Detroit to Armstadam (10:58 PM - 12:38 PM+1day)
Armstadam to Delhi (02:25PM - 01:45 AM+2days)
Char Dham Tour
Hindus believe that the Char Dham tour opens the gates of salvation by washing away all their sins. It is also believed that this journey must be undertaken at least once in a lifetime. These four shrines have a great significance and place in Hindu mythology. According to this mythology, Shri Adi Shankaracharya acquired freedom from reincarnation in the Shri Badrinath Dham. The doorway to the Yatra is Yamunotri. Next destination is the renowned Gangotri shrine. Thereafter the pilgrim has to visit Shri Kedarnath Dham and finally Shri Badrinath Dham. After completing the Char Dham pilgrimage tour, the pilgrim achieves an absolute serenity of the mind.
Dham 1: Yamunotri
Yamunotri Dham is a preferred pilgrimage destination for Hindus as it boasts Yamunotri- the source of the sacred Yamuna River. For this holy river there is a mythological story among Hindus that the Yamuna was the sister of Yamraj and therefore on Bhai Dooj, Yamraj promised Yamuna that whosoever will take a dip in the Yamuna River will not be taken to Yamlok and he would attain salvation. Yamunotri Dham, situated at the altitude of 3164 mts from sea level, sanctifies millions of visitors visiting this holy pilgrimage. The shrine is the seat of Goddess Yamuna and the source of the Yamuna River. It is the westernmost pilgrimage in Garhwal. The major points of attraction here are the temple devoted to the Goddess Yamuna and the Janki Chatti’s sacred thermal springs. The environment here is purified with the cold tides of Yamuna. The sides remain warmed up with the thermal springs popular as Kunds of Hindu Goddess ‘Shakti’.
Dham 2: Gangotri
The major highlight of Gangotri Dham is Gomukh, which is the origin point of the Holy River Ganges. It is believed that after King Bhagirath meditated for a long time, river Ganga came to earth. The stone on which King Bhagirath did his meditation is located near Ganga Temple in Gangotri. The Gangotri Dham is located at an altitude of 3200 meters in the middle of imposing surroundings along the bank of river Bhagirathi. Here, a special ‘puja’ of Ganga River is organized both inside the shrine as well as on the bank of the river. A beautiful temple dedicated to Goddess Ganga is located in this pious area. It is believed that the holy river Ganga is the source of sanctity and purity. Therefore, before visiting the temple, the pilgrims take a dip in this great river.
Dham 3: Kedarnath
Shri Kedarnath Dham is a prominent pilgrimage for Hindus as it is one of the twelve jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva, the God of destruction. Kedarnath, Kalpeshwar, Tungnath, Madhmaheshwar and Rudranath shrines are together known as Panch Kedar. Adi Shankaracharya restored the temple. Kedarnath Temple is named after the ruler of Satyuga ‘Kedar’. The shrine is open from April end till Kartic Poornima.
Dham 4: Badrinath
The Significance of Shri Badrinath Dham can be understood from the fact that it is considered as the most sacred among the four shrines. Located at an elevation of 3,133 meters from the sea level, the Dham is on the left bank of the Alaknanda River. The Dham is dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the protector and preserver of the divine Hindu Trinity (Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva). These sacred temples of Lord Vishnu are also known as Vishal Badri. This region has also witnessed Saint Adi Shankaracharya getting freedom from the process of reincarnation.
Day 1 - Saturday, October 12 - Arrival in Delhi
We will arrive in Delhi at 1:45am on Saturday morning. We will have to go through immigration before getting to our checked luggage. The temperature is usually hot and humid inside the airport. It will be crowded with people talking everywhere. Ale has an e-visa and rest of us have regular visa. We will try to go on the same line as a family. They will take Ale's bio-metrics but not ours. Upon exit, we will get our luggage and go towards airport exit. There will be a driver with sign Shiva Sapkota. It could be hard to notice because of too many people. We will be staying at the 5-star Holiday Inn and express. Mukti, Manju, Chandra and Kunti will share a 2 twin room and we have 1 king. Mukti would have already been at the hotel waiting for us. He will bring us food so we can eat and go straight to bed.
