"Char Dham Yatra by Helicopter – A Luxurious Spiritual Journey" 🚁🙏

Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand India Himalayas Dev Bhoomi -2025

Char Dham Yatra – Uttarakhand is a state which has been depicted in the Purans by names like Dev bhoomi (LAND OF GODS), punyabhoomi, rishiyon se youktbhoomi(land full of sages).

Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath are the four pilgrimage sites located in Indian Himalayas away from pollution in soothing climate and invigorating greenery at different districts “Uttarakhand”.

These 4 holy places known as “char Dham” where ‘char’ means- four and dham refers to ‘religious destination’ and their journey is known as “Tirthyatra” (pilgrimage), where thousands of devotees not only India but also from abroad comes to visit.

Char Dham Yatra is a pilgrimage tour that covers four sacred Hindu temples located in the state of Uttarakhand, India. The four temples are Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath.

Here are some highlights of each temple:

Yamunotri: Located at an altitude of 3293 meters above sea level, Yamunotri temple is dedicated to the goddess Yamuna. The highlight of the temple is the hot water springs called “Janki Chatti” and “Surya Kund,” which are believed to have medicinal properties.

Gangotri: Located at an altitude of 3100 meters above sea level, Gangotri temple is dedicated to the goddess Ganga. The highlight of the temple is the Gangotri Glacier, which is the source of the river Ganga.

Kedarnath: Located at an altitude of 3583 meters above sea level, Kedarnath temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The highlight of the temple is its stunning location amidst the Himalayan range and the trek that leads to the temple.

Badrinath: Located at an altitude of 3133 meters above sea level, Badrinath temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The highlight of the temple is the natural hot water springs called “Tapt Kund” and the beautiful scenery surrounding the temple.

Overall, the Char Dham Yatra is a spiritually uplifting and physically challenging pilgrimage that attracts devotees from all over India and the world. It is a journey that combines natural beauty, adventure, and devotion.

Char Dham in Uttarakhand, comprising Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath, has been regarded as sacred pilgrimage sites in Hinduism for centuries. While there is no definitive historical record specifying the exact dates of their establishment, these pilgrimage sites have a rich mythological and religious significance.

According to Hindu mythology and legends, the origins of the Char Dham can be traced back to ancient times. It is believed that Yamunotri, the source of the Yamuna River, has been revered since the time of the sage Asit Muni, who used to reside in the area. Gangotri, the origin of the Ganges River, is associated with the sage Bhagiratha, who performed severe penance to bring the river down from heaven to cleanse the sins of his ancestors.

Kedarnath, located in the Garhwal Himalayas, is believed to have been established by the Pandavas from the Hindu epic Mahabharata. It is said that after the great Kurukshetra war, the Pandavas sought Lord Shiva’s forgiveness for the bloodshed and went on a pilgrimage. Lord Shiva, however, eluded them and manifested himself in the form of a bull at Kedarnath. The Pandavas eventually found Lord Shiva and built the Kedarnath temple at the same location.

Badrinath, situated in the Chamoli district, is associated with Lord Vishnu. It is believed that Lord Vishnu meditated here for thousands of years under a Badri tree. The current Badrinath temple is said to have been established by the sage Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century CE, although there might have been earlier temples at the site.

while the historical records may not provide precise dates, the religious and mythological significance of these sacred sites has been deeply ingrained in Hindu culture for a long time. Pilgrims from around the world continue to visit these holy places as part of their spiritual journey.

History of Char Dham Yatra

YAMUNOTRI DHAM

• Elevation: 3,293 m (10,804 ft)
• Deity: Goddess Yamuna
• Significance: The source of the Yamuna River, considered sacred and a life-giving river in Hinduism.
• Nearby Attraction: Surya Kund (a hot water spring).

GODDESS Yamuna is the daughter of lord surya and sister of yamraj. It is said in the puranas that a saint(sage) named “Asti muni” used to live here, when he could not go to Gangotri at the time of old age, so he did penance, which mother ganga was pleased and started flowing in Yamuna, And he had bath in Ganga and Yamuna.

Yamunotri which is a major dham located in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand, Which is the source of river Yamuna Yamuna River is the second holiest river in India after the Ganga, which is the largest tributary of Ganga.

Pilgrimage time the doors of Yamunotri temple are opened on akshayatritiya of Shukla paksha of vaishakh month (May) and closed on Yama dwitiya of kartik month (November).

