religious importance. Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand is one of the most significant pilgrimages for Hindus. The Yatra is a revered tour of four holy places- Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath, and Kedarnath. These shrines, or the Char Dham temples are nestled at an altitude so high that they remain closed during the winter.
Adi Shankaracharya, the great Hindu philosopher is credited for initiating the Chardham yatra during the 8th century, as his attempt to revive the Hindu religion. The belief says that this yatra should be done in a clockwise direction (if you are doing all four together), i.e. starting the yatra with Yamunotri, followed by Gangotri, Kedarnath, and ending the journey with Badrinath. You can complete the yatra in one go or visit these religious sites separately at different times.
Yamunotri temple, located at the source of the Yamuna River, the second most sacred river in India is dedicated to the goddess Yamuna. Similarly, Gangotri Dham is dedicated to Goddess Ganga, and both of these sites are located in the Uttarkashi district. Kedarnath temple and Badrinath temple are dedicated to Lord Shiva, the destroyer, and Lord Vishnu, the protector, respectively. The Char Dham yatra of the Himalayas is a divine one. Completing this soulful yatra gives you a feeling of calmness and fulfilment. Every Hindu wishes to visit at least one of the 4 places to attain salvation or moksha.
Yamunotri Temple, the holy abode of Goddess Yamuna is located at the backdrop of Banderpoonch Parbat near the foothill of Kalind Parbat. Naresh Sudarshan Shah, the King of Tehri is believed to have constructed the Yamunotri Mandir in 1839. Char Dham Yatra starts with the yatra of Yamunotri Dham followed by Gangotri Dham. Yamunotri Dham Yatra involves a 3-4 km trek from Janaki Chatti which is easy and has several halts.
The view of the Yamuna perching down from one side of the temple is a sight to behold, marking this place as the spiritual point of origination of the River Yamuna. The temple has the goddess Yamuna in the form of a black marble idol and Ganga Maa in white stone. Yamunotri stands high with its peaks, glaciers, and the divine river Yamuna flowing through, which is also the second sacred river for Hindus.
The view of the Yamuna perching down from one side of the temple is a sight to behold, marking this place as the spiritual point of origination of the River Yamuna. The temple has the goddess Yamuna in the form of a black marble idol and Ganga Maa in white stone. Yamunotri stands high with its peaks, glaciers, and the divine river Yamuna flowing through, which is also the second sacred river for Hindus.
Yamuna is believed to be the goddess of the Sun and a twin sister to the god of death, Yamraj. According to Vedas, Yamuna is Yami: The Lady of Life. Hence, it is said that a dip in its water protects you from untimely or sufferable death. There are two hot springs in Yamunotri, one Surya Kund and the other Gauri Kund. The water is said to be hot enough to cook potatoes and rice.
Just like the other temples of Char Dham, the Yamunotri Mandir also closes its doors for devotees a day after Diwali, Yama Dwitiya falling on the same day as Bhai Dooj. The Devil is taken to Kharsali village, where she stays throughout the winters until brought back on Akshaya Tritiya in the month of May.
Situated in the town of Gangotri in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand, as the name suggests, Gangotri temple is dedicated to the goddess Ganga. From Gaumukh flows the River Bhagirathi (source and origin of the river Ganges), later forming Ganga by merging with the Alaknanda River at Devprayag. Gangotri Dham is a part of Char Dham yatra which one partakes to achieve salvation.
There is a stone located near the shrine where King Bhagiratha had worshipped Lord Shiva to absolve his predecessors’ sins. According to Hindu legend, Goddess Ganga touched earth at Bhagiratha Shila where Bhagiratha had prayed, as it flowed through Lord Shiva’s locks. Another legend states that Pandavas had performed ‘Dev Yagya’ here to pay respect to the deaths of the great kinsmen during the battle of Kurukshetra. It is believed that performing last rites at the Ganga frees the spirit of their ancestor from the rebirth cycle and that taking a dip in it cleanses away your soul by washing away your sins of the present and past births. The original mandir was built by Amar Singh Thapa, a Nepalese General.
