The Char Dham is an annual pilgrimage to India’s 4 holiest Hindu shrines located at the 4 corners of the country. According to Hindu legends, undertaking a journey to the Chardham in Uttarakhand helps one to wash away sins and get Moksha.
Chardham Parikrama - As per the Hindu tradition of parikrama, pilgrims undertake this holy journey from left to right. Pilgrimage to Chardham yatra begins from Yamunotri Temple, the westernmost shrine in the Garhwal dedicated to the Goddess Yamuna, before proceeding to Gangotri Temple which is devoted to Goddess Ganga, and then further moves to Kedarnath temple which stands as one of the 12 ‘Jyotirlingas’ of Lord Shiva and finally concludes at Badrinath temple which is devoted to Lord Vishnu.
Chardham Represents Three Major Sectarians - The sacred sites of the Chardham in Uttarakhand are not allied to any single sect. Rather, it represents three major sectarians with the Vaisnava site at Badrinath, joined by a Saiva site at Kedarnath and two Devi sites at Yamunotri and Gangotri.
Jagannath Temple in Puri - They are a highly revered class of temple servants whose only job is to climb atop the 214 feet high temple at sunset and tie the flags offered by the pilgrims onto the Neela Chakra at the temple apex. This task is usually accomplished within 20 minutes without using any special gear, but with some truly unconventional manoeuvres on their parts. This everyday ritual is a huge crowd puller.
The Original Shrine of Lord Badri - The original shrine of Lord Badrinath was not where it is today. According to history, the original Badrinath idol was discovered by Adi Shankaracharya in the Alaknanda River and the temple of Lord Badrinath was built in the Garud Caves, which are located near the hot springs of Tapt Kund. Many centuries later, the king of Garhwal moved the shrine to its present location.
Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram - The Ramanathaswamy Temple holds the record of having the longest corridor in the world, measuring more than 1.2 km. The corridor is bracketed by 1200 giant pillars with detailed carvings and sculptures depicting various scenes from Hindu mythology. These pillars are a true testament to the architectural prowess of the Pandya Dynasty as they are built with such precision that not a single one is out of line.
Jalamagna Shivalinga - Located near Gangotri temple, Jalamagna Shivalinga is a natural rock Shivling which is visible only during the winter, when the level of the water goes down. This site is believed to be the place where Lord Shiva held Ganga in his matted locks.
Dwarkadhish Temple - Another unknown fact about Char Dham shrines is that the Dwarkadhish Temple is covered in daring displays of erotic art throughout its external walls.
Surya Kund - Located close to the freezing Yamunotri glacier, Surya Kund is another hot water spring which holds an important religious significance. The water of this spring is so hot that the Prasad is prepared in the water of kund only that too within just a few minutes.
Badrinath Temple - Owing to its conspicuous Buddhist architecture, the current site of the Badrinath Temple is believed to have been a Buddhist shrine before the 8th century.
Kedar’s Construction - According to the historical facts, the initial temple of Kedarnath which now stands adjacent to the present temple was built by the Pandavas. After winning the battle of Mahabharata, the Pandavas felt guilty of killing their own brothers and therefore came here in search of Lord Shiva, who kept hiding from the Pandavas. Finally Bhima, one of the Pandava brothers was able to recognize the Lord who was hiding in the guise of a bull. Thereafter, Lord Shiva runaway from that place leaving behind his back part. Even today, the hind part of Shiva is worshipped in Kedarnath.
Gauri Kund - Situated at a height of 6500 feet, Gauri Kund serves as the base camp for the pilgrims on their way to Kedarnath. It comprises a temple and a hot water spring dedicated to Goddess Gauri. According to legends, Gauri Kund is a place where Goddess Gauri, wife of Lord Shiva carried out her yogic practices.
Three Parts of Badrinath - The Shrine of Badrinath is divided into three parts, i.e. the ‘Garbha Griha’ in which the idol of Lord Badrinath is seated and covered with gold sheet, the ‘Darshan Mandap’ in which rituals are performed and the ‘Sabha Mandap’ where devotees gather and wait for darshan of Lord Badrinath.
Tapt Kund - Located just below the Badrinath temple, Tapt Kund is the holy hot water spring where devotees take bath before visiting the Badrinath temple. The water of the kund is believed to be infused with medicinal properties. The springs of Tapt Kund are known to be the home of Lord Agni, the Hindu God of fire.
Narad Kund - Located close to Tapta Kund, Narad kund is believed to be the recovery source of the Badrinath idol. The hot water springs comes out from under the Garur Shila and falls into a tank. Devotees visiting the Badrinath temple take a dip in this kund before heading into the temple.

Char Dham carries the existence of four holy quarters. Created by Adi Shankaracharya in the era of 8th AD, it is a significant religious destination in India. Initially consisting of Badrinath, Puri, Rameshwaram and Dwarka, the Chota Char Dham now is made up of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamnotri. The ideal time to check out Char Dham is from April, through the first half of June. This period covers the pre-summertime and midsummers, when the weather in Char Dham is sufficiently enjoyable for tourism. It is recommended to dodge visits to Char Dham during the rainy season (June to September), as the area is hazardous and susceptible to landslides.
Winter (October – March)
Winters generally last from November to March. Due to sub-zero temperatures and excessive snowfall, the Darshan is stopped during this period. The Char Dham sanctuaries are opened directly in spring, from the Hindu anniversary of Akshaya Tritiya. The Himalayan weather is extremely erratic and continually changing. Therefore, it is suitable to sensibly study the ideal spell to travel to Char Dham, making this difficult trip. Otherwise, visitors can hire a helicopter facility for a safer trip.
Summer (April – June)
Following a taxing winter season, summertime is gorgeous in the foothills, with the gorges in blossom with countless selections of flora. This season is perfect to visit Kedarnath and Badrinath temples. Gangotri and Yamunotri are situated higher up, with summer starting not until the end of April. It is sensible to be well clad even in the summer, as post sunset temperatures drop. The temperature averages between 20–35° C.
Monsoon (June – September)
Downpours come to Char Dham by the culmination of June and endure until September. With substantial showers, landslides and flooding are all common due to rivers overflowing. Hence, travel in these months is not advisable. Instead, the period of September to mid-November is advisable to travel again. Just prior to winter, the valleys are lush with foliage after an excessive rainy season, just before the cruel winter sets in. The temperature averages between 10–20° C.

