How to Go Chardham Yatra of Uttarakhand

[Namaste India Trip]

Chardham is one of the most popular destinations in India for a pilgrimage and the difficulty of the journey makes each step on this route even more special. Hindus believe that visiting these temples and bathing in the rivers here are sure to wash away one's sins and guarantee freedom from the cycle of life. There are four main stops on this route namely Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath. Each of these has a lot of significance and each has many legends attached to it. Most of the journey to these places must be done on foot and as these are located on remote mountain locations the journey does take days. Mules and horses are also used to ferry visitors across rocky terrain and hills. The route is very scenic and makes the journey easier and the flora and fauna of this place are a beautiful sight.

There is no need to worry about how to reach Chardham. The travels for this pilgrimage start from another holy city, Haridwar. This location is well connected by road and rail to Delhi and all other major cities and towns in India. There are flights from all important Indian cities to Delhi and the road connectivity from here to Haridwar is excellent. Rishikesh is just 25 kms from Haridwar and the first stop of the Chardham yatra is from here to Yamunotri. It takes a day to reach Yamunotri and the temple here is believed to be near the source of the river Yamuna. There are thermal springs here as well with water hot enough to cook food in. From here the next stop is Gangotri, 2 days from Yamunotri. The source of India’s most sacred river is 17 kms from Gangotri at Gaumukh. It is important to visit this site for the completion of the Chardham Yatra.

Kedarnath, a temple dedicated to Shiva is also ahead and this mountain temple with its backdrop of the snowcapped Himalayas is truly beautiful in its simplicity. One can feel the cares of the world slipping away here and last on the Chardham circuit is Badrinath with its ancient temple dedicated to the Lord Vishnu. This temple is two days away from Kedarnath and is also magnificent in its remoteness and simplicity. The best way to resolve how to reach Chardham for this journey to spiritual enlightenment is by browsing online for the options in packages for the Chardham Yatra.