About Uttarakhand Uttarakhand - the land of gods, the home of Himalayas and truly a paradise on earth, allures everyone

from everywhere. The fresh air, the pure water, the chilling snow, the adversing mountains, the scenic beauty, the small villages, the simpler people and a tougher lifesytle is Traditional Hindu lore describes Uttarakhand as "Devabhumi" (Land of God), and they hold many important pilgrimage places. Just as importantly, the trouble and effort that it took the faithful to reach these places was seen as a means to help cleanse one's soul, just as beating wet clothes against a rock knocked out all the dirt. Uttarakhand is paradise for different types of adventure activities. Like River Rafting, Trekking, Skiing, Camping, Rock Climbing, Rappelling, River Crossing. Mountaineering, Paragliding and Hot Ballooning make Uttarakhand one of the most attractive destinations for adventure sports not only in the India but the world

:: CHAR DHAM YATRA ::

Gangotri
The Shrine of Gangotri situated at an elevation of himalayas 3200 mts. above sea-level amidst captivating surroundings is 100 kms. from Uttarkashi. The temple, constructed by the Gorkha General Amar Singh Thapa in the 18th century, is situated on the right bank of Bhagirathi. It is visited by thousands of pilgrim every year. A number of Ashrams are located on the other side of Himalayas some of which provide accommodation facilities to the Gangotri visitors. Click Here for More Detail Gangotri

Yamunotri
The Shrine of Yamunotri, source of river Yamuna is situated in the direction opposite to Gangotri and the road bifurcates and goes to Yamunotri from Dharasu, a place between Rishikesh and Uttarkashi. Yamunotri can also be visited via Mussoorie and Barkot.Situated at an elevation of 3235 mts. above sea - level, the shrine of Yamunotri is one of the 'Four Dhams' od Uttranchal. The source of Yamuna lies about one km. ahead at an altitude of about 4421 mts. The approach is extremely difficult and pilgrims therefore offer pooja at temple itself. Click Here for More Detail Yamunotri

Kedarnath
The holiest of Shiva's shrines is likened to gold among base metals so that every pilgrim finds peace here, and it is said that devotees who die here become one with Shiva himself. The temple of Kedarnath, located at a height of 3,581 mts, stand at the head of the Mandakini river, with Kedarnath peak keeping vigil above it. The temple is dedicated to the Sadasiva or invisible form of Shiva, and is represented by a natural rock formation. Click Here for More Detail Kedarnath

Badrinath
Also known as Vishal Badri, this temple located at the height of 3,133 mts. is the largest himalayas and most popular of Vishnu pilgrimages among the five Badries. The original temple here is believed to be built by King Pururava and the icon of the lord carved by Vishwakarma, the creator of the gods. The idol was recovered by Adi Shankaracharya from the waters of the nearby Naradkund and consecrated once more in the temple, restored in the 19th century by the royal houses of Scindia & Holker. :: PANCH BADRI YATRA ::

The five Badries are revered by all as the apt tribute to Lord Vishnu. Badrinath is devoted to the worship of Vishnu who, according to an amusing tale, usurped this place from Shiva. For Vishnu had come here as the gods once did, to offer penance. He loved the place so much that he plotted to unseat Shiva from his meditation here. He took on the form of a beautiful child and began to wail. Shiva's wife, Parvati picked him up but could not calm the child. Since his wailing continued to disturb Shiva, he shifted to Kedarnath in exasperation, leaving the spot free for Vishnu to occupy. But remainders of Shiva's stay continue to linger, most visibly in the name, badri, a kind of berry that Shiva was most fond of, and the gigantic tree, invisible to the morale eye, that served Shiva. Considered one of the Char Dgam or four principle places of Hindu worship at himalayas, Badrinath's four subsidiary badries include Bhavishya Badri, Yogdhyan Badri, Vridha Badri and Adi Badri.

Badrinath Also known as Vishal Badri, this temple located at the height of 3,133 mts. is the largest himalayas and most popular of Vishnu pilgrimages among the five Badries. The original temple here is believed to be built by King Pururava and the icon of the lord carved by Vishwakarma, the creator of the gods. The idol was recovered by Adi Shankaracharya from the waters of the nearby Naradkund and consecrated once more in the temple, restored in the 19th century by the royal houses of Scindia & Holker. So holy in this shrines that it forms one of the four prominent places of Hindu worship. The epic Mahabharata, it is believed, was composed in the Vyas and Ganesh caves close by. The Vishnu Ganga which later becomes Alaknanda flows below the while Neelkanth keeps vigil over all devotees.

Bhavishya Badri The Futute Badri is located at 2,744 mts. amidst the thick forests surrounding Tapovan. According to a divination, it is here that all devotees will throng once Badrinath is no more. While there can be no conceivable reason why this should happen, scientists agree that Joshimath, the entry point into the area before the final, most strenuous climb, is sited on an ancient landslide and has been sinking, and with a barrage coming up close by, may actually see the fulfillment of the divine prophecy. But whatever happens, Bhavishya Badri is popular even now. Enshrined here is the lion headed image of Narsingh. Visitors pass the serene the Tapovan a place known for its hot water springs en route to the banks of the Dhauliganga, and on to shrine.

