Gangotri
At a driving distance of 483 km from Delhi. Gangotri, the origin of the River Ganges, is one of the four sites in the Chota Char Dham pilgrimage circuit along with Badrinath, Kedarnath and Yamunotri. River Ganges originates at Gaumukh in Gangotri Glacier. Goddess Ganges in the form of a river wanted to punish King Bhagiratha's ancestors, to save the earth from being devastated , Lord Shiva received River Ganges in his thick hair locks, to reduce the impact of her fierce flow. The source of Ganges is still unknown and it is believed that it originates from lord Shiva’s hair. Gangotri is famous for its ancient temples and religious significance. The river is called Bhagirathi at the source and acquires the name Ganga from Devprayag onwards where it meets the Alaknanda.
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Gangotri temple is opened from May and gets closed on the occasion of Diwali festival in Oct / Nov. Gangotri temple remains closed during winters.
Yamunotri
At a driving distance of 415 km from Delhi. Yamunotri is the source of River Yamuna that is seat of Goddess Yamuna. It originates from the Champasar Glacier, which is about 1 km upstream from the riverbed near Yamunotri Temple. There is a 10 km trek to reach the temple. Or a 5 km trek from Janki Chatti . Yamunotri is believed to be the residence of sage Asit, who used to bath in the Ganges and Yamuna each day, since he was unable to go to Gangotri during his old age, a stream of the Ganges appeared opposite Yamunotri for him. Moreover, it is believed that performing holy ablutions in Yamuna offers a painless death in old age.
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Kedarnath
At a driving distance of 439 km from Delhi with breathtaking snow-clad peaks. It is believed that the temple existed during the time of Mahabharata.Lord Shiva absolved Pandavas from the sin of killing their own cousins Kauravas in the battle of Kurukshetra over here. It is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas . Kedarnath can be reached by 21 km steep climb from Sonprayag to the temple of Kedarnath . A general health check-up is done to ensure the safety of the tourists before allowing them to go further after registration. From here a trek of 7 km takes place up to Bhim Bali, while the next halt is at Linchauli at another 7 km. The last halt is the Kedarnath temple after a trek of another 7 km. The original route from Gaurikund runs through Rambara (7 km) - Linchauli (4 km) - Kedarnath (3 km).
The extreme weather condition of Kedarnath prompts the temple to be open only for 6 months from the end of April to the beginning of November. The town receives heavy snowfall during the winter months.
Badrinath
At a driving distance of 523 km from Delhi. Badrinath is surrounded by Nar and Narayana mountain ranges and the Nilkantha peak,.the site where Nara and Narayana, the dual forms of Vishnu, did meditation. Pandavas passed through Badrinath on their way to heaven. Adi Shankara discovered a Saligram idol of Lord Badrinarayan in the river bed of Alaknanda.
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