NEW DELHI WEATHER
Day 2- Saturday, October 12-Delhi to Haridwar
We will wake up in the morning and go find food in Delhi. We don't have breakfast included (it was too expensive). We will then do some shopping, make packing arrangement and head out to Haridwar in the late afternoon. It will be about 7 hour drive (200 KM). The driver will take us to a hotel and we will get situated. The plan is to always have 2 rooms (1 big for 4 of them and another one for us). In the evening, we will go to Ganga river and watch the aarati (prayer). Aarti. The 'Aarti' worship of the Ganga after sunset and the floating 'dia' (lamp) is a moving ritual. This place gets lit at night, thousands will gather to worship and the entire river will be filled with dia. They close roads, there are police and gets little crazy. Don't expect people to give you personal space or respect because they all want to be on the front line. People start forming lines way before the scheduled praying. We should avoid taking any personal belongings there, as this location is known for pocket pickers. Back to our hotel.
HARIDWAR WEATHER
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Day 3- Sunday, October 13-Haridwar to Barkot (210km - 8 hrs)
My parents will start their first ritual for providing peace to the dead. My dad will shave his head and we will have a priest pray and perform the ritual in Haridwar (really early in the morning). After the ritual, we will head to Barkot. On the way, we will have lunch at Kempty Fall in Mussoorie.
BARKOT WEATHER
Day 4- Monday, October 14- Barkot-Yamunotri-Barkot
Early morning drive to Jankichatti/Phoolchatti, trek start from here to Yamunotri (6kms) by horse or by Doli (palanquin). The trek passes through lush green valley, a profusion of conifers, rhododendrons, cacti and several species of Himalayan shrubs. Arrive Yamunotri, we can cook rice by packing it in a cloth and dipping it in the hot water of the hot kund. Pilgrims take this cooked rice home as "Prasad". Here near the temple "Pooja" can be offered to Divya Shila, After taking bath in Jamunabai Kund's warn water and having "Darshan" of pious "Yamunaji" returning to Jankichatti. Return back to Barkot, Overnight stay.
YAMUNOTRI WEATHER
Day 5- Tuesday, October 15- Barkot-Uttarkashi
Drive to Uttarkashi. Visit Vishwanath Temple. Check in Hotel. Rest day at leisure. Night Halt. Uttarkashi is home to a number of ashrams and temples. The name of the town reflects its similarity to and location (as north of) the city of Kashi (Varanasi). Similar to Varanasi, town of Uttarkashi is situated on the Ganges, lies next to a hill named Varun Parvat, on confluence of two rivers Varuna and Asi, has a ghat called Manikarnika Ghat and has a temple dedicated to Shiva (Kashi Vishwanath) in the center of the town.
UTTARKASHI WEATHER
Day 6- Wednesday, October 16- Uttarkashi-Gangotri-Uttarkashi
Early morning drive to Gangotri, enroute at Gangnani take a holy dip in Garam Kund, further drive to Gangotri via beautiful Harsil Valley. Harsil is famous for its nature beauty and for the majestic views of the Deodar trees, and mountains. On arrival at Shree Gangotri, take a holy dip in the sacred river Ganges which is also called Bhagirathi at its origin. Perform Pooja and Darshan, after that relax
for some time in the lovely surroundings. Return back to Uttarkashi. Overnight stay at Uttarkashi.
GANGOTRI WEATHER
Day 7- Thursday, October 17- Uttarkashi-Guptkashi
Drive straight to Guptkashi via Moolgarh & Lambgoan. Enroute you can see the beautiful river Mandakini at Tilwara. The Mandakini river comes from Kedarnath, drive alongside the river to reach Guptakashi. We will do our bio-metrics and fitness check at Guptakashi. On arrival Check In at the Hotel, evening visit Ardh Narishwar Temple. Overnight stay at the Hotel. The name Gupt Kashi means "Hidden Benares. Mythology describes how when the Pandava brothers were searching for a glimpse of Shiva, Shivji first concealed himself at Gupt Kashi, but later fled from them further up the valley to Kedarnath, where the Pandavas finally got their wish fulfilled. There are more tangible connections as well-the Kedarnath pandas (hereditary pilgrimage priests) live in Gupt Kashi during the winter months, and after the Kedarnath temple closes for the winter, the image of Kedarnath passes through Gupt Kashi on its way to Ukhimath (across the valley), where it stays for the winter.
