2. INTRODUCTION
Char Dham are the are the names of four pilgrimage
places in India that are widely revered by
most Hindus: Badrinath, Dwarka, Jagannath Puri
and Rameswaram. The four monasteries lie
across the four corners of India and their
attendant temples are Badrinath Temple at
Badrinath in the North, Jagannath Temple at Puri in
the east, Dwarakadheesh Temple at Dwarka in the
west and Ramanathaswamy Temple at
Rameswaram in the South.
3. HISTORY
• The Char Dham defined by Adi Shankaracharya
consists of three Vaishnavite, one Shaivite, and one
mixed site Over the years, the term "Char Dham"
has lent itself to the all-denomination Char Dham
pilgrimages in the Garhwal Himalayas, where Adi
Shankaracharya attained freedom from
embodiment. Earlier known as ’Chota Char
Dham, or 'Little' Char Dham’ to differentiate them
from the bigger circuit of Char Dham sites, after the
mid-20th century they themselves started being
called the Char Dham.The Char Dham are often
considered the most revered sites for Hindus that
have to be visited in one's lifetime.
5. BADRINATH
Badrinath is located in the North
Indian state of Uttrakhand. It is in
the Garhwal hills, on the banks of the
Aleknanda River. The town lies
between the Nar and Narayana
mountain ranges and in the shadow of
Nilkantha peak (6,560m)
6. JAGANNATH PURI
Puri located at the east, is located in
the state of Odisha, India. Puri is
one of the oldest cities in the eastern
part of the country. It is situated
on the coast of the Bay of Bengal.
The main deity is Shri Krishna, celebrated as Lord
Jagannath. It is the only shrine in India, where
goddess, Subhadra, sister of Lord Krishna is
worshipped along with her brothers, Lord
Jagannath andLord Balabhadra. The main
temple here is about 1000 years old and
constructed by Raja ChodaGanga Deva and
Raja Tritiya AnangaBhima Deva. Puri is the site
of the Govardhana Matha.
7. RAMESWARAM
Rameswaram located in the South is in the
Indian state of Tamil Nadu. According to
legends, this is the place from where Lord
Rama, built a bridge Ram Setu to Lanka.
The Ramanatha SwamyTemple dedicated to
Lord Shiva occupies a major area of
Rameswaram. The temple is believed to have
been consecrated by Shri Rama Chandra.
8. DWARKA PURI
Dwarka located in the west is in the
state of Gujarat, India. The city derives
its name from word dvar meaning door or
gate in the Sanskrit language. It is located
close to where the Gomati River merges
into the Gulf of Kutch.
The legendary city of Dwarka was the
dwelling place of Lord Krishna.
Dvaraka has submerged six times and
modern day Dwarka is the 7th such city
to be built in the area.