1. Sacred Journey: Char Dham
Cali Wilson

2. What is it? Char Dham is translated as the small four abodes
Located in the Indian Himalayas in the Uttarakhand State
Pilgrimage circuit to four religious sites that are widely revered by Hindus and should be completed west to east in the following order:
-Yamunotri Temple
-Gangotri Temple
-Badrinath Temple
-Kedarnath Temple

3. The Pilgrim
It is highly recommended for all Hindus to partake in this pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime
Preparation: Char Dham is a very long and somewhat exhausting journey so participants will mentally and physically prepare before attempting.
Each Pilgrim aspires to wash away their sins and attain salvation by completing Char Dham
Undertaking the journey to these sites is believed to ensure release from the cycle of reincarnation
Ascent to such high elevations is to promote oneness with the gods.
Decent at the end of the pilgrimage is to realign oneself with the earth once more

4. Map of the Char Dham journey

5. The First Destination: Yamunotri
Temple dedicated to the goddess Yamuna
Source of the Yamuna River
Pilgrims are encouraged to visit the Surya Kund: a sacred thermal spring named for Sury the sun god
Pilgrims tie rice and potatoes in muslin cloth and immerse it in hot water to be cooked as prasad

6. Yamunotri Temple

7. The Second Destination: Gangotri Temple
Origin of the sacred Ganges river
Purpose is to absolve the sins of humans
Pilgrims are encouraged to pay homage to the goddess Ganga before continuing on their journey
The Temple is perched along rightwards of Bhagirathi. The rock on which King Bhagirath did his meditation

8. Gangotri Temple

9. The Third Destination: Badrinath Temple
Dedicated to Lord Vishnu
According to mythology Badrinath became prominent when an incarnation of Vishnu did Tapasya here ( deep meditation to achieve self realization)
Pilgrims are invited to visit inside the temple
-Must take a holy bath in Tapt Kund (a natural thermal bath that is said to have medicinal and healing properties) to purify the body before paying homage to the holy temple.

11. The Third and Final Destination: Kedarnath Temple
This is meant to be the final destination for pilgrims as it offers a peace of mind by undertaking the spiritual trip through the Kedarnath mountain range
Rekindles faith with the almighty
One of the most sacred places for Hindus
The legend of the temple reveals that Pandhavas being accused of killing the kith and kin of Kauravas undertook a pilgrimage to absolve themselves from the sin of killing.
Pilgrims are encouraged to worship the image of shiva once entering the temple
After paying their respects, pilgrims begin their decent back into the early world through the steady decent of the surrounding mountains

12. Kedarnath Temple