Char Dham Yatra : How to take your parents on Char Dham Yatra

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Located in the laps of Himalayas, India’s four most revered sacred places include Yamunotri, Gangotri, Sri Kedarnathji and Sri Badrinathji. These four places are collectively called the Char dham (meaning four sacred spots). Undertaking a journey to these places is not easy, since the roads are very risky. The Chardham must be visited from left to right -beginning with Yamunotri, going on to Gangotri, Kedarnath and culminating the journey at Badrinath. This route follows the Hindu tradition of parikrama.

Yamunotri

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It constitutes one of the most sacred pilgrimages of Char dham. The revered shrine is situated at 6,315 mt. high Bandarpunchh mountain.

The chief attraction at Yamunotri is the temple devoted to goddess Yamuna and the holy thermal springs at Jankichatti (7 km. Away).

The source of the Yamuna lies a further km. ahead at an altitude of approximately 4421 mt. Since the approach is extremely difficult, pilgrims usually offer obeisance at the temple itself.

How to reach

For reaching Yamunotri, one has to undertake a 220 km journey from Rishikesh to Hanumanchatti, where the motorable road ends. The remaining 13 km journey has to be covered on foot or on ponies.

Best Time to Visit

May to October is the best time for Yamunotri yatra.
The temple remains closed during the winter months of Nov. to April.

Gangotri

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Shrine of Gangotri is a must visit destination for the devout Hindu. It is situated at an altitude of 3,200 mt.

This 18th century temple constructed by Gorkha General Amar Singh Thapa, is visited by hundreds of thousands pilgrims every year. This is the place, where the goddess Ganga is said to have started her journey from heaven to earth, in answer to the prayers of King Bhagirath.

Gaumukh glaciers, 18 km away from Gangotri, is a holy place for Hindus. This is the source of Bhagirathi and pilgrim take a dip in its icy waters to remove sins.

How to reach

Gangotri is well connected to other parts of the country through air, rail and road. The nearest airport is Jolly Grant, 26 km. From Rishikesh, 249 km.

The local and State Transport bus services are also available. Porters and ponies carry pilgrims to Gaumukh and other places from Gangotri during the yatra season.

Best Time to Visit

The temple remain open from May to October.

Kedarnath

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The shrine of Kedarnath is one the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. It is situated in the majestic Kedarnath range, at an altitude of 3,581 mt.

Kedar is another name of Lord Shiva, the protector and the destroyer. Shiva, is considered the embodiment of all passions-love, hatred, fear, death and mysticism which are expressed through his various forms.

How to reach

Sri Kedarnathji is approachable on foot from Gaurikund, which is connected by road with Rishikesh, Kotdwara, Dehradun, Haridwar and other important hill stations of Garhwal and Kumaon Hills. The distance of Kedarnath is 223 kms from Rishikesh.

Best Time to Visit

May to October is the ideal season to make a journey to Kedarnath.

Badrinath

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Badrinath is one of the most revered Hindu shrines of India. It is Situated in the lap of Nar-Narayan Parvat, with the towering Neelkanth peak (6,597mts.) in the background. Badrinath situated at an elevation of 3,133 mt.

It is heard that, Adi Guru Sri Shankaracharya built four pilgrimage centers in four corners of India, to revive lost prestige of Hinduism. Among them were Badrikashram in the north, Rameshwaram in the south, Dwarkapuri in the west and Jagannath Puri in the east. Badrinath is considered to be the most pious amongst them.

Besides Badrinath temple, the other places you can visit are Tapt Kund (natural thermal spring), Neelkanth peak, Charanpaduka (the footprints of Lord Vishnu), Brahma Kapil, Sheshnetra etc.

How to reach

Badrinath is well connected to Rishikesh , Haridwar , Dehradun , Kotdwar and other hill stations of Garhwal and Kumaon region . The shrine is 317 kms away from Jolly Grant airport, 300 kms. from Rishikesh and 327 kms from Kotdwar respectively.

Best Time to Visit

May to October. Every year the temple usually remains open from first week of May to 2nd week of November.

If you are planning to visit Char Dham in April, you may get a heavy rush there. There is high possibility that you wait in a 2 km long queue outside the temples. In addition, there would be an accommodation problem. Best time is after mid September.

It would be better if you and your parents can go there independently, instead of arranging a package tour. Because, travel agents allow one day stay in each dham which is not sufficient. For Badrinath you require 3 days to cover full Badrinath: maan village, vishudhara falls, bhrigu gufa, trek to base of Neelkant.

• Plenty of hotels are available ranging from 150 a day to 18000 a day. In the off season you can get a room of rs. 650 at rs 150. But hotels in the Char Dham earn for 3 months only. So, having seen a small kid and elderly people with you they tend to charge more.

• Hence in the peak season do not travel without prior booking otherwise you will be in big trouble with your family. Avoid monsoon as there is a lot of problem for land slides.

• If you are traveling with tour operators you should ask them to take a break while driving long distances, otherwise your parents may get sick.

• Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam is a govt organization that provide customized tours for 4 people. Their standard is not very high but you can trust them to avoid any inconvenience.

• Don’t forget to carry some medicines with you. Take a good care of your parents’ health while traveling.