Yamunotri temple is situated at 3291 m above of sea level, which was built in 1839 by the king of Tehri “sudarshan shah”. It is believed that bathing in the water here purifies the soul and washes away all sins.

Hot water spring are present around this temple and surya Kund is the most important of them, where pilgrims cook potatoes and rice and take them as Prasad.

GANGOTRI DHAM

Gangotridham – which is a major Hindu pilgrimage center located in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand state of India.at a distance of 19 km from Gangotri is -Gomukh, which is the last end of the Gangotri glacier and the origin of the Ganga River. It is written in the puranas that during the Ashwamedhayagya, king sagar sent his 60,000 sons in search of a horse which was lost, all the sons went to the hermitage of saint Kapil in search of the horse, who was in deep meditation at that time, he raised the engrodded sage Kapil in meditation, due to the sage got angry and cursed him and consumed him. To give salvation to prince’s Bhagirathi’s extreme meditation made the goddess Ganga comes down to earth.

Pilgrimage time the doors of Gangotri temple are opened on akshayatritiya of Shukla paksha of vaishakh month (May) and closed on Yama dwitiya of kartik month (November).

The Ganga River is considered the most sacred of the river of India and it is believed that bathing in the Ganges destroys all the sins of human. After death people consider that it is necessary to immerse the ashes in the Ganges to attain salvation, Gangotri temple is situated at 3042 m above of sea level which was built in 19th century by the king of naipal “Amar Singh Thapa”.

• Elevation: 3,100 m (10,170 ft)
• Deity: Goddess Ganga
• Significance: Marks the origin of the River Ganga (Ganges) at Gaumukh Glacier.
• Nearby Attractions: Gaumukh Glacier, Bhagirathi Shila (sacred rock where King Bhagiratha meditated).

KEDARNATH DHAM

• Elevation: 3,583 m (11,755 ft)
• Deity: Lord Shiva
• Significance: One of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva and part of the Panch Kedar pilgrimage.
• Trail: 16 km trek from Gaurikund. Helicopter services are also available.

KEDARNATH– is the most important Hindu pilgrimage center located in rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand state of India. Which is 86 km from rudraprayag. The Shivling of Kedarnath temple located here is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. In Hinduism, Kedarnath is counted among the Chardham and five kedars.

It is written in the ‘puranas’ that Pandavas wanted lord Shiva to forgive them for their sins which they had committed by killing their brothers “kauravas” in the battle of Mahabharata, but lord Shiva did not want to forgive them and turned himself into a bull and when the Pandavas know about them that this bull is lord shiv, then lord shiv entered the ground which was caught by Bhīma from behind. Due to this reason the mouth of the bull remained in naipal and back part remained in Kedarnath.

All the part of Shiva differentiated at different places- like hump at Kedarnath, navel at MadhMaheshwar, hair at Kalpeshwar, face at Rudranath and arms at Tungnath. And all these five holy places known as PanchKedar.

Pilgrimage time the doors of Kedarnath temple are opened on Baishak month (April-May) and closed on kartik month (October-November). Kedarnath temple is situated at 3583 m above of sea level which was made by Pandavas and Saint AdiShankaracharya made a temple next to it in the 8th century.

BADRINATH DHAM

• Elevation: 3,133 m (10,279 ft)
• Deity: Lord Vishnu
• Significance: Part of the all-India Char Dham pilgrimage and a Divya Desam (one of the 108 Vishnu temples).
• Nearby Attractions: Tapt Kund (hot water spring), Mana Village (last Indian village), Vasudhara Falls.

Badrinath Dham – which is a major Hindu and Jain pilgrimage center located in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand state of India. This Dham is also dedicated to lord adinath, the 1stTirthankar of Jainism, Badrinath Dham is situated on the banks of river Alaknanda. It is written in the ‘puranas’ that Lord Vishnu meditated here as an act of penance his wife goddess Laxmi became a tree and protected him from the tough nature elements.

Saint Adishankaracharya found the idol of lord Vishnu in the Alaknanda River and shankaracharya placed it in a cave around the TaptKund.

Pilgrimage time the doors of Badrinath temple are opened on basantpanchami (April-May) and closed on kartik month (October-November). Badrinath temple is situated at 2800m above of sea level, Garhwal kings erected the temple and it has been reconstructed many times.