A journey of Char Dham or the four pilgrimage centers namely Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri & Gangotri is considered to be the holiest pilgrimage of Hindus. These four sacred destinations are located in the Garhwal Himalayas in Uttaranchal & is a major attraction for devotees & history buffs alike. What add to the sacredness of this place are the holy river Ganga & her tributaries.

Kedarnath

One of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva, Kedarnath is a beautiful shrine located at an altitude of 3,581m with the magnificent Kedarnath range in the backdrop. A 14km trek from Gaurikund, Kedranath portrays Lord Shiva, in its various forms.

As per legends, the Pandavas feeling guilty of killing their own brothers in the Kurukshetra war wanted to get the blessings of Lord Shiva. However, he eluded them & hid at Kedarnath in the form of bull. On being discovered, he dived into the ground but his hump remained on surface. The rest of the parts appeared at other places namely Rudranath, Tungnath, Madmaheshwar, Kalpeshwar, which together with Kedarnath are known as Panch Kedar.

Badrinath

One of the most revered Hindu shrines, Badrinath is nestled in the lap of Nar-Narayan Parvat against the backdrop of Neelkanth Peak. According to legends, Adi Guru Shankaracharya built four pilgrimage centers namely Rameshwaram, Badrikashram, Dwarkapuri and Jagannath Puri in four corners of India, to revive the lost prestige of Hinduism. Of these, Badrinath is considered to be holiest.

Yamunotri

A significant pilgrimage, Yamunotri is situated at an elevation of 3,235m. Legends suggest the Yamunotri temple to be built by Maharani Gularia of Jaipur in the 19th century. A hot water pool runs at Yamunotri that is used for making prasad.

Gangotri

The sacred shrine of Gangotri is the source of river Bhagirathi. Situated at an altitude of 3,200m, the place is surrounded by the peaks of Satopanth, Shivlinga & Bhagirathi sisters. At this legendry temple, Goddess Ganga is worshiped in the form of deity.