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Char Dham is a term coined for the four most revered
Hindu
pilgrimage destinations of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath
and Badrinath. The Holy Himalayas up in the misty heights
of the majestic Garhwal Himalayas that adorn the magnificent
state of Uttaranchal, awaits a rejuvenating spiritual
experience for the devotee. Nestling in the lofty peaks
are the four most holy pilgrimages of India -Yamunotri,
Gangotri, Sri Kedarnathji and Sri Badrinathji, collectively
referred to as the Char Dham ( or four pilgrimage centres)
of Hinduism. For centuries, saints and pilgrims, in
their search for the divine, have walked these mystical
vales known in ancient Hindu scriptures as 'Kedarkhand'
If the scriptures of HINDU RELIGION are to be believed,
the holy centres of Gangotri, Yamunotri,Badrinath and
Kedarnath - collectively called the Chardham (meaning
four sacred spots) - are the most sacred of all pilgrimages.
Undertaking a journey to these places will not just
wash away one's sins but ensure release from the cycle
of birth and death. The honour conferred on these places
is not surprising. For one, they are all in the icy
Garhwal ranges and regarded as the most sacred of all
Himalayan ranges.It is also said that heaven and earth
converge in these holy spots, and to be born or die
here is a boon only the very fortunate have.
The Chardham must be visited from left to right -beginning
with Yamunotri, going on to Gangotri, Kedarnath and
culminating the journey at Badrinath.This route follows
the Hindu tradition of parikrama orclockwise circumambulation.
According to the Puranas and various Hindu scriptures,
the Char Dham Yatra is of very high religious significance.
Pilgrims from all around the world brave the severe
conditions of landscape and weather to visit the shrines
and have a holy darshan of the revered deities.
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