Chardham yatra is just not visiting temples, It is acknowledging life and surrendering to it.
India is the only country where spirituality is deeply rooted in everyone, through the way of meditation, religion or even yoga. Meditation and yoga have gained popularity across the globe. Religion is something very subjective and every individual has their own stake in it.
In India, the religiously spiritual country, the Hindu community has a strong belief system in Moksh, the ultimate surrender to the cycle of incarnation. And performing the Chardham yatra is another belief of finding moksha.
Read further to know the best time and places to visit in Chardham yatra.
But first, what does Chardham mean?
Char in Hindi means Four and Dham means dwelling place or heaven. The four-place that is a replica of heaven on earth. There is some interesting story after each destination for such a strong belief system.
Clumped on the mighty great Himalayas, in the Uttarakhand region are four main pilgrim-destinations collectively known as Chardham. These destinations are popular as Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath. The mountains of the Garhwal region are not only pious but also serene. The region is not only famous for pilgrimage visits but also for spending some frolic time with close ones in hills.
The destinations like, Dehradun, Lansdowne, Mussoorie are few common choices among locals and international travellers for a luxury holiday in north India.
Seeing the popularity and consensus data, the Government of India has proposed a project of Char Dham Highway which got functional in 2018
It becomes important to identify how to initiate Chardham yatra to avoid any hassles and disappointment of abrupt timings. Since the Chardham yatra is scheduled by the government of India, the gates are open only for a few months.
The estimated dates for Chardham yatra for 2020 are as follows.
Recommended itinerary for visitors is to visit Yamunotri, and then move to Gangotri, trailed by the Kedarnath, and completing the yatra at the Badrinath Dham.
| Destination | Best time to travel | Places to visit | Additional Information |
| Gangotri | May, September | Surya Kund, Divya Shila, Janki Chatti. | Don’t forget to take the Prasad at the temple |
| Yamunotri | May, September | Bhagirath Shila Pandav Gufa | Trekking through Gaumukh |
| Kedarnath | May, June, September, October | Bhairava temple, Chorabari Tal, Bhairav Jhamp | Helicopter ride to the temple is an easy way to go |
| Badrinath | May, June, September, October | Jain temple, Sheeshtaal (Sheshnaag lake), Vasudhara Falls, Neelkhant mountain | The sightseeing of 7 mountains |
Yamunotri
Yamunotri temple is situated where the source of the Yamuna River generates. Among 9 main rivers, River Yamuna is one of the largest, holy and sacred rivers. Temple was built by Maharaja Pratap Shah, who had the Goddess Yamuna black marble idol. This shrine is located in the extreme western region of Garhwal area of Uttarakhand.
The popular belief: The popular belief for this temple is that, the spot where the temple is built, Jai Muni has gone under deep meditation and worship and has witnessed Goddess Yamuna appeared on earth for the human welfare and mankind,
Best time for yatra: May, September
Places to visit: Surya Kund, Divya Shila, Janki Chatti.
Timings: Opening time: 6 am – 8 pm; May -October
Aarti time: 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Gangotri
Gangotri temple is situated where the source of the Ganga River generates. River Ganges is the most prominent river among other 9 main rivers. It is considered as one of the largest, holy and sacred rivers for life. Temple was built by Nepalese general Amar Singh Thapa. It takes only 4 hours to reach from base camp Uttarkashi to Gangotri temple by road.
The popular belief: According to Hindu mythology, This place is where lord shiva released Ganga from his hair lock. After King Bhagirath performed puja for 5500 years to call Ganga on earth for human welfare, the impressed MA Ganga notified him that her forceful nature can become destructive if not controlled. This is when she recommended to the king to ask lord shiva for help. The lord came to rescue and released Ganga in a controlled flow after stepping on two giant mountains.
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Best time for yatra: May, September. The temple remain closed during Diwali
Places to visit:
Bhagirath Shila: rock where King Bhagirath prayed to Lord Shiva.
Pandava Gufa: place where the Pandavas meditated and rested en route Kailash
Gaumukh: place from where river Ganga starts.
Timings: Opening hours: 6 am – 8 pm; 1st week of May – Till Diwali (October)
Aarti time: 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Kedarnath
Kedarnath is located near another tourist place Rishikesh in Uttarakhand and is close to the place where river Mandakini originated. The temple is built on barren fields surrounded by the Himalayan range. The scenic beauty of the rivers, mountains, and green landscape make it attractive to many tourists who come for trekking or pilgrimage visit. The same day kedarnath tour from the helicopter is very popular.
The popular belief: Kedarnath means field of liberation. Any human being, visiting Kedarnath is believed to initiate the process of complete liberation and outrage the cycle of life and death. The other story that circulates is that Lord Vishnu’s two incarnations, Nar & Narayan, meditated at this place to please God Shiva. And they bestowed their wish of asking him to stay for mankind, which was reciprocated.
According to Hindu Granth on all those places where you find Jyotirlinga lord shiva is considered to reside there.
Best Time for Yatra: May to June and September to October.
Places to visit: Bhairava temple, Chorabari Tal, Bhairav Jhamp
Timings: Opening hours: 6 am – 8 pm; 1st week of May – Till Diwali (October)
Aarti time: 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Badrinath
Badrinath is located in Garhwal region of Uttarakhand. The temple is located between the two mountains Nar and Narayan. Badri means berries and the area has a lot of berry trees justifying the name. The architect of the temple is inspired by buddha shrines. The temple has a black stone image of Lord Vishnu made of Saligram stone and is believed to be self scripted by the Lord himself.
The popular belief: The statue of Lord Vishnu is believed to be selfly sculptured. Adi Guru Sankaracharya once had a dream of the statue of Lord Vishnu drowned in Narad Kund. On the exploration, the statue was found which was rumoured to be drowned by the Buddhist monk in order to spread Buddhism in the region. Guru Shankaracharya reestablished the statue inside the temple again.
Best time for Yatra: May to June and September to October are the best time to visit Badrinath.
Places to visit: Jain temple, Sheeshtaal (Sheshnaag lake), Vasudhara Falls, Neelkhant mountain
Timings: Opening hours: 6 am – 8 pm; 1st week of May – Till Diwali (October)
Aarti time: 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Chardham yatra is scheduled by officials after proper understanding of weather and nature calls. To ensure safety, the doors are open only from a specific time period. We recommend avoiding the trip during the first weeks from the opening dates of the gates to avoid rush and jam. The later time sees drop down in temperature making it difficult to climb and trek. Hence September is the ideal month to travel for Chardham yatra
The 10 -12 days itinerary is best to complete the yatra in ease. The cost of yatra depends on the choice of accommodation and comfort people opt for, but it ideally ranges between 600Rs- 3500Rs per person per night.
May the divine nature help you to liberate your soul.