Yogdhyan Badri Every so often in the Garhwal Himalayan, tales from the Mahabharatha spring magically to life. Yogdhyan Badri, 1,920 mts. is located at Pandkeshawar, named after the Pandavas King. It is said that the Pandavas, victorious after their battle against the Kauravas, but emotionally scarred, came to the himalaya. And it was here that they handed over their capital, Hastinapur, to Raja Prikshit and took up penance before seeking out the highway to heaven. The importance of the badri is immence and the sanctum has an image of the lord in a meditative postures.

Virdha Badri Before Badrinath was designated one of the four Char Dhams of Hindu worship by Adi Shankaracharya, the idol of Badrinah carved by divine Vishwakarma was enshrined and worshipped here. It is said that when mankind entered the age of Kali, Vishnu chose to remove himself from the temple. Interestingly the image was found by Adi Shankaracharya at NaradKund, and restored, through part of it remains damaged. This, the first Badri, is located at the height of 1,380 mts. at Animath. While Badrinath closes during winter, the idol and priests hibernating at Joshimath, Virdha Badri remains opens throughout the years.

Adi Badri Another pilgrimage centre of local importance is this group of 16 temples en route to Ranikhet and closes to the confluences at Karan Prayag. The main temple is dedicated to Narayan and has a raised platform in the pyramidal form. Within the temple, a black stone idolis installed. It is believed that thease temples, dating to the Gupta age , was sanctioned by Adi Sankaracharya who wanted to spread the tenents of Hinduism to every remote corner of the country.

Garhwal Pilgrimage
Char Dham Yatra Badri - Kedar Yatra Gangotri-Yamnotri Yatra Panch Badri Yatra Panch Kedar Yatra Panch Prayag Yatra Do Dham Badri-Kedar Yatra Badrinath Yatra Kedarnath Yatra Do Dham Yamnotri-Gangotri Yatra

Kumaon Pilgrimage

Adi Kailash Yatra Patal Bhuvneshar Yatra Jageshwar Mahadev Binsar Mahadev Mukteshwar Yatra Baijnath Mahadev

:: PANCH KEDAR YATRA ::

The five Kedar lies in the valleys between the rivers Bhagirathi and Alaknanda. The term Kedar itself means a natural rock formation or a glacial moraine. According to legend, himalayas Kedarnath, the chief seat of the Panch Kedar, come into being during the period when the five Pandava brothers were asked to seek Shiva's blessings, purging them off sin of fratricide, or killing their cousin brothers in the terrifying bettle of Kurukshetra. Shiva disguised himself as a bull and started to plunge underground when he was spotted by Pandavas. No wonder the natural rock formation that is worshipped here resembles the rump of bull. The other four places where Shiva is worshipped take their appearance from different part of his body - the navel at Madmaheshwar, the arm at Tungnath, the face at Rudranath, and the matted hair at Kalpeshwar. Kedarnath The holiest of Shiva's shrines is likened to gold among base metals so that every pilgrim finds peace here, and it is said that devotees who die here become one with Shiva himself. The temple of Kedarnath, located at a height of 3,581 mts, stand at the head of the Mandakini river, with Kedarnath peak keeping vigil above it. The temple is dedicated to the Sadasiva or invisible form of Shiva, and is represented by a natural rock formation.Beyond the temple is the highway to heaven, called Mahapanth

Madmaheshwar Shiva is worshipped at Madmaheshwar in the form of navel shaped lingum. Located at base of Chaukhamba peak, at an altitude of 3,289 mts, the classic temple architecture belongs to the north - Indian style. So sanctified is the water here that even a few drops are considered sufficient for absolution. The natural scenery is dramatically wild, with deep gorges and himalayas valleys, mountainsides flung upwards towards the skies, and forests where the snow lies thick in winter, only to be replaced by a carpet of greenery in the summer. Kedarnath and Neelkanth peaks are also visible from here, the entire ring of mountains associated with the life and times of shiva. The confluences of two streams at Gaundar just short of the temple, is one of the prettiest spots in the region.

Tungath The sanctity of the region of Tungath is considered unsurpassed. The peak of Tungnath is the source of three springs that from the river Akashkamini. At this temple at 3,680 mts, Shiva's arm is worshipped. The highest hindu shrine in the Himalayas, 3kms uphill from Chopta, Tungath is reached through a path that wends through alpine meadows and rhododendron thickets. An hour's climb from here leads to Chandrashila with its panoromic views. The entire journey and the shrine are located in some of the finest, most picturesque pocket of the Himalaya.

Rudranath Devotees come to Rudranath to offer ritual obeisance ti their ancestors, for it is here, at Vaitarani river that the soal of dead cross when entering another world. The temple of Rudranath at 2,286 mts, entails trekking through ridges at almost twice that height before reaching the meadow where it is located. Within the sanctum, Shiva's image is worshipped in the form of his face. The temple is surround by several pools - Surya Kund, Chandra Kund, Tara Kund, Manas Kund - while the great peaks of Nanda Devi, Trishul and Nanda Ghunti rear overhead.

Kalpeshwar A favorite spots for sages who come here to meditate, following the precedent of Arghya who performed austerities and created the celebrated nymph, Urvashi, here, and the irascible Durvasha who meditated under the wish fulfilling tree, Kalpavriksha, Pilgrims pray at the small rock temple at a height of 2,134 mts. before the matted tresses of Shiva enshrined in rock in the sanctum sanctorum. The sanctum is preceded by a natural cave passage. Surrounded by thick forests and terraced fields in the Urgam valley, the temple is reached following a 10 km. long trek.