Badrinath Temple
Badrinath located in the North Indian state of Uttarakhand, is the most important of the four sites of Char Dham[citation needed]. It is in the Garhwal hills, on the banks of the Alaknanda River. The town lies between the Nar and Narayana mountain ranges and in the shadow of Nilkantha peak (6,560m).
Badri refers to a berry that was said to grow abundantly in the area, and nath refers to Vishnu. The legend goes that Shankara discovered a black stone image of Lord Badrinarayan made of Saligram stone in the Alaknanda river. He originally enshrined it in a cave near the Tapt Kund hot springs. In the sixteenth century, the King of Garhwal moved the murti to the present temple.
Dwarka
Dwarakadheesh temple, Dwarka
Dwarka located in the West is in the state of Gujarat, India. The city derives its name from word dvar meaning door or gate in the Sanskrit language. It is located close to where the Gomti River merges into the Gulf of Kutch. The city lies in the westernmost part of India.
The legendary city of Dvaraka was the dwelling place of Lord Krishna. It is believed that due to damage and destruction by the sea, Dvaraka has submerged six times and modern day Dwarka is the 7th such city to be built in the area.
Jagannath Puri
Jagannath Temple Puri
Puri located in the East is located in the state of Orissa, India. Puri is one of the oldest cities in the eastern part of the country. It is situated on the coast of the Bay of Bengal.
The main deity is Shri Krishna, celebrated as Lord Jagannatha. It is the only shrine in India, where goddess, Subhadra, sister of Lord Krishna is worshipped along with her brothers, Lord Jagannatha and Lord Balabhadra. The main temple here is about 1000 years old and constructed by Raja ChodaGanga Deva and Raja Tritiya Ananga Bhima Deva. Puri is the site of the Govardhana Matha, one of the four cardinal institutions or Mathas established by Adi Shankaracharya.
Rameshwaram
Ramanathaswamy Temple, Rameswaram
Rameswaram located in the South is in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is situated in the Gulf of Mannar at the very tip of the Indian peninsula. According to legends, this is the place from where Lord Rama, built a bridge Ram Setu to Lanka. The Ramanatha Swamy Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva occupies a major area of Rameshwaram. The temple is believed to have been consecrated by Shri Rama.
Rameshwaram is significant for the Hindus as a pilgrimage to Benaras is incomplete without a pilgrimage to Rameswaram. The presiding deity here is in the form of a Linga with the name Sri Ramanatha Swamy, it also is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. The four dhams are Puri, Rameshwaram, Dwarka and Badrinath.
"Chhota" Char Dham
If the scriptures of HINDU RELIGION are to be believed, the holy centres of Gangotri, Yamunotri,Badrinath and Kedarnath - collectively called the Chardham(meaning four sacred spots) - are the most sacred of all pilgrimages. Undertaking a journey to these places will not just wash away one's sins but ensure release from the cycle of birth and death.THE honour conferred on these places is not surprising. For one, they are all in the icy Garhwal ranges and regarded as the most sacred of all Himalayan ranges.It is also said that heaven and earth converge int hese holy spots, and to be born or die here is a boononly the very fortunate have. 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 or clockwise circumambulation.
Badrinath Temple
Situated in the lap of Nar-Narayan Parvat, with the towering Neelkanth peak (6,597mts.) in the background, Badrinath is one of the most revered Hindu shrines of India.
It has been said that "there were many sacred spots of pilgrimage in the heaven, earth and the other world but neither is there any equal to Badrinath nor shall there be one."
It is believed that to revive the lost prestige of Hinduism and to unite the country in one bond, Adi Guru Sri Shankaracharya built four pilgrimage centres in four corners of India.
Among them were Badrikashram in the north, Rameshwaram in the south, Dwarkapuri in the west and Jagannath Puri in the east. Badrinath situated at an elevation of 3,133 mts. is considered to be amongst the most pious.
Best Season: May to October every year the temple usually remains open from first week of May to 2nd week of November.
On the right bank of Alaknanda lies the sacred spot perched at an altitude of 3,133 meters above the sea level. Encircled by a beautiful valley, the 15 mts. high temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It is built in the form of a cone with a small cup of a ilt bull and spire.
Built by adi guru Shankaracharya the philosopher-saint of the 8th century, the temple has been renovated several times due to damage by avalanches. Its colourful 'singh dwara' or the main entrance gate give it a new, modern look.
