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UNFORGETTABLE
HOSPITALITY EXPERIENCE
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CHARDHAM
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GANGOTRI
According to an old
legend, Lord Shiva rewarded King
Bhagirath after his penance and Ganga
came down to earth. However, due to her
pride, and the fact that the earth would
be devastated if Ganga came down in her
full force, Lord Shiva caught her in his
locks. It was then proclaimed that
Goddess Uma or Parvati, Shiva's consort,
would bathe in the Ganges daily and only
then would she descend on the earth. The
sacred stone near the temple denotes the
place where Ganga first came down to
earth. This is why Ganga is also called
by the name of Bhagirathi .Gangotri, the
source of the river Ganges and seat of
the goddess Ganga, is one of the four
sites in the Char Dham Pilgrimage Yatra
circuit. The temple was constructed in
the early 18th century by a Gorkha
Commander Amar Sigh Thapa The river is
called Bhagirathi at the source and
acquires the name Ganga from Devprayag
onwards where it meets the Alaknanda.
The origin of the holy river is at
Gaumukh, set in the Gangotri Glacier,
and is a 19 km trek from Gangotri.
 Couched
in the magnificent Garhwal hills,
Gangotri is at an altitude of 3048
meters above sea level. It is on the
northernmost part of the state of Uttra
Khand and is very near the Indo-Tibetan
border. It is approximately 300 km from
Dehradun, 250 km from Rishikesh and 105
km from Uttarkashi. The summers are
relatively cool and winters are freezing
cold, with rains in the months of May
and June. For the devotees and tourists,
the gates of the temple are open only in
the months of May to November
Description of Temple
Gangotri Temple: As the legend goes,
King Bhagirath used to worship Lord
Shiva at the sacred stone, near which
this 18th century temple is located. The
slab on which King Bhagirath is believed
to have meditated is called Bhagirathi
Shila. The mother Ganga is worshipped as
Goddess and the holy river in the
temple. Before performing the Puja
rituals, a holy dip in the Ganga flowing
nearby the temple is a must. The
Pujari's (priest) belong to Brahmin
community from Mukhwa village. Ten of
them are selected by rotation every year
to perform all the functions covering
the temple and they also perform the
duties of pandas
Place to
visit
B haironghati
: Further 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.
Gaumukh :
The Gaumukh glacier is the source of
Bhagirathi (Ganga) and is held in high
esteem by the devotes who do not miss
the opportunity to have a holy dip in
the bone chilling icy water. It is 18
Kms. trek from Gangotri. The trek is
easy and at times people come back to
Gangotri the same day.
Sat-Tal :
Sat-Tal, meaning seven lakes,
is situated just above Dharali, 2 Kms.
beyond Harsil. The trek of about 5 Kms.
is rewarding as this group of lakes is
situated amid beautiful natural
surroundings. It also provides lovely
camp sites.
Submerged
Shivling :
Submerged in the
river, this natural rock Shivling is the
place where, according to mythology Lord
Shiva sat when he received the Ganga in
his matted lock. It is visible in winter
months when water level decreases.
Yamunotri,
 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 sacred shrine of
Yamunotri, source of the river Yamuna,
is the westernmost shrine in the Garhwal
Himalayas, perched atop a flank of
Bandar Poonch Peak (3615 m) & situated
opposite to Gangotri. The actual source
a frozen lake of ice & glacier (Champasar
glacier) located on the kalind mountain
at the height of 4421 m above sea level,
about 1 km further up, is not frequented
generally as it is not accessible and
hence the shrine has been located on the
foot of the hill. The tiny Yamuna has
icy cold water and its absolute
innocence and the infantile purity
heightens that deep feeling of
reverence, Yamunoyri for the devout.
Description of the Temple :
Yamuna temple is devoted to the godess
Yamuna (River). The temple of Yamuna is
on the left bank of Yamuna constructed
by Maharaja Pratap Shah of Tehri Garhwal
This temple was built in the 19th
century by a descendent of the Jaipur
royal family. It is said that this
temple was destroyed twice by landslides
and was reconstructed again in the 20th
century. Inside the temple is an idol of
Goddess Yamuna carved in black stone
that is mainly worshipped.