Day 8- Friday, October 18- Guptkashi - Kedarnath - Guptkashi
We will be taking a helicopter from Guptkashi to Kedarnath and return the same day. This is a steep trek and the temple sits on the very top of the mountain. This is the movie we watched where everything was flooded. Helicopter ride is about 15 minutes each way.
KEDARNATH WEATHER
Day 9- Saturday, October 19- Guptkashi - Badrinath
Drive to Badrinath via Joshimath. Check in Hotel. Later at evening visit Badrinath
Temple for Aarti. Overnight stay.
Badrinath one of the 'Four Dhams' is one of the most celebrated pilgrimage spots of the country and is situated at an elevation of 3,133 meters, guarded on either side by the two mountain ranges known as Nar & Narayan with the towering Neelkanth Peak providing a splendid backdrop. This revered spot was once carpeted with wild berries. Thus the place got the name "Badri van", meaning "forest of berries".
BADRINATH WEATHER
Temple for Aarti. Overnight stay.
Badrinath one of the 'Four Dhams' is one of the most celebrated pilgrimage spots of the country and is situated at an elevation of 3,133 meters, guarded on either side by the two mountain ranges known as Nar & Narayan with the towering Neelkanth Peak providing a splendid backdrop. This revered spot was once carpeted with wild berries. Thus the place got the name "Badri van", meaning "forest of berries".
Day 10- Sunday, October 20- Badrinath - Kirtinagar
Early morning, pilgrims after having a bath in the Taptkund have the Darshan of Badrivishal. Brahamakapal is significant for Pinddan Shraddh of ancestors (Pitrus). There are other interesting sightseeing spot like Mana, Vyas Gufa, Maatamoorti, Charanpaduka, Bhimkund and the "Mukh" of the Saraswati River. Just within the three kms of Badrinathjee. Later drive back to Rudraprayag /
Kirtinagar via Joshimath. Check in Hotel. Overnight stay. Joshimath is situated on the slopes above the confluence of the rivers Alaknanda and Dhauliganga. Of the four 'Maths' established by Adi Shankaracharya, Joshimath is the winter seat of Badrinath. The idol is brought down to Joshimath and installed in the temple for people to worship. There are many other temples in the township. The most important is the temple of Nir Singh with the idol of Lord Vishnu. The left arm of this deity is getting destroyed with time and the popular belief holds that the day the arm completely withers Badrinath valley will cease to exist and the Gods will transfer the residence into the neighboring
Niti Valley at Bhavishya Badri.
Kirtinagar via Joshimath. Check in Hotel. Overnight stay. Joshimath is situated on the slopes above the confluence of the rivers Alaknanda and Dhauliganga. Of the four 'Maths' established by Adi Shankaracharya, Joshimath is the winter seat of Badrinath. The idol is brought down to Joshimath and installed in the temple for people to worship. There are many other temples in the township. The most important is the temple of Nir Singh with the idol of Lord Vishnu. The left arm of this deity is getting destroyed with time and the popular belief holds that the day the arm completely withers Badrinath valley will cease to exist and the Gods will transfer the residence into the neighboring
Niti Valley at Bhavishya Badri.
KIRTINAGAR WEATHER
Day 11- Monday, October 21- Kirtinagar - Rishikesh
Drive to Rishikesh, the 'place of sages' is a celebrated spiritual town on the bank of Ganga and is surrounded by Shivalik range of the Himalayas on three sides. It is said that when Raibhya Rishi did hard penances, God appeared by the name of " Hrishikesh " and this area hence firth came to be known as Rishikesh. Check in Hotel. Later visit Rishikesh Temples & Sight Seeing – Laxman Jhulla,
Ram Jhulla, Triveni Ghat, Bharat Mandir, Shivananda Ashram. At evening visit Ganga Aarti at Parmarth Ashram. Overnight stay.
Ram Jhulla, Triveni Ghat, Bharat Mandir, Shivananda Ashram. At evening visit Ganga Aarti at Parmarth Ashram. Overnight stay.
Day 12- Tuesday, October 22- Rishikesh - Delhi
We will return to Delhi. Our mountain trip completes here.