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<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Four Hindu pilgrimage sites in India}}<br />
{{for-multi|the religious sites in Nepal|Char Dham, Nepal|the Himalayan pilgrimage sites of Badrinath, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Yamunotri|Chota Char Dham}}<br />
{{EngvarB|date=April 2015}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}<br />
{{Char Dham}}<br />
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{{Location map+ |India3|width=300|float=right|caption=Locations of the Char Dham |places=<br />
{{Location map~ |India |lat= 19.48|long=85.49 |mark=Font Awesome 5 solid vihara.svg|label= [[Puri]]|position=right}}<br />
{{Location map~ |India |lat= 9.28|long=79.31 |mark=Font Awesome 5 solid vihara.svg|label= [[Rameswaram]]|position=bottom}}<br />
{{Location map~ |India |lat=22.23|long=68.97|mark=Font Awesome 5 solid vihara.svg|label= [[Dwarka]]|position=bottom}}<br />
{{Location map~ |India |lat= 30.744729|long=79.4907558 |mark=Font Awesome 5 solid vihara.svg|label= [[Badrinath]]|position=top}}<br />
}}<br />
The '''Char Dham''' ({{Langx|hi|चारधाम|translit=Cārdhām}} {{translation|the four abodes}}), or the '''Chatur Dhama''' ({{Langx|sa|चतुर्धाम|translit=Caturdhāma}}),<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bharati |first=Agrhananda |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-Rhy_9p9BZQC&pg=PA53 |title=Agents and Audiences |date=2011-06-03 |publisher=Walter de Gruyter |isbn=978-3-11-080584-0 |pages=53 |language=en}}</ref> is a set of four [[Hindu]] [[pilgrimage]] sites in [[India]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Chaar Dham Yatra: A True Test of Every Hindu's Quest Towards Spiritual Enlightenment |date=20 March 2015 |website=NewsGram |url= https://www.newsgram.com/chaar-dham-yatra-true-test-hindus-spiritual-enlightenment/ |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220123103404/https://www.newsgram.com/chaar-dham-yatra-true-test-hindus-spiritual-enlightenment |archive-date= 23 January 2022}}</ref> consisting of [[Badrinath]], [[Dwarka]], [[Puri]] and [[Rameswaram]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://epaper.thestatesman.com/m5/3725372/Dainik-Statesman/28TH-JUNE-2023|title=পুরীধাম ও জগন্নাথদেবের ব্রহ্মরূপ বৃত্তান্ত|page=4|trans-title=Puridham and the tale of lord Jagannath's legendary 'Brahmarup'|language=bn|date=28 June 2023|access-date=28 June 2023|website=dainikstatesmannews.com|publisher=Dainik Statesman (The Statesman Group)|location=Kolkata|first=Yogabrata|last=Chakraborty|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230628053933/https://epaper.thestatesman.com/m5/3725372/Dainik-Statesman/28TH-JUNE-2023#page/