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Badrinath
dhaam is considered as one of
the most sacred centres of pilgrimage
situated in the lofty Himalayan
heights in the Tehri-Garhwal hill
tracks.Badrinath is one the four
sacred shrines (Dham) of pilgrimage
for Hindus. The other three places
are Dwarka in the West, Rameshwaram
in South and Puri in the East.
The holy temple of Badrinath,
dedicated to Lord Vishnu, is siuated
on the right bank of Vishnuganga
in the middle of two mountain
ranges called Nar and Narayan,
rising east and west respectively.
The place was known as Badrivan
during Puranic times because it
was found carpeted by wild Berries
or 'Badri' and thus Badrivan.
Kedarnath
is amongst the holiest pilgrimages
for the devout Hindu. It is set
amidst the stunning mountainscape
of the Garhwal Himalayas at the
head of the Mandakini River. Kedar
is another name of lord Shiva,
the protector & the destroyer.
Kedarnath hosts one of the holiest
Hindu temples and is a popular
destination for Hindu pilgrims
from all over the world. It is
named after King Kedar who ruled
in the Satya yuga. He ruled the
seven continents and was a very
saintly king.Kedarnath is accessible
only after a steep 14 km trek
through a paved path (horses or
palanquins are available for rent)
from Gaurikund, which is connected
by road from Rishikesh, Haridwar,
Dehradun and other important hill
stations of the Garhwal and Kumaon
regions in Uttarakhand. The temple
is open only during the months
of April/May(on Akshaya Trithiya)
to October/November (closes on
Diwali - festival of light), due
to heavy snowfall and extreme
cold weather during winter.Gaurikhund
is 75 km from vhhhjRudraprayag.
In between Rudraprayag and Kedarnath
there are several places of pilgrimage
and tourist. Such as Agastamini,
Okhimath, Pholi- Pasalat Devi
MAA, Bamsu (Lamgoundi) Vanasur,
MAA Kali at Kalimath and Guptakashi.
YAMUNOTRI
Dedicated to Goddess Yamuna, it
is perched atop a flank of the
Bandhar Poonch Peak (3165 mts.
above sea level) and is situated
opposite to Gangotri. The Yamunotri
temple is located in Uttarakhand,
India, a full day's journey from
Uttaranchal's main towns ? Rishikesh,
Haridwar or Dehradun. The actual
temple is only accessible by a
six kilometer walk from the town
of Hanuman Chatti and a four kilometer
walk from Janki Chatti; horses
or palanquins are available for
rent. The hike from Hanuman Chatti
to Yamunotri is very picturesque
with beautiful views of a number
of waterfalls. The original temple
was built by Maharani Gularia
of Jaipur in the 19th century.
Gangotri
The Picturesque pilgrimage in
the hinterlands of the Himalayas
is the most sacred spot where
Ganga, the stream of life, touched
earth for the first time.Gangotri,
the source of the river Ganga
and seat of the goddess Ganga,
is one of the four sites in the
Char Dham pilgrimage circuit.
The river is called Bhagirathi
at the source and acquires the
name Ganga from Devprayag onwards
where it meets the Alaknanda.
The origin of the holy river is
at Gaumukh, set in the Gangotri
Glacier, and is a 19 km trek from
Gangotri. Gangotri can be reached
in one day's travel from Rishikesh,
Haridwar or Dehradun, or in two
days from Yamunotri, the first
site in the Char Dham circuit.
More popular and important than
its sister site to the east, Gangotri
is also accessible directly by
car and bus.
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