HARIDWAR

Haridwar is the entrance to the abode of God, stated on the bank of Holy Ganga is one of the four places where Every twelve years the great festival of Kumbha Mela is held and every six years an Ardh Kumbha. During these festivals millions of pilgrims come to Hardwar from all over India. The town has also been called Gangadvar, meaning ‘Door of the Ganga’. Haridwar is the gateway for Yamunotri, Gangotri, Sri Kedarnath and Sri Badrinath.

Places to Visit: Har Ki Pauri, Mahaprabhuji Baithak (Ram Ghat), Chandi Devi / Mansa Devi (Ropeway), Vaishnodevi Temple, Bharatmata Temple, Pavan Dham, Kankhal – Daksh Prajapati Temple.

RISHIKESH

Rishikesh is one of the religious city in north India. The beautiful city is surrounded by hills on three sides and holy Ganga flowing through it with its enchanting landscapes.

Rishikesh is comes under the lesser Himalayas. Rishikesh the land of God is famous for Yoga, meditation and its temple. Yoga is practiced and taught regularly in the ashrams. People over the world comes here in the seek of Salvation and peace.

Places to Visit: Laxman Jhula, / Ram Jhula, Kailash Ashram, Swargashram.

YAMUNOTRI

Yamunotri, The source of the Yamuna River and the seat of the goddess Yamuna, is one of the four sites in India’s Char Dham pilgrimage. The temple of Yamunotri falls on the left bank and was originally constructed by Maharaj Pratap Shah of Tehri Garhwal. The shrine of Yamunotri is one of the “four dhams” of Uttaranchal Yamunotri temple is situated in the direction opposite to Gangotri and the road bifurcates and goes to Yamunotri from Dharasu, a place between Rishikesh – Uttarkashi. Another 55 km away is Barkot, affording a fabulous view of the Banderpunch Range. Barkot is also approachable by road directly from all the major cities in India.

Near the temple are three hot springs. The most important, Surya Kund is a tank full of boiling water into which rice and potatoes are dipped to be cooked and taken as “Prasad”. Near the Kund, a rock slab, the “Divya Shila” is worshipped before Puja is offered to the black marble idol of Yamuna.

One has to reach at actual temple of Yamunotri only by a six kilometer walk from Janki Chatti.

GANGOTRI

Gangotri, (Ganga’ + ’Uttari’ which means descended) the picturesque pilgrimage in the hinterlands of the Himalayas is the most sacred spot where Ganga, the stream of life, touched earth for the first time.

Situated at 99 km from Uttarkashi, at height of 3140 meters. A shrine dedicated to the Goddess was built some 250 years ago by Amar Bahadur Thapa, the Gorkha Commander.

According to mythology, Goddess Ganga – the daughter of heaven, manifested herself in the form of a river to absolve the sins of King Bhagirathi’s predecessors, following his severe penance of several centuries. Lord Shiva received into his matted locks to minimize the immense impact of her fall. She came to be called Bhagirathi at her legendary source.

The physical source of the holy river is at Gaumukh, 18 kms. Further uphill, along the Gangotri Glacier. Several pilgrims trek upto the source to offer prayers either on foot or on ponies. The verdant valleys, dense forests and towering peaks offer excellent trekking and mountaineering opportunities for adventure enthusiasts.

KEDARNATH

Kedarnath is amongst the holiest pilgrimage for the devout Hindu, located in the Uttaranchal state of India. Kedarnath, where a form of the Lord Shiva is venerated as one of the twelve Jyotirling (Linga of light), is one of the four sites in India’s pilgrimage Char Dham. The most remote of the four Char Dham sites, Kedarnath is located in the Himalayas, about 3584m above sea level near the head of river Mandakini, and is flanked by breathtaking snow-capped peaks.

Besides its affiliation with Shiva, Kedarnath is also believed to be the site of Shankaracharya’s Samadhi (achievement of beatified afterlife). The actual temple is an impressive stone edifice of unknown date. No specific family of Pujaris supervises rituals at Kedarnath, which focus around veneration of the stone lingam that rests in the inner sanctum of the temple.

