Chardham Yatra Places To Visit

Chardham Yatra starts every year at the day of Akshya Tritya or Akha Teej during the month of April or May. Due to harsh weather conditions Chardham Yatra operates only for 6 months. Each year Yatra typically close on Bhai Dooj i.e. two days after Deepawali in mid-October – first week of November, with a brief ceremony. The temple staff returns to their respective villages and for the rest of the time the valley is grasped in no-man silence and covered with a white sheet of snow. With the melting of the snow next summer, the temple re-opens. As monsoon remains active during the month of July & August in Northern India, it is quite difficult to visit Chardham due to slippery path. Thus the best time to visit Chardham is either in May, June, September or October.

Chardham Yatra usually takes 9 to 10 Days from Haridwar & 12 Days from Delhi. Haridwar is called the “Gateway of Chardham” as it is believed that one can get rid of all his sins of his life after taking holy dip at Holy River Ganga at Hari ki Pauri Haridwar.

Here listed are some of the key attractions of Chardham

Haridwar: Haridwar, considered to be among the seven holiest cities in India, is an ancient city located on the banks of River Ganga in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand. The city has a religious significance as the holy river Ganga enters the Indo-Gangetic Plains of North India for the first time in Haridwar. Thereby making its former name ‘Gangadwara’ perfect in every sense.

Yamunotri: Situated at an altitude of 3,293 meters (10,804 ft). Yamunotri stands proudly with its enormous mountain peaks, glaciers and gushing waters of Yamuna. The chief attraction at Yamunotri is the temple devoted to the Goddess Yamuna & hot water springs near the temple. Surya Kund a hot spring near the temple in which pilgrims can dip rice or potatoes in a cloth and get it cooked as prasad.

Gangotri: Located at an altitude of 3,100 meters (10,200 ft). Gangotri is a perfect place to enrapture in the serenity and sanctity as the place has a picturesque landscape.

Kedarnath: Kedarnath is located in the Himalayas, about 3,583 m (11,755 ft) above sea level near Chorabari Glacier. The town had suffered a huge destruction from the flash floods of the year 2013. Kedarnath was the worst affected area during the 2013 flash floods in North India. The temple complex, surrounding areas, and Kedarnath town suffered extensive damage, but the temple structure did not suffer any “major” damage. After 2013 floods Chardham Yatra resumed in May 2014. And, footfall has been improving year by year due to proactive measures taken by the government of Uttarakhand.

Badrinath: Badrinath also called Badrinarayan Temple is a Hindu temple devoted to Lord Vishnu which is situated in the town of Badrinath at an elevation of 3,133 m (10,279 ft) from sea level. It is one of the four Dhams in India’s Char Dham pilgrimage. It is one of the most visited pilgrimage centers of India, having recorded 1,060,000 visits.