Char Dham, or the four pilgrimage centers, comprising of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri are frequented by the religious minded as well as those intrigued by the remnants of bygone years. The holy river, Ganges, and her tributaries flow buoyantly past the four Dhams.

The Kedarnath shrine, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord shiva, is a sçnic spot situated, against the backdrop of the majestic Kedarnath range. At an altitude of 3,581 mt it is a 14-km trek from Gaurikund. Kedar is another name of Lord Shiva, the protector and the destroyer. Shiva is considered the embodiment of all passions love, hatred, fear, death and mysticism which are expressed through his various forms.

There are more than 200 shrines dedicated to Lord shiva in Chamoli district itself, the most important one is Kedarnath. According to legend, the Pandavas after having won over the Kauravas in the Kurukshetra war, felt guilty of having killed their own brothers and sought the blessings of Lord Shiva for redemption. He eluded them repeatedly and while fleeing took refuge at Kedarnath in the form of a bull.

On being followed he dived into the ground, leaving his hump on the surface. The remaining portions of Lord Shiva appeared at four other places and are worshipped there as his manifestations. The arms appeared at Tungnath, the face at Rudranath, the belly at Madmaheshwar and his locks (hair) with head at Kalpeshwar, Kedarnath and the four above mentioned shrines are treated as Panch Kedar.

Situated in the lap of Nar-Narayan Parvat, with the towering Neelkanth Peak (6,597 mt) in the background, Badrinath is one of the most revered Hindu shrines of India. It has been said that "there were many sacred spots of pilgrimage in the heaven, earth and the other world but neigher is there any equal to Badrinath nor shall there be one." .

It is believed that to revive the lost prestige of Hinduism and to unite the country in one bond, Adi Guru Sri Shankaracharya built four pilgrimage centres in four corners of India. Among them were Badrikashram in the north, Rameshwaram in the south, Dwarkapuri in the west and Jagannath Puri in the east. Badrinath situated at an elevation of 3,133 mt is considered to be amongst the most pious.

General Information About Char Dham:
Altitude: Badrinath - 3,133m; Kedarnath - 3,581 m; Gangotri - 3,200m, Yamunotri - 3,235m
Climate :

Rainfall: 1,460 mm
Best Season:
May to October is the best season for the four places.
Clothing:
May : Heavy woollens
June - September : Light woollens
October - November : Heavy woollens

This sacred shrine, situated at an altitude of 3,200 mt is the source of the river Bhagirathi. According to the Hindu religious scriptures, the heavenly Goddess Ganga manifested herself in the form of a river to absolve the sins of King Sagar's sons. After three generations of severe penance, performed over several centuries, Ganga conceded to descend to the Earth. It is surrounded by the mountain peaks of Shivlinga, Satopanth and Bhagirathi sisters.At the legendary source of the river, Goddess Ganga is worshipped in the form of deity. The Gangotri temple was built in the early 18th century by a Gorkha commander, Amar Singh Thapa and later rebuilt by the Maharaja of Jaipur. Accessible by a motorable road, it is one of the most pious Hindu pilgrimage centre. The shrine of Yamunotri, situated at an elevation of about 3,235 mt is a point of paramount religious importance for Hindus and an essential pilgrimage. Situated in the direction opposite to Gangotri, the road bifurcates from a place called Dharasu, somewhere between Rishikesh - Uttarkashi and goes on to Yamunotri. It is said that the temple of Yamunotri was built by Maharani Gularia of Jaipur in the last decade of the 19th century. In 1923 this was destroyed, with only the idols left, and was rebuilt. It was once again damaged in 1982. A hot water pool at Yamunotri is used for the preparation of Prasad, normally rice and potatoes, cooked by dipping them in the hot water, tied in cloth bags. The shrine can also be visited via Mussoorie and Barkot.

Air:
Nearest airport is Jolly Grant, Dehradun.
Rail:
Nearest railhead are at Rishikesh, Haridwar, and Kotdwar.
Road:
(A) Badrinath and Gangotri connected by a motorable road with Rishikesh, Kotdwar, Dehradun and Haridwar.

(B) For Yamunotri motorable road is available upto Hunumanchatti 222-kms away from Rishikesh. From here one has to go on foot 14-kms to reach Yamnotri.

(C) For Kedarnath motorable road is available upto Gaurikund 207-kms away from Rishikesh and the rest 14-kms is on foot.