Kedarnath is accessible only after a steep 13 km trek through a paved path (horses or palanquins are available for rent) from Gaurikund, which is connected by road from Rishikesh, Haridwar, Dehradun and other important hill stations of the Garhwal and Kumaon regions in Uttaranchal. The temple is open only during the months of May to October, due to heavy snowfall and extreme cold weather during winter.

BADRINATH

Badrinath, the seat of the god Vishnu in his aspect of Badrinarayan, is the most important of the four sites in India’s Char Dham pilgrimage. Situated in the hills of Himalaya, at the height of 10,248 feet above sea level. The route to Badrinath is one of the most arduous one due to the lofty hilly terrain, curves and cliffs amidst the most scenically beautiful place on the earth.

The Temple:

The temple’s was built by the Kings of Garhwal about two centuries ago. The temple has three sections – Garbhagriha (Sanctum), The Darshan Mandap, and Sabha Mandap. The Garbhagriha (Sanctum) houses Lord Badri Narayan, Kuber (God of wealth), Narad Rishi, Uthavar, Nar & Narayan.

Lord Badri Narayan (also called as Badri Vishal) is armed with Shankh (Conch) and Chakra in two arms in a lifted posture and two arms rested on the lap in Yogamudra. The principal image is of black stone and it represents Vishnu seated in meditative pose. The temple also houses Garuda (Vahana – vehicle of Lord Narayan) and Goddess Mahalaxmi. Also here are the idols of Adi Shankar, Swami Desikan and Shri Ramanujan Guru-Shisya parampara is supposed to have its roots here. The principal image is of black stone and it represents Vishnu seated in meditative pose. The temple also houses Garuda (Vehicle of Lord Narayan) and Goddess Mahalaxmi.

Places to see in Badrinath:

The pilgrimage centre boasts of two natural hot water springs – Tapt Kund and Surya Kund. The sulphurous waters have a temperature of 55 Degree Celsius. A bath in these springs is believed to purify the body and soul and is done before visiting the temple.

VILLAGE MANA – Vyas Gufa

This village, located at a distance of 3 kms from Badri is the last Indian Village situated in the Indo-China Border and has gained historical importance on account of Vyas Caves. This village, located on the banks of River Saraswati (only place where this river can be seen) is very beautiful. Vyas Maharishi (Sage), author of Mahabharat is believed to have lived in the caves. These are named after him. It was in these caves, Vyas Maharishi composed the Mahabharata. This was done at the orders of his mentor Kalpatru Maharishi who appeared in his dream. Mahabharata depicts the history of Pandavs, Kauravas including Kurukshetra War and most importantly Bhagawad Gita authored by Krishna (reincarnation of Vishnu). Ganesh, the son of Shiv & Parvati, is said to have helped Vyas Maharishi in putting this epic in the written form, the beginning of education in written form. In addition to Mahabharat, Vyas Maharishi composed 18 Puranas (legendary stories), Brahma Sutras and classified the Hindu Vedas into 4 parts – Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva. It is only in this cave that Adi Shankara is believed to have met Vyas Maharishi and discussed his Bhashyam (explanatory notes) for Brahma Sutras.

Rock formation inside the Vyas Gufa appears to resemble the orderly stacking of palm leave manuscripts – oldest writing material and is worshipped as Vyas Pusthak. Vyas Maharishi is also considered, by some, as reincarnation of Vishnu. Another Cave called as Ganesh Guha (cave) is also located in this village.

GOVINDGHAT

Situated between Joshimath and Badrinath, Gobindghat is the starting point for the trek to the valley.

VALLEY OF FLOWERS (Ghangharia)

One of the most idyllic valleys in the world, was discoverd by Frank S. Smythe, in 1931. The valley is profuse with a plethora of vibrant flowers, hence the name. Nearby, flows the river Pushpavati, while the massive Rataban peak forms a splendid backdrop.

HEMKUND SAHIB (Ghangharia)

One of the most famous Gurudwaras in India, Hemkund Sahib is located here, at an altitude of 4320 metres above sea level. Nearby, is the Lok-Pal Hemkund lake, with its crystal clear waters and four peaks surrounding it.

Temperature at the Various Destinations during May to September