Place to
visit
 Surya
Kund : Surya Kund is the most
important and sacred thermal spring of
Yamunotri amongst the cluster of thermal
springs in the vicinity of the temple
which flows into numerous pools. The
pool is named after Surya or the sun
god, the father of Yamuna. It has a
temperature of almost 190 Degree F.
Pilgrims tie rice and potatoes in a
cotton cloth, and immerse it in the
water to be cooked. The water is so hot
that the prasad gets cooked within no
time.
Divya Shila :
A rock pillar, worshipped before
entering the Yamunotri Temple.
Janki Chatti :
It's 5 km from Yamunotri, it is noted
for it's thermal springs , where
tourists can enjoy a refreshing bath.
Hanuman Chatti
: It's 13 km from Yamunotri.
The confluence of Hanuman Ganga and
Yamuna rivers, from where the trek to
Dodi Tal
(3,307mt)starts.Route:Rishikesh-Barkot,
Hanumanchatti, Yamunotri. Hanumanchatti
-Darvatop -Dodital, Agora-Uttarkashi,
Rishikesh.Porters and ponies are
available at Hanumanchatti. Rates are
fixed by District Magistrate before the
start of every Yatra season.
Saptarishi Kund
Lake : This kund is situated
10 kms away from yamunotri. This is the
actual place where Yamuna rises and an
extremely difficult journey covered with
ice. The water of the glaciers gathers
in this lake. On the banks of the lake
are naturally carved slate stones. The
rare Brahma Lotus grows here. It is a
beautiful picnic spot as well.
Kedarnath
Kedarnath Dham is the
seat of Lord Shiva. It is one of the
twelve "Jyotirlingas" of Lord Shiva.
Lying at an altitude of 3584 m at the
head of river Mandakini, the shrine of
Kedarnath is amongst the holiest
pilgrimage for the Hindus. It is no
wonder that Adi Guru Shankaracharya - a
great scholar & saint, chose to enshrine
Lord Shiva in this land, where the
unholy becomes oly and the holy becomes
holier. It is the place where Lord Shiva
absolved Pandavas from the sin of
killing their own cousins Kauravas in
the battle of Kurukshetra. The origin of
the revered temple can be found in the
great epic Mahabharat.
 At
Kedarnath there are several Kunds
(pools, tanks) that are known for their
religious significans - shivkund,
Retkund, hanskund, Udakkund, Rudhirkund
are the most important. A little away
from Kedarnath Dham is a temple
dedicated to Bhaironathji who is
ceremoniously worshipped at the opening
& closing of Kedarnath. The belief is
that Bhairavnathji protects this land
from evil during the time when temple of
Kedarnath is closed. Besides its
affiliation with Shiva, Kedarnath is
also believed to be the site of
Shankaracharya's samadhi (achievement of
beatified afterlife). The actual temple
is an impressive stone edifice of
unknown date. No specific family of
pujaris supervises rituals at Kedarnath,
which focus around veneration of the
stone lingam that rests in the inner
sanctum of the temple.
Description of Temple :
An imposing sight,
standing in the middle of a wide plateau
surrounded by lofty snow covered peaks.
The present temple, built in 8th century
A.D. by Adi Shankaracharya, stands
adjacent to the site of an earlier
temple built by the Pandavas. The inner
walls of the assembly hall are decorated
with figures 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 a Mandap, apt for
assemblies of pilgrims and visitors. A
conical rock formation inside the temple
is worshipped as Lord Shiva in his
Sadashiva form.
Place to visit
 Shankaracharya
Samadhi :
The Samadhi of Adi
Guru Shankaracharya is located just
behind the Kedarnath temple. It is said
that after establishing four sacred
Dhams in India, he went into his samadhi
at an early age of 32 years.
Chorabari
(Gandhi Sarovar) :
Only 1 km
trek away from Kedarnath. Floating-ice
on the crystal clear waters of the lake
fascinates the visitors.
Gaurikund :
It is the base for a trek to Kedarnath
and serves as a roadhead. The village
has a temple dedicated to Gauri and hot
water springs.
