The history of Chota Chardham Pilgrimage

Millions of people visit the Chota Char Dham every year to connect with their spirituality and feel closer to God. Spirituality inspires one to go on a divine journey to attain peace and tranquility. The journey of the holy Chardham is one such spiritual pilgrimage. The Chardham Yatra is a great opportunity to explore the beauty of Hindu cultures while traveling the beautiful peaks of the Himalayan range. This yatra - a journey through the four major holy Hindu sites (named the Chota Chardham) - Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath is nothing short of an unforgettable experience for the devotees. Each of these dhams has its own distinct mythological history.

Until the middle of the 20th century, it was very difficult to visit these dhams in Uttarakhand but after the Indo-China war in 1962, India made large-scale efforts in building better connectivity and infrastructure. After the construction was finished, these Chardham became better connected to the rest of the World and has encouraged people from all backgrounds to visit.

Yamunotri Dham

Yamunotri is where the Yamuna River, India's second holiest river, originates. Located in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand, Yamunotri Dham is the first stop of this pilgrimage. It is believed that taking a bath in the holy water of Yamuna cleanses all sins. The temple of Yamunotri, situated in the western region of Garhwal Himalayas, is dedicated to Goddess Yamuna and has a black marble idol of the goddess.

There are several hot water springs near the temple; Surya Kund is the most important kund among them. Devotees boil rice and potatoes in the Kund and accept it as Prasad of the Goddess. In Hindu mythology, Yamuna Devi is the daughter of Surya and the twin sister of Yama. It is believed that the sage Asit Muni lived here and bathed in both the Ganges and the Yamuna every day. In his old age, when he was unable to visit Gangotri, a stream of Ganga started flowing opposite the Yamunotri.

Gangotri Dham

Gangotri Dham is dedicated to the goddess Ganga, who is said to have come to Earth to free the sins of mankind. Located in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand, the original temple of Gangotri was built in the early 19th century by Amar Singh Thapa, a Nepalese general.

The origin of Ganga, according to Hindu scripture, is as followed. King Sagar performed an Ashwamedha yagna which involved a horse. A jealous Indra stole this horse which led the Kind to send his 60,000 sons to look for the horse. They found the horse next to a meditating sage Kapil which angered the sons who attacked the ashram. The angry sage then opened his fiery eyes which turned the sons into ashes. Later, on sage Kapil's advice, Anshuman (Sagar's grandson) started praying to Lord Brahma to bring Goddess Ganga to Earth to grant them salvation but failed. It was Anshuman's grandson, Bhagiratha, whose rigorous prayers brought Ganga down to earth. Lord Shiva tied the Ganges in his hair and let her fall down gently as many rivers to protect the earth from her powerful force.

Kedarnath Dham

Located in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, Kedarnath is the most remote pilgrimage in this yatra. It is believed that the original temple of Kedarnath was built by the Pandavas. And Adi Shankaracharya found the present structure in the 8th century near the old temple site. He is believed to have attained Mahasamadhi at Kedarnath. Behind the temple is the samādhi mandir of Adi Sankara.

It is believed that the Pandavas were searching for Lord Shiva to seek his forgiveness for killing their own kin on the battlefield. Lord Shiva did not want to forgive them, so he transformed into a bull and hid among the cattle. When he was found, he tried hiding in the ground but Bhim caught him by his tail. 

Badrinath Dham

Badrinath is considered one of the holiest places in Hinduism. The Badrinath temple, one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Lord Vishnu, is part of both Char Dham and Chota Char Dham. According to legend, Shankar discovered an idol of Lord Badrinarayan in the Alaknanda River and he enshrined it in a cave near the Tapt Kund hot springs. In the 16th century, a Garhwal king built the temple and moved the statue. To date, this temple has been rebuilt several times as a result of natural disasters.

According to one of the legends, Lord Vishnu sat for meditation here. Goddess Lakshmi shielded him from the weather and turned into a Badri tree and thus Vishnu became 'Badrinath'.