Char Dham Yatra: All you need to know locations, History of sacred sites

Char Dham Yatra in Hindu traditions is a spiritual journey that devout people undertake for attaining ‘Moksha’. These ‘Four Abodes’ meaning Char Dham are situated in the state of Uttarakhand, India. The state means ‘Dev Bhoomi’ or Land of Gods. Talking about Moksha is the highest liberation point in the life of a Hindu meaning reprieve. This Char Dham Yatra known locally as ‘Chota Char Dham’ or ‘smaller four abodes’ includes these holy sites in the state of Uttarakhand alone.

In this article, you will know what are the places of Char Dham Yatra and how they became sacred.

Badrinath

Well, this place is considered one of the most sacred towns in the Hindu religion. Being dedicated to Lord Vishnu, it is situated in the Chamoli district. Badrinath temple is located at a height of 10,279 ft. It is the only temple among the four Char Dham which is curled up in the Himalayas and encircled by snow-clad mountains. As per Hindu belief, Badrinath came to light when Nar-Narayan, an avatar of Lord Vishnu, did Tapasya there. At that time, this place was full of berry trees, and in the Sanskrit language, Berries mean Badri. Therefore, this place was named as Badrika-Van due to the abundance of Berries trees. Badrinath temple is a particular spot where Nar-Narayan did Tapasya, and a large berry tree saved him from rain and sun. Local people believe that Mata Lakshmi became a tree to save Lord Narayan. After completing the Tapasya, Narayana said people will always take her name before him.

Dwarka

Dwarka is popularly known as the city of Lord Krishna. It is a hub of Ancient temples and beautiful beaches. This temple town is settled on the bank of the Gomti River in the western land of the Indian state of Gujarat. Being one of the sacred shrines in the Bada Char Dham Circuit, this holy place is soaked in spirituality. Dwarka has a crucial place in the history of India. In earlier times, it was recognized as Swaravati or Kushasthali and was a great kingdom situated at the shoreline of Saurashtra. It is said that around 1500 BC, Lord Krishna left Mathura after killing Kansa and established the golden city of Dwarka on the banks of River Gomati. It is also considered that after the death of Lord Krishna, an extensive flood came into the sea and the city got sunken under the water.

Puri

Situated in Odisha, Puri is one of the most popular and holy cities. This city is well known for the veneration of Jagganath, which is one of many names of Lord Krishna. Moreover, it is famous for being the only holy place with the most prominent goddesses like Lakshmi, Durga, Sati, Parvati, and Shakti. The chariot festival is celebrated in Puri, and it is also called Rath yatra. Earlier, Puri was not the name of this holy place. As stated by a Chinese pilgrim, it was Charitra, but there is room for doubt and speculation with interpretation. At the time, when Chodaganga Deva built the temple of Purusottama Jagannath with the leading idol Lord Krishna as Jagannath with his Brother and Sister, the place came to light as Purushottam Kshetra or Purushottam Puri. The name was shortened, and today it is well known as Puri.

Rameshwaram

Rameshwaram is one of the most sacred places in India that grasps followers of Lord Shiva. Nestled in the Ramanathapuram district, the town is a fraction of Pamban Island. It is also identified as Rameshwaram Island staying connected with the legendary temple, which is formed in the spectacular Dravidian style of architecture. It is the center of attraction in this town for every person who follows Hinduism, Lord Shiva, and Lord Vishnu. It is believed that Rameshwaram is the place from where Lord Rama began his journey to get his wife Sita back from the king of Lanka Ravana. Lord Rama was helped by the ‘Vaanar Sena’, an army of legendary monkey-humans, which was served by Hanumana, the Paramount devotee of Lord Rama.

Kedarnath Dham

Nestled in the dramatic mountain peaks and covered by snowstorms, Kedarnath is one of the holiest pilgrim sites in Northern India. Kedarnath is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is among the 12 Jyotirlingas. Gauri Kund is a base camp for treks to the holy shrine. Touch the waving scenery of this region at an altitude of 11,755 ft above sea level. It is told that after the epic battle of Kurukshetra, the Pandavas of Mahabharat started their journey to Varanasi to get the blessing from Lord Shiva because they were guilty of killing their friends and relatives. But, Lord Shiva refused to meet them and hid in Guptkashi. When Pandavas reach the location, Lord Shiva transforms himself into a buffalo, so they cannot recognize him.

Notably, a holy pilgrimage is a spiritual journey in willpower, all humility, and individual faith. The difficult journeys upward which mostly involve trekking and walking up are significant in that the pilgrim will slog the toughest way up to reach spirituality and also leaves all other issues at the feet of the Deity. They take part in cold water and hot water holy dips at various rivers also showing their respect for deities. They want to leave all other issues and reach God.