Chardham Yatra – A Sacred Journey to Wash Away the Sins

Chardham Yatra is a very popular and revered religious odyssey that is undertaken by the people from all over the world to enlighten their mind, attain ‘moksha’ and wash away their sins. An individual taking a yatra can truly find being transported to another part of the world, which is near to the God. The chanting mantras, peaceful environment, aarti and pleasant scent of the aggarbattis can make you feel very calm and rejuvenated from the noisy and frenetic environment of the city life. Char Dham Pilgrimage Yatra, also renowned worldwide by the name 'Dev Bhumi' is essentially a perfect amalgamation of the four scared pilgrimage centers, which are Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. A visit to these spiritual places provides a golden opportunity to the human beings to come one step closer to attain the spirituality and peace.

People who undertake this enchanting holy journey have a firm belief that all their pains and sorrows will be alleviated after paying homage into the feet of the almighty. It is pivotal to take a journey to the four prominent abodes so that you can seek the blessings of God and most importantly achieve a tremendous amount of success in your life. The Yatra generally starts during the month of April and the traditional route to embark on the trip of spirituality is as follows - Yamunotri - Gangotri - Kedarnath - Badrinath. Let us explore the holy significance of these four divine places:

The first stopover of the Chardham Yatra is the awe-inspiring Yamunotri Dham. It is located 4,421 meters above the sea level in the shrine of the beautiful Garhwal Himalayas. The place is also very close to the Indo-Chinese border. It is essentially a place from where the holy river Yamuna starts to flow. There is a temple dedicated to Goddess Yamuna located on the banks of the river. Many people in large numbers visit the temple to offer their prayers and pay their respect to the Goddess Yamuna. The temple usually opens every year on Akshya Tritiya. The serene and the picturesque will truly captivate your imagination and will really rejuvenate your body and soul.  There are plenty of thermal springs around the temple that the devotees believe have got some healing powers. Surya Kund is one such renowned hot thermal water spring where the potatoes and rice are cooked and distributed in the form of Prasad among the people visiting the temple.

This holy Dham is located in the district of Uttarkashi and renowned as the place that is an origin source of River Ganga. Devotees travelling to this spiritual place make it a point to visit the temple built in the 18th century by the General Amar Singh Thapa to show respect to the Mother Ganga. The Aarti performed in the evening along the banks of the river Ganga goes on to provide a memorable experience to the devotees. The temple remains open every year between the period of May to November.

The renowned Kedarnath Dham is considered as the home of the Lord Shiva. It is located in the Uttarkashi district at an altitude of 3584 meters. The place has got a lot of significance because it is one of the twelve 'Jyotirlingas' of Lord Shiva. In the shrine, there is a Sri Kedarnathji temple that is surrounded by the snow-capped mountain peaks and the stunning locations. There is a belief among the people that by taking a journey to the Kedarnath Dham, one can get rid from all the evils and purify their mind and soul. Gauri Kund, Rudhir Kund, Hans Kund, Shiv Kund and so on are some of the famous pools situated around the Kedarnath Dham temple.

The Badrinath Dham is the last spot of the Chardham Yatra. It is a dwelling of Lord Vishnu located in the alluring Garhwal hills. The sacred Badrinath temple situated near the banks of the Alaknanda River is visited by the people from the every corner of the world in search of peace and eternal bliss. The pilgrimage tour to the Badrinath Dham temple is considered as very hard as one is required to cross the rugged cliffs and jagged hilly terrains. The architecture of the temple is very wonderful and goes on to invoke the feeling the faith and true happiness. The Narad Kund and the Tapt Kund are the two prominent pools of the temple where the devotees take bath before offering their prayers and homage to the Lord Badrinath.

All in all, Chardham Yatra is a phenomenal journey that is filled with great joy and helps the people to know the real meaning of human life. The trip to the four holy abodes will purify your mind from all the adulterated thoughts and provide a way to attain an utmost salvation.