The opening ceremony of Gangotri Mandir takes place on Akshaya Tritya, which falls in May. As winter approaches, the goddess is shifted to a shrine in Mukhba village on Bhai Dooj and the temple is closed for the following six months. The goddess remains in the village for 6 months until the temple opens again post-winter. Gangotri Dham yatra is usually the second yatra to be completed when doing the whole circuit of the Char Dham yatra together.
The highest of the 12 Jyotirlingas, Kedarnath is a 1200-year-old temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. With the beautiful river Mandakini flowing nearby, the temple is set at a beautiful location in Rudraprayag. Lakhs of devotees from around India do the Kedarnath Dham Yatra only to find peace in Lord Shiva’s abode. It is believed that visiting Kedarnath mandir opens a doorway to salvation.
Many legends attach themselves to the history of the temple. Mythology says that the original temple was built by the Pandavas. They were praying to Lord Shiva to absolve themselves from the guilt of killing their brothers in Kurukshetra. Shiva disguised himself as buffalo when Bhim recognized him and tried to get hold of him. It is when the buffalo’s body parts were divided into pieces and spread in different directions at different places. The hump fell in Kedarnath. After this, the Pandavas decided to build a temple in the name of Shiva. Ages after Adi Shankaracharya initiated the construction of the temple in the 8th century when he was on his journey to preserve Hinduism.
Another belief suggests that Nar and Narayana, Lord Vishnu’s two famed incarnations performed in front of an earthen Shiva lingam. As Lord Shiva was pleased, he appeared before them and asked them to make a wish. They wished for Lord Shiva to reside in Kedarnath forever in the form of a Jyotirlinga to which he agreed and made his place in Kedarnath temple permanent.
Kedarnath is the third Dham in Char Dham Yatra. The whole trek to the temple is so beautiful and widely spoken of that even trek lovers visit the temple where they are accompanied by heavenly views. During the winter, the temple is closed as it becomes inaccessible. It reopens in the summer season (April/May).
Nestled at a height of around 10,000 ft., Badrinath temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It is a part of the sacred Char Dham yatra and is an abode to one of the incarnations of Lord Vishnu. Lord Badrinarayan’s idol sits in a meditative post in the form of a 3.3 ft. tall black stone idol under a canopy of pure gold. What’s special about his idol is his position which usually is in a reclining pose. There are 15 other deities who are worshipped in the temple. Below the temple is a medicinal hot spring known as Tapt Kund.
As a holy place, Badrinath can be traced back to the Vedic Age around 1500 BC. About Badrinath Mandir, it is widely believed that the credit for it goes to Adi Shankaracharya, the great Hindu philosopher who established this temple in the 8th century. He found Lord Vishnu’s black idol in its fossilized form in the Alaknanda River. This idol is one of the eight self-manifested idols of Lord Vishnu and isn’t created by anyone in India also known as Svayam Vyakta Keshtras.
Some evidence suggests that the temple existed as a Buddha temple owing to its Buddhist architecture and vibrant exterior.
Nevertheless, Badrinath Dham is one of the most significant religious places in India and devotees from all over the country pay visits to seek the darshan of the deity. The temple remains closed during winter. Krishna Janamashtami here is celebrated with great enthusiasm.
The best time to visit Chardham Yatra is in summer, i.e. May-June. July-August observes monsoon season, hence heavy downpours during the treks could be experienced. Char Dham yatra opening and closing dates differ from year to year. The opening dates usually lie in the months of April and May, whereas the closing lies somewhere between October and November.
If you wish to avoid most of the crowd visit during Aug and Sept when it is not char Dham peak season. Irrespective of when you are travelling, carry woollen jackets and rain jackets as the weather is very unpredictable.
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These are some of the best places that pilgrims can visit during their Chardham Yatra in the Himalayas.
