Uttarakhand, known as Devbhumi, is the abode of the Char Dhams, the Hemkund Sahib, the holy town of Haridwar, and many other important pilgrimages

Uttarakhand, known as Devbhumi, is the abode of the Char Dhams, the Hemkund Sahib, the holy town of Haridwar, and many other important pilgrimages

CHAR DHAM YATRA: Nestled in the remote outposts of the snowy reaches of the Garhwal Himalayas lie the Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath shrines. By tradition, the yatra begins from Yamunotri in the west heading eastward via Gangotri and Kedarnath and terminating at Badrinath. The Yamunotri shrine is located by the holy Yamuna river emanating from the Yamunotri glacier. The Gangotri shrine is a popular site for performing the Hindu rites of shradh and pind daan. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the Kedarnath shrine is propitiated by the holy waters of the Yamuna and Ganga by pilgrims. The 8th century Badrinath shrine was established by sage Adi Shankaracharya.
Best time: May to November

HARIDWAR & RISHIKESH: The twin towns of Haridwar and Rishikesh lie by the banks of the holy Ganga. The cavalcade of temples and ashrams here are silent witness to the power of prayer, meditation and Yoga. Centuries deep rituals are also performed by the Ganga the most riveting of which remains the evening aarti at Har ki Paudi in Haridwar. Popular hubs here are the Patanjali Yogpeeth Ashram and the Divya Yog Mandir Trust associated with Swami Ramdev. In Rishikesh, the Yoga capital of the world, the ritualistic Ganga snana at Triveni Ghat is very moving. Primary sites include Geeta Bhawan shrine and Parmarth Niketan Temple.

Best time: All year round. Contact GMVNL, Yatra office, Muni-ki-Reti, Rishikesh. Tel: 0135 2431793, yatra@gmvnl.com

NANDA RAJ JAT YATRA: The hillfolk of Kumaon and Garhwal participate joyously in the famous but hazardous Nanda Raj Jat Yatra held every 12 years (last held in 2000) to propitiate their venerable deity the goddess Nanda Devi. The next yatra is sched- uled for 2013. The goddess is invited to visit Nauti village, her parental home, from her husband’s earthly home in the Himalaya, the Nanda Devi mountain. She leaves after a sojourn of six months. Contact: GMVNL Yatra Office Muni ki Reti, Rishikesh.

HEMKUND SAHIB & GURUDWARA SRI NANAK MATTA SAHIB: The remote Himalayan Sikh pillgrimage hub of Hemkund lies close to the gorgeous Valley of Flowers. The six-hour trek from Ghangaria follows a dangerous trail. Legend has it the tenth Sikh guru Govind Singh meditated here in one of his earlier births. It was discovered by a Sikh Havaldar, Solan Singh, and has been a pilgrimage hub since 1930. The Lakshman Temple can be found by the lake here. Gurdwara Sri Nanak Matta Sahib (along the Khatima-Panipat National Highway between Khatima and Sitarganj in Uttarakhand’s Udham Singh dis- trict) goes back to 1514, and is richly associated with Guru Nanak. It was also visited by Guru Hargobind Singh. The Nanak Sagar Dam reservoir, 22 km away, is a popular picnic and boating site.

JAGESHWAR, BAGESHWAR, BAIJNATH, CHITAI, PURNAGIRI TEMPLES: Set in the folds of the Kumaon foothills lie one of the 12 Jyotirlingas – the Jageshwar Temple complex is home to 164 shrines. The Bageshwar Temple complex at the confluence of the Gomti and Saryu rivers at Bageshwar is 90 km from Almora. Makar Sankranti is celebrated with deep devotion at this Shiva shrine. The cen turies-old Baijnath Temple complex is 20 km from Kausani hill sta- tion. The atmospheric Gollu Devta Temple, eight kilometres from Almora at Chitai, is quite unique. About 20 km from Tanakapur, the Purnagiri Temple is dedicated to the Goddess Sati/Parvati. Legend

THE PRAYER ROOMS: (Clockwise from facing page) Kedarnath is one of the Char Dhams; the Nanda Raj Jat Yatra is undertaken in honour of Nanda Devi; the Baijnath temple, the Nanak Matta Sahib has it that this is the spot where the naval of the dismembered goddess fell. The Purnagiri Mela (March 15-April 15) during the Chaitra Navratras is one of Kumaon’s biggest fairs.

ADI KAILASH YATRA:  For those who can’t go the full course of the hazardous route of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, there is another equally revered option the Adi Kailash Yatra. Mt Adi Kailash or Chhota Kailash lies on the Indian side the Indo- Tibet border, and can be approached from the traditional Mansarovar route up to Gunji. From here, you turn towards Jollingkong, from where Adi Kailash and Parvati Sarovar are a short distance away.

Contact: https://uttarakhandtourism.gov.in/om-parvat

Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board

Pt Deen Dayal Upadhaya Paryatan Bhawan, Near ONGC Helipad, Garhi Cantt, Dehradun 248001.

Tel: 0135 2559898; Fax: 0135 2559988; https://uttarakhandtourism.gov.in/contact-us

For online reservations, log on to    https://www.gmvnl.com/   https://www.kmvn.in/