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Char Dham Yatra 2024 : India is a land of pilgrimages. If you visit the holy places here, you will know how much spirituality has influenced our culture. This article is about the Chardham Yatra, a pilgrimage to the holy land of Uttarakhand. Chardham Yatra is celebrated every year after a wait of six months. Chardham Yatra has two components, Chhota Chardham and Bada Chardham. Chhota Chardham is home to four holy places named Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. These four places are on the peaks of the beautiful Himalayan mountains.
This pilgrimage is very famous in North India. Bada Chardham is a pilgrimage that covers the four directions of India. Chhota Chardham is considered the first stage of this four-pillar journey, which includes Badrinath Dham in Uttarakhand, Puri Dham in Odisha, Rameshwaram Dham in Tamil Nadu and Dwarkadhish Dham in Gujarat. Here you can read some interesting facts about the holy Chardham places of Uttarakhand.
Shiva Linga immersed in water
Located near the Gangotri temple, the submerged Shivalingam, is a natural rock formation, which can be seen only in winter. It is believed that this is the place where Lord Shiva caught Ganga with his locks.
hot water in sun pond
Located near Yamunotri, Surya Kund is a waterfall of religious importance for Hindus. The temperature of Suryakund located in the snowy Himalayas is 88 degrees! This truth is beyond science.
Kedarnath temple was built by Pandavas
According to Hindu mythology, Kedarnath Temple, the grandest of the Himalayas, was built by the Pandavas.
The place where Yudhishthir's finger fell
Swargarohini near Badrinath temple is also known as Swargapath. It is believed that the Pandavas started their journey to heaven from here. According to Hindu mythology, Yudhishthira, the eldest of the Pandavas, was on his way to heaven when one of his fingers fell on earth. It is said that a Shivalinga of the size of Yudhishthir's thumb was installed at this place.
Badrinath temple is worshiped as a Buddhist temple
According to Skanda Purana, the idol of Badrinath recovered from Narada Kund by Adiguru Shankaracharya was restored in this temple in the 8th century AD. Although no historical records have been found regarding the origin of the Badrinath temple, some accounts suggest that there was a Buddhist temple here before Adi Shankaracharya converted it into a Hindu temple. Also, the architecture and appearance of Badrinath temple resembles that of Buddhist temple.
Gauri Kund
Situated at an altitude of 6,500 feet above sea level in Rudraprayag district, Gauri Kund is the base camp for pilgrims visiting Kedarnath. According to Hindu mythology, it is believed to be the place where Goddess Parvati performed penance for about 100 years to get Lord Shiva as her husband. It is also believed that this is the place where Lord Ganesha got his elephant head.
hot spring full of medicinal properties
There is a hot spring below the Badrinath temple called Tapt Kund. These springs are believed to have medicinal properties and are home to Agnidev, the Hindu god of fire. Pilgrims take a bath in this pond to purify themselves before visiting the Badrinath temple.
Narad Kund
Narad Kund situated near Tapt Kund is considered to be the source of obtaining the idol of Vishnu. Devotees visiting Badrinath temple purify themselves by taking a dip in this pond. It is believed that sage Narada wrote his Narada Bhakti Sutra at this holy place. That is why it was named Narad Kund.
Conch is not blown in Badrinath temple
Surprisingly, the conch, one of the favorite musical instruments of Lord Vishnu, is not played in the Badrinath temple. According to a legend, when Sage Agastya was killing the demons of Kedarnath, two demons named Vatapi and Atapi escaped. Atapi took refuge in the Mandakini river while Vatapi hid inside a conch shell to save his life. Since then it is believed that if someone tries to blow the conch, steam will come out. Therefore, blowing of conch is prohibited in this area.
