Char Dham History
Char dham, the 4 Holy shrines in Uttarakhand District is dedicated to Hindu Gods and Holy rivers of India. Badrinath dham, Kedarnath dham, Gangotri and Yamunotri are the consecrate spot which are known as Chota Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand. There are several unknown facts related to History of Char Dham Yatra.
Char dham of Uttarakhand is one of the most celestial shrines in India comprising 4 concrete places- Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. Each of these 4 places has its own History. But how all these 4 places linked together are formed a religious circuit is unknown till now. Char dham yatra history has proved these sites as the most sacred and pilgrimage tour in India.
According to various mythological facts related to Char dham History believes that the completion of consecrate Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand washes away all their sins for utmost salvation and pursuit the fourth goal i.e., Moksha.
History of Char Dham
There are numerous truths related to Char Dham Yatra History. Know Complete History of Char Dham –
1. History of Yamunotri Dham
Yamunotri Dham situated in Uttarkashi district is located at the source of river Yamuna and is believed that whoever takes a holy dip in this river would attain salvation and not be taken to hell or painful death. Yamunotri Yatra is famous for its thermal spring and glaciers. According to Hindu mythology facts Lord Yam (i.e., God of Death) is said to be happy when one prays to her sister i.e., Yamuna Devi.
It is believed that the Shrine of Yamunotri Dham was built in 1839 by famous Kind of Tehri. Besides Goddess Yamuna, idol of Goddess Ganga is also revered in the temple. There are many hot springs situated near the Yamunotri temple among which Surya Kund is the most important kund.
Devotees boil potatoes and rice in that hot spring and accept that as a Prasad of Yamuna Devi.
Yamuna Devi is said to be the daughter of Sun and is also twin sister of Yama (i.e., God of Death). According to mythological facts it is said that Sage Asit Munin used to live here and bathed in both Ganga and Yamuna River. During his old age he was unable to go to Gangotri dham, so a stream of Ganga started to flow across Yamuna River.
3. History of Kedarnath Dham
Kedarnath Dham situated in Rudraprayag district. Kedarnath Dham is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is said to attain salvation and remove all sins. Kedarnath Yatra is extremely popular due to its mythological connection to Pandava’s and scenic beauty. According to mythological facts Kedarnath Temple was built by Pandavas from Mahabharata but later on, Adi Shankaracharya got the present structure constructed during 8th century which was adjacent to old temple.
According to some historical facts, when Nar and Narayan meditated, they worshiped Shiva lingam which naturally appeared out of the Earth. This pleased Lord Shiva and he asked Nar and Narayan to seek for a gift. They both requested Lord Shiva to permanently reside as a Jyotirlinga at Kedarnath Dham and take all the miseries from Devotees’ life.
According to Mahabharata, when the Pandavas were searching for Lord Shiva in the Himalayas, Lord Shiva turned into the form of bull to avoid detection. However, when one of the Pandavas i.e., Bheem captured the bull, it disappeared and reappeared in 5 body parts in 5 different locations which sum up and known as Panch Kedar- Hump in Kedarnath Dham, belly button in Madhmaheshwar Dham, Arms in Tungnath, face in Rudranath and hair in Kalpeshwar. Another mythological fact says that Goddess Parvati worshipped Kedareshwar to unite with Lord Shiva.
4. History of Badrinath Dham
Badrinath Dham is one of the most religious Hindu Temple and is one among Char Dhams. It is not only a part of Chota Char Dham i.e., Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri but is also among main Char Dhams of India i.e., Dwarka, Jagganath Puri, Rameshwaram and Badrinath.
According to many Hindu mythologies, it is said that Lord Vishnu sat for meditation at this place. Lord Vishnu remained unaware about the severe weather conditions due to his intense meditation. In order to protect Lord Vishnu, Goddess Laxmi (Lakshmi Mata) took a form of a Berry Tree and protected his beloved. After his meditation when he came to know about the dedication of Goddess Laxmi, he called that tree, Badri Vishal. Thousands of devotees visit Badri Vishal every year in order to meditate under this auspicious tree in search for enlightenment. The religious Badrinath Spot got its name from this place. The berries from that tree are known as Badri and Goddess Laxmi named Lord Vishnu, Badrinath back that time.
These are some unknown truths related to Char Dham History. Book Your Char Dham Yatra and explore more History of Char Dham Click Here
