According to thousands of years of Hindu tradition and the renowned belief, Char Dham Yatra destinations were Founded by the saint named Adi Shankaracharya – the ancient Hindu reformer and philosopher, who had the responsibility of coining the term known as ‘Char Dham Yatra’.
The word ‘Char Dham’ has its literal meaning ‘the 4 Abodes of God’ in all the 4 directions of India – Badrinath to the North, Puri to the East, Dwarka to the West and Rameshwaram to the South.
Char Dham destinations were founded for the revival of the Hindu religion and the unity of all the Hindus all over India.
Major Char Dhams of India
1. Badrinath Temple
Located alongside the river Alaknanda in the hill town of Badrinath, the Badrinath Temple, also called Badrinarayan Temple, which is dedicated to Lord Vishnu, is regarded as one of the most sacred Hindu temples all over the country. This temple has its place in the Chhota Char Dham as well as the major Char Dham destinations of India.
The Chhota Char Dham circuit, also known as the Garhwal Himalayan circuit, which opens on the day of Akshaya Tritiya every year, comprises four Garhwal Himalayan pilgrimages namely Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath of Uttarakhand state.
2. Ramanathaswamy Temple
Ramanathaswamy Temple is situated at the end of the Indian peninsula in the Gulf of Mannar in Rameshwaram town in Tamil Nadu, the southern state of India. According to local Hindu traditions, Lord Ram built the bridge ‘Ram Setu’ till the island of Lanka from Rameshwaram.
Lord Shiva in the form of a Linga, which is said to have been constructed by Lord Ram to worship Him, is the major deity of the temple. A fact about the spiritual importance of this temple is that a tour of Varanasi is complete only on combining it with a visit to Rameshwaram.
3. Dwarka Dheesh Temple
Dwarka Dheesh Temple, also called Jagat Mandir, is situated at Dwarka in Gujarat state near proximity of the Gulf of Kutch, where the river Gomti merges into the Arabian Sea. Dwarka is the legendary city of India, which is believed to be the abode of Lord Krishna.
As per the belief, the city has been sunk into the sea for the six times till now and the present city is the 7th Dwarka that has been constructed for the next time. Being a 5-storied structure with 72 pillars estimated to be 2500 years ancient and believed to have been constructed by divine architect ‘Vishwakarma’ in a day only, Jagat Mandir, which is recognized by UNESCO as the World Heritage Site, is the most renowned temple in Gujarat state.
4. Puri Temple
Being the foremost visited spiritual place of the Char Dham circuit, Puri is renowned as the dwelling place of Lord Jagannath, the Lord of the Universe. A colossal in an ancient temple is home to Lord Krishna, the major deity of this temple. The temple has its major shrine in the form of a wooden image.
Apart from this, this temple also has the shrines with the wooden images of Lord Krishna’s sister Subhadra and brother Balarama. Puri is very renowned for the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath with Subhadra and Balarama.
Significance of These Four Pilgrim Sites
The significance of Badrinath is that Saint Ado Shankaracharya also got liberation from incarnation in this area. A mythological story says the significance of Rameshwaram that the temple, which was founded by Lord Ram, is a part of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. Dwarka city has the accounts for the political phase of the life of Lord Krishna. The 4th and the last but not the least, Puri is renowned for the popular chariot procession of Lord Krishna, Subhadra and Balarama.
Involving three Vaishnavite and one Shaivite sites, the Char Dham Yatra is considered as the most sacred tour of India as both the Gods – Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva are regarded as the gods with the supreme power in the Hindu religion.
In order to get salvation and complete peace of soul, body and mind, make sure to plan Char Dham Tour while on your tour to incredible India.
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