It is often said that every Hindu, at least once in their lifetime, must undertake the sacred Char Dham Yatra, for it holds profound spiritual and cultural significance in Hinduism. This pilgrimage is believed to cleanse one’s sins and guide the soul on the path toward moksha (liberation). I embarked on this journey with a group of 20 fellow pilgrims. Each one of us came from different path, but united by a common purpose: to complete this journey and seek spiritual fulfilment. The best time to visit is from May -June and September-October. Now-a-days, registration is compulsory at these places. One can make register online through Uttarakhand Govt. official website or one can directly register at the Uttarakhand.

The Char Dham yatra started from Haridwar, by taking a dip in the Holy Ganga at Har-ki-Pauri. One can also witness the beautiful Ganga aarti in the evening. Firstly, we went to Yamunotri which is a 6km trek from Janki Chatti. There is a hot spring called Surya Kund, where pilgrims often take a quick dip before entering the Yamunotri Temple. 

After that we went to Gangotri which is easily accessible by road, but to reach the main temple we had to wait in the long queue.

The third Dham is quite difficult as people say which was Kedarnath. It’s a 16-18 km trek from Gaurikund. One should prepare oneself for steep climb and weather flucation. Carry warm clothes but do not carry a heavy bag as it will be difficult to carry it while trekking. There were a lot of basecamp there for resting. Lastly, we visited Badrinath, which is dedicated to Lord Vishnu in his Badri Narayan form. It is situated on the banks of Alaknanda River. Over there also, there’s a Tapt kund which is a hot spring. One can take a dip here before taking darshan of Badrinath temple. Just 3 km from the temple, there was Mana Village which is India’s last village before the Indo-Tibetan border. It’s also home to mythological sites like Vyas Gufa and Bheem Pul.