Planning to go on Char Dham Yatra to get Darshan and spiritual uplift?
Char Dham Yatra of Uttarakhand, one of the most popular Hindu Pilgrimages is not merely a trip but a confluence of faith towards God, strong spiritual beliefs, divine energies, and a sacred environment. For decades, Hindus have been embarking on this challenging Yatra and reconnecting themselves with the supreme power of the universe, Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. On this religious journey people commence from different corners of the country and reach the sacred doorsteps of Char Dham Temples with the desire of Darshan of their Deities.
Many devotees like you wish to visit Char Dham Temples but find difficulty in planning the Yatra due to lack of knowledge about Char Dham Yatra, registration process, tour itinerary, Climatic Conditions and no connection with locals. Therefore, here we are going to assist you with the detailed Yatra Planning for Char Dham in Uttarakhand. Irrespective of your location, group size, budget, tour preferences, you will get a clear vision to plan this Yatra in future through this article.
Before proceeding further, let us know about the Char Dham Yatra and its significance in brief.
Significance of Char Dham Yatra:
In the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, there is a pilgrimage circuit of four religious sites, which are considered highly spiritual and significant among Hindus. Located at high altitude, these four sites are Badrinath Dham, Kedarnath Dham, Gangotri Dham and Yamunotri Dham, dedicated to Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva, Goddess Ganga and Goddess Yamuna respectively. All four sites have a rich historical as well as cultural connection.
Moreover, great scriptures like the Purana, written by Ved Vyasa and the Ramayana, written by Valmiki, include tales regarding these spiritual places. In every Dham, the temples built in Nagara Architecture yet influenced by Garhwal architecture stand strongly and beautifully. The legends and scriptures reveal that one who completes the Darshan of these sites gets the ultimate goal of life, i.e. salvation (Moksha). Following this year’s old heritage, the people have strong faith in Char Dham Yatra and so every year, lacs of pilgrims head on this Yatra to experience the rare spiritual vibes and divine Darshan of Deities.
Best Time to Visit Char Dham Yatra
First of all, you need to be familiar with the fact that Char Dham Yatra opens for only 6 months in a Year. Every year, the Char Dham Temples open for devotees on the holy occasion of Akshay Tritiya, generally falling on last April or early May. Whereas these temples close after the Diwali festival, generally falling on late October or early November. So basically, the Char Dham temples and so the Yatra receive pilgrims roughly from May to October. Further considering the rainy season and its consequences, the best time to go on Char Dham Yatra is either in May to late June or October and early November.
How to Choose Char Dham Yatra Package
Before going on the Char Dham Yatra, you must have a glance at a few significant details like the Yatra Budget, number of travellers, age groups, accommodation priorities, preferred itinerary, starting point of the Yatra, nearby places to visit, activities to do and Yatra Duration.
Considering all of these points, you can move forward with the planning.
On the Basis of the Budget:
Luxury Char Dham Yatra
If you have a budget of approximately 2 lakhs per individual for the Char Dham Yatra, then you should go for the luxurious Char Dham Yatra Package. In this, you will get the VIP Darshan in temples, helicopter services, stay in luxurious suites or hotels, customised food, airport pick and drop and so on.
Budget Char Dham Yatra
If you are looking forward to completing Char Dham Yatra in the cheapest mode, then you should grab the Budget Char Dham Yatra Package. Under this tour operator, they arrange the Char Dham Yatra at minimum expenses and focus on offering only basic services.
On the Basis of Transport
Char Dham Yatra by Helicopter
The people who want to visit Char Dham Yatra by Helicopter should proceed with booking the Char Dham Helicopter Package. If you select this mode to travel, you will get to explore all the Char Dham sites by air mode. Along with being a time-saving mode to travel, Helicopter Tour offers a precious opportunity to gaze at the top views of Char Dham Yatra placed at the lap of the Himalayas. Moreover, if you choose this package, then you do not have to trek to reach Yamunotri and Kedarnath Temple.
Char Dham Yatra by Train
Individuals who have an affinity for train journeys and want to travel to Char Dham Yatra by train, should choose Char Dham Yatra Train Package. However, the trains run only up to Rishikesh, Haridwar and Dehradun Stations only, so basically you will reach Haridwar from your hometown by train, but the further journey can be completed either by Helicopter or Rental Taxi.
In short, even if you choose travelling by Train, you have to switch the other mode to visit Char Dham Temples from Haridwar or Dehradun onwards.
Char Dham Yatra by Rental Car
From Haridwar or Dehradun onwards, there are two modes to travel to Char Dham Temples. One is by Helicopter, and the other is by rental car. If you want to head on Yatra at comparatively lower expenses and by road, then you should consider booking the Char Dham Yatra by Rental Car package. Through this, your journey will begin from Haridwar, visit all the four temples in 7 to 8 days and return to Haridwar smoothly.