1. Surya Kund
2. Saptrishi Kund
3. Divya Shilla
4. Harsil
5. Jalmagna shivling
6. Gangotri national park
7. Guptkashi and Uttarkashi
8. Gandhi Sarovar/ Chorabari tal
9. Vasuki Tal
10. Bheem Pul
11. Vasudhara falls
12. Valley of flowers
13. Aul

Nanda Devi Raj Jat Yatra - Nanda Devi Raj Jat Yatra is a Festival that stetches For whole three weeks. It is one such Uttaranchal Festival that is globalLy Famous. Innumerable people participate in flanda Devi Raj Jat Yatra from the Garhwal-Kumaon region, the rest of the country, and abroad. Goddess flanda Devi is a popular deity at many places of Kumaon. flanda Devi Raj Jat is organised once in every 12 years in Chamoli aFter royal priests descendents and the Kunwar royal family make elaborate preprations in the village oF flauti and in Kansuwar respectively. It is primarily a religious pilgrimage spanning for 280 kilometer. The trek takes about 20 days to be completed.

Maga mela - maga mela of Uttarakhand is heLd once in a year on the occasion of makar Sankranti ( January) in Uttarkashi. It is an important event of the district oF Uttarkashi from cultural, religious, and commercial points of view. The fair is held on the banks of Bhagirathi River in Uttarkashi. many local people and tourists from different parts of Kumaon, Garhwal, and other parts of Uttar Pradesh participate in maga meta at Uttarakhand. The mela attracts devout people from all over the world. It is actually a bathing ritual. It begins on a full moon day and lasts for 15 days to a month. maga mela in Uttarakhand attracts thousands of pilgrims, who come here every year to take a holy dip in Bhagirathi and have a darshan of the image of their village deity. Every twelfth year, this mela is called Kumbh mela and every sixth year it is known as Ardh Kumbh.

Vishu mela - Vishu mela is organized at the Jhanda ground in the cantonment area of Chakrata block of the Dehradun district. It is held at a distance of about 3 kilometer from Chakrata. The fair reflects the tradition and culturaL heritage of the Jaunsari tribe, fl large number of people participate in Vishu mela from nearby Uttarkashi, Trhri, and Saharanpur districts. The lair is organized to celebrate the harvesting season in the area. Therefore. Vishu mela reflects the happiness of the local peopLe. Uttarakhand FairsFairs and festivals have constantly been an essential part of the life of Indians and people of Uttarakhand are no different. The state of Uttaranchal has several fairs and temples, intrinsic to the culture of the hills. These fairs are considered very auspicious and form important trading centers for the people from different sectors of crafts to sell their works and animals, especially hill ponies. many folk songs and dances are alive today because of these fairs doubling up as social gatherings. There are many fairs in Uttarakhand like Ardh Kumbh mela, flandadevi Fair. Jauljibi & ThaI Fair. Uttarayani Fair. HatkaLika Fair. KhataLtua Fair, Somnath Fair and Devidhura Fair. The Somnath fair in Almora is one of the best fairs that happen in Uttaranchal which is held on the auspicious Vishuwat Sankranti day in flovember / December. Somnath is another name for Lord Shiva so it is a big day for his devotees. The venue for the fair is the Shiva Temple at masi. The Devidhura lair on the other hand is held on the day of Raksha Bandhan at the Varahi Devi temple at Devidhura. fllmora, Pithoragarh and flainital form a common point of Devidhura. A strange ritual of this fair is that two groups of people throw stones at each other and defending themselves with roofs as shields. There are many other things that one will be surprised to know about so read on to find more about the fairs of Uttarakhand.
Bikhauti Fair - Uttarakhand have vivacious people celebrating liFe on any given occasion. flny Fair or Festival is a part of these celebrations surrounding the lives of ordinary people. Bikhauti Fair is celebrated on the day of Vishuwat Sankranti day commemorating an ancient victory.

Haatkatika Fair - The Haatkalika Fair is held in Gangotihat, a small town in the Pithoragarh District of Uttarakhand. The Fair is organized in honor of Goddess Haatkalika. a divine embodiment of maa Ka li.

Jauljibi & Thal - Fairs and Festivals are an important part of lives of the people of Uttaranchal. The Fairs are a place to socialize and meet people and do business. Jauljibi and Thai are such popular fairs celebrated in Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand.

Nanda Devi Fair - Fairs in Uttarakhand serve as a meeting point for mingling with people from other parts of the state, trade items of local produce and of course celebrate something of religious importance.

Uttarayani Fair - The peopLe of the state of Uttarakhand celebrate a number of Fairs and Festivals. The Uttarayani Fair is a perfect example of the highly sacred sentiments of the local residents. OF all the places, the Bageshwar temple fair attracts the largest number of people.