Uttarakhand char dham yatra can be easily called as one of the most popular pilgrimage circuits of India. Every year, around the same time, the routes to the Chardham or the four most sacred places of the Indian Himalayas are opened for the pilgrims to trek to. Four of these places, namely Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath, are all situated in the state of Uttarakhand. Apart from the religious aspect associated to it, this pilgrimage also acts as a great attraction for travellers since it takes through some of the most beautiful regions of Uttarakhand’s mountains.
An interesting fact about the Chardham Yatra of Uttarakhand is that it is not the first of its name. As surprising as it may sound, the one that takes place in Uttarakhand is actually the Chhota Chardham Yatra, what translates into the shorter version of the Chardham Yatra. The original Chardham refer to the four holy sites situated in four different corners of the country, established by Adi Shankaracharya back in the eighth century AD. The places he had established as the Chardham were Badrinath, Puri, Rameshwaram and Dwarka. However, a smaller circuit of the pilgrimage was made out of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath in the Indian Himalayas of Uttarakhand.
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