Trijuginarayan
: According to legend, this
was the place where the wedding of Lord
Shiva and Parvati was solemnized. In
front of the Shiva Temple is an eternal
flame, which is said to be a witness to
the marriage. It can be reached by a 12
km drive from Sonprayag.
Ukhimath :
Winter home of the deity at Kedarnath
temple and the seat of the Rawal of
Kedarnath. Connected by bus services to
Rudraprayag and other major centres.
Agastyamuni :
The temple of sage Agastya is the main
attraction here.
Badrintah
 Badrinath
Dham” Guarded on either side by the two
mountains Nar and Narayan, the Neelkanth
Peak provides a splendid backdrop to
Badrinath, one of the ‘Char Dham Tours’.
One of the most celebrated pilgrim spots
in the country, it plays host to the
famous Badrinath Temple. Legend has it
that Lord Vishnu came to the area,
called ‘Badri Van’, or the berry garden,
to meditate after Narad rebuked the Lord
for being immersed in worldly pleasures.
The main deity is a meditating Lord
Vishnu. Badrinath dhaam is considered as
one of the most sacred centres of
pilgrimage situated in the lofty
Himalayan heights in the Tehri-Garhwal
hill tracks (Uttarakhand) at the height
of 10,248 feet above sea level. The
route to Badrinath is one of the most
arduous one due to the lofty hilly
terrain, curves and cliffs amidst the
most scenically beautiful place on the
earth.
Badrintah Temple :
The temple at the bank of
Alaknanda River is a hot water spring
known as "Tapt Kund", a bath in which is
very refreshing to all travellers.
Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the temple of
Shri Badrinathji, is 5 m high, built in
the form of a cone with a small cupola
of a gilt bull and spire. The temple
opens every year in the month of
April-May and closes for winters in the
third week of November. Even though
legend dates the temple back to the
Vedic age, Guru Adi Shankaracharya has
established the present temple. The
temple has three parts - Garbha Grih
(The Sanctum Sanctorum), Darshan Mandap
(for pujas) and Sabha Mandap (for
devotees to assemble). The Badrinath
temple was constructed and renovated by
Shankaracharya some time in 8th century
during his pilgrimage to Badrinath Dham
and Kedarnath Dham after he had
established 'Jyotirdham' in Joshimath.
Narada Kund, Surya Kund, Basudhara, Mata
Murti and Charan Paduka are the other
holy places of attraction for the large
number of pilgrims who visit Badrinath
Dham every year. About 8 kms from
Badrinath in the west, there is a group
of snow peak called Choukhamba with
height up to 6700 m. There is another
peak called Neelkantha about 9 km. south
west of Badrinath.
The temple of Badrinath is visited by
about six lakh pilgrims every year.
There is a plan to make a village
complex for the pilgrims at an estimated
cost of rupees one crore. Presently
hotel Devlok has been constructed at
Badrinath to provide board and lodging
facilities to pilgrims.
Place to
visit
Brahama Kapal :
To the north of Sri Badrinath temple is
the spot known as Brahma Kapal where
Lord Brahma is said to reside.
Ceremonies for departed souls are
performed
 Tapt
Kund : Tapt kund is a natural
hot water pool fed by a sulphur spring
which is said to be the abode of Agni,
the god of fire. It is customary to
bathe before entering Sri Badrinath
temple. This water has a temperature of
130 degrees C. To the left of this pool
is the Surya Kund fed by a branch of the
same thermal spring. These waters are
said to be very nourishing to the body.
The Alakananda flows swiftly just below
these kunds and the boiling water falls
into the icy waters of the river giving
rise to clouds of steam.
Bhim Pul :
On the other side of Mana
village, a massive rock forming a
natural bridge, lies over the roaring
Saraswati river. It presents a
spectacular view of water thundering
down through the narrow passage under
the rock and is believed to have been
placed there by Bhim, the second eldest
among the five Pandava brothers.
Vyas Gufa
(cave) :
Near Mana Village,
this is a rock-cave where Ved Vyas is
believed to have composed the
Mahabharata and the pauranic
commentaries.
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