On the Basis of Group Size
Char Dham Yatra Family Tour Package
To those who are planning to visit Char Dham Yatra along with their family members, the Char Dham Yatra Family Tour Package is the ideal way to travel. Under this, your whole family can head on a Char Dham tour with all the basic services and amenities. Instead of booking an individual package, the Family Tour Package is more cost effective and worthwhile.
Things to Keep in Mind during Char Dham Yatra
- The ideal way to visit Char Dham Yatra is to reach Haridwar and then travel to Yamunotri via Barkot. The next destination, which you should visit, is Gangotri Dham via Uttarkashi. Thereafter, you should proceed to the Kedarnath Dham via Guptkashi and Sonprayag. Last but not least, you should visit the Badrinath Dham via Joshimath.
- In the Char Dham Yatra, due to rough terrain, you have to trek for the Kedarnath Dham. So, considering the age group and health of your , you should plan the tour. However, there are a few alternative ways, like a helicopter, Palki, and similar, to cover the trek.
- If you are going in a group, then it’s better to go with the packages which offer group tours as it will save money.
- Those who have a short vacation and want to go on the Yatra should choose the Char Dham Yatra by Helicopter. Through this mode, they can finish the Darshan of all temples within 2 days.
- The people with an adventurous spirit should go to Char Dham Yatra with the plan of visiting the nearby spiritual treks, too. Some of the worth visiting treks which hold serenity are Kedarkantha Trek, Sahastra Tal Trek, Kartik Swami Temple Trek, Chopta Tungnath Trek and Hemkund Sahib Trek.
- With the Moderate Budget, you should go by Train up to Haridwar or Dehradun. From there onwards, you can go through the Travel Buses or Vans.
- The devotees who are interested in visiting other nearby sites should include the Panch Kedar, Panch Badri and Panch Prayag too in their Char Dham itinerary.
- These Char Dham sites are settled in the lap of the Himalayas, so influenced by the harsh climate. Therefore, you should keep checking the weather forecast until your Yatra comes to an end.
Where to Stay in Char Dham Yatra
On the route of Char Dham Yatra, there are small towns, which are moderately developed and located a few kilometers before the main temples. Hence these towns are utilised to take night breaks and stay during the Char Dham Yatra.
If we look at this in detail, then Joshimath, known as the basecamp of Badrinath Dham, is situated 37 Km away from the Badrinath Temple. Similarly, Guptkashi popular as the basecamp of Kedarnath Dham is located at 47 km distance from Kedarnath Temple and 32 km distance from Gaurikund. Likewise, the Uttarkashi and Barkot are known as the basecamps of Gangotri and Yamunotri Dham respectively.
Usually pilgrims take a night stay in Haridwar, Barkot, Uttarkashi, Guptkashi and Joshimath. In all of these places, there are a variety of stay options, including homestays, hotels, inns, resorts and GMVN Guest House. From INR 500 to INR 5000, there are every category of rooms for stay offering different kinds of amenities. On the basis of affordability, you can select the accommodation and enjoy the comfortable stay during your Char Dham Tour.
What to Eat in Char Dham Yatra
If you are going to visit Char Dham Yatra very soon, then here is a guide about food options on this Yatra.
- Generally, the Parathas, Sandwich, Pakora, along with Tea, or Coffee are served as the breakfast in the Hilly areas of Char Dham Yatra. Moreover, these dishes are available at approximately INR 100 to INR 200.
- In the main course meal, there are a variety of Paneer Curries, Chole Bhature, Mix veg, Puri Bhaji, Dal Makhani, Rajma Rice, different kinds of Breads, Rice, Curd and Papad in the Menu of restaurants falling on the route of Char Dham Yatra. On an average, you can enjoy one meal at approx INR 250 to INR 500.
- Generally, the Lunch and dinner Menu looks like this in that region. But some cafes and restaurants offer traditional cuisines like Aloo ke Gutke, Chainsoo, Jhangore ki Kheer etc. Similarly, some cafes based on a continental theme serve continental cuisines like noodles, pizza, burgers as well.
- Besides this, you will see several fruit vendors selling the seasonal fruits and salads like cucumber, apple, berries, grapes, etc. on your Char Dham trip.
- As it is a pilgrimage, so considering the sacredness of place, the alcohol, intoxicants and non-vegetarian food are prohibited in the Char Dham Yatra.
Summary
If you are actively planning the Char Dham Yatra, then the information mentioned in the above article will definitely help you in booking the right tour package and so on. On this auspicious religious tour, you should go with proper planning so that you can experience the Darshan of Char Dham Temples without any hustle and indulge in the mesmerising beauty of the Himalayas. In a nutshell, Char Dham Yatra is a bit challenging because of high altitude, rough terrain and harsh climate, but the spiritual significance the temples hold is beyond the physical challenges. Moreover, nowadays the Char Dham Yatra has been transformed into a smoother tour, so it’s perfect to experience this adventurous yet rewarding pilgrimage.
