Nestling in the lofty peaks of Himalayas are the four most holy pilgrimages of India -Yamunotri, Gangotri, Sri Kedarnathji and Sri Badrinathji, collectively referred to as the Char Dham ( or four pilgrimage centres) of Hinduism. For centuries, saints and pilgrims, in their search for the divine, have walked these mystical vales known in ancient Hindu scriptures as 'Kedarkhand'


Yamunotri
High up in a deep cleft on the western face of the Banderpunch peak is the Yamunotri shrine, worshipped as the source of the holy Yamuna River. 223 kms from Rishikesh, this mountain shrine is one of the most difficult to access at 3,235 meters. Technically the source of the river is on the Champasar glacier at Saptarishi Kund (12 kms further up), but it is at Yamunotri that pilgrims come to worship the goddess Yamuna and bathe in its chilled waters.

According to Hindu mythology, Yamuna, the twin sister of Yama, descended from the mountains at this point. The temple at Yamunotri sits next to the river, around the hot sulphur springs of the Surya Kund.

Gangotri
Nestling amidst deodar forests is the shrine of Gangotri, worshipped by Hindus as the source of their most sacred river Ganga. At a distance of 105 kms. from the town of Uttarkashi, Gangotri is the spiritual source of the river, while its actual source is the ice cave of Gomukh, 18 kms up the Gangotri glacier.

Here, Ganga is known as Bhagirathi, named after the ancient king Bhagirath who prayed to bring her down from the heavens. The other major tributary, the Alaknanda emerges from glacial waters near Badrinath and joins the Bhagirathi further down at Devprayag to become the magnificent Ganga. Considered the most sacred of all rivers, this great life-giver of India continues to be worshipped as a goddess. Bathing in her waters brings deliverance from sins committed in the present and all past births.

The shrine of Gangotri is set amidst rugged mountains and overlooks the thundering river at 3,048 metres. Made of white stone, the temple is decorated with a gilded roof crowned with a central spire. Near the temple is the Bhagirath shila, a stone slab where king Bhagirath sat to meditate. On reaching the shrine pilgrims offer prayers at the temple and go down to the main bathing ghat next to the river. Dev ghat, down below and set amidst tall trees, is the confluence of Bhagirathi with the Kedar Ganga. At Gaurikund magnificent waterfalls create a pool, which is reached through forest paths along the Gangotri gorge and over a rope bridge across the mighty river.


Badrinath
Perched at an altitude of 3,133 mt. above sea-level, in the middle of a beautiful valley, it is located on the right bank of holy river Alaknanda. Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the temple of Shri Badrinathji is 15 mt. in height, built in the form of a cone with a small cupola of a gilt bull and spire. Kedarnath
The Sri Kedarnathji shrine, one of the 12 Jyotir lingas of Lord Shiva, is a scenic spot situated, against the backdrop of the majestic Sri Kedarnathji range. Situated at an altitude of 3,581 mts. Kedar is another name of Lord Shiva the protector and the destroyer. Shiva, is considered the embodiment of all passions-love, hatred, fear, death and mysticism which are expressed through his various forms.

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