The temple is divided into three parts the 'garbha griha' or sanctum sanctorum, the 'darshan mandap' where the rituals are conducted and the 'sabha mandap' Where devotees assemble. The complex has 15 idols. Specially attractive is the one metre high image of Sri Badrinathji, finely sculpted in black stone. It represents lord Vishnu seated in a meditative
Devotees take a holy dip in the natural thermal springs on the banks of the river Alaknanda , before entering the Sri Badrinathji Temple. The water of the Kund is believed to have medicinal properties.
Neelkanth:
A pyramidal-shaped snowy peak towering above Sri Badrinathji, Popularly known as the `Garhwal Queen`.
Charanpaduka:
The footprints of Lord Vishnu can be seen on a boulder in this beautiful meadow.
Brahma Kapil:
A flat platform on the bank of river Alaknanda where Hindus perform
Sheshnetra:
A boulder having an impression of the legendary serpent- known as Sheshnag's eye.
Kedarnath Temple
An imposing sight standing in the middle of a wide plateau surrounded by snow covered peaks. The present temple built in 18th century A.D. by Adi Shankracharya, stands adjacent to the site of earlier temple built by the Pandavas. The inner walls of the assembly hall are decorated with fixtures of various deities and scenes from mythology. Outside the temple door a large statue of the Nandi bull stands as guard.
Dedicated to lord Shiva, the exquisitely architecture, Kedarnath temple is considered to be more than 1000 years old. Built of extremely large heavy and evenly cut gray Slabs of stones. It evokes wonder as to how these heavy Slabs had been handled in the earlier days. The temple has a "Garbha Griha" for worship and mandap appt. for assemblies of pilgrims and visitors. A conical rock formation inside the temple is worshipped as lord Shiva in his sadashiva form.
Gangotri Temple
Gangotri, (Ganga' + 'Uttari' which means descended) the picturesque pilgrimage in the hinterlands of the Himalayas is the most sacred spot where Ganga , the stream of life, touched earth for the first time.
Situated at 99 km from Uttrarkashi, at height of 3140 meters.A shrine dedicated to the Goddess was built some 250 years ago by Amar Bahadur Thapa, the Gorkha Commander
According to mythology, Goddess Ganga - the daughter of heaven, manifested herself in the form of a river to absolve the sins of King Bhagirath's predecessors, following his severe penance of several centuries. Lord Shiva received into his matted locks to minimise the immense impact of her fall. She came to be called Bhagirathi at her legendary source.
The physical source of the holy river is at Gaumukh, 18 kms. further uphill, along the Gangotri Glacier. Several pilgrims trek upto the source to offer prayers either on foot or on ponies.The verdant valleys, dense forests and towering peaks offer excellent trekking and mountaineering opportunities for adventure enthusiasts.
Nearby Places ( Gangotri) :
Bhagirath Shila:
Near the temple is a great stone slab-the 'Bhagirath Shila' dedicated to Bhagirath, whose penance is believed to have brought the Ganga down from the heavens.
Gomukh:
Gomukh(4200 meters), the identified source of the holy river Ganga, is 18 kms. further uphill from Gangotri. The trek to Gomukh is gradual and several pilgrims undertake the journey to pay homage the river at its known source.
Bhaironghati.
Furhter downstream,10 km from Gangotri, is the picturesque forested halting place of Bhaironghati. There exists a small temple of Bhairon, appointed by Shiva to safeguard this region which gives the place its name. The bridge over the Jhanvi river at Bhaironghati is said to be the highest in Asia.
Yamunotri Temple
Yamunotri, the source of the Yamuna River and the seat of the goddess Yamuna, is one of the four sites in India's Char Dham pilgrimage. The temple of Yamunotri falls on the left bank and was originally constructed by Maharaj Pratap Shah of Tehri Garhwal. The shrine of Yamunotri is one of the "four dhams" of Uttaranchal Yamunotri temple is Situated in the direction opposite to Gangotri and the road bifurcates and goes to Yamunotri from Dharasu, a place between Rishikesh - Uttarkashi. Another 55 km away is Barkot, affording a fabulous view of the Banderpunch Range. Barkot is also approachable by road directly from all the major cities in India.
Near the temple are three hot springs. The most important, Surya Kund, is a tank full of boiling water into which rice and potatoes are dipped to be cooked and taken as "prasad". Near the Kund, a rock slab, the "Divya Shila" is worshipped before puja is offered to the black marble idol of Yamuna.
One has to reach at actual temple of yamunotri only by a six kilometer walk from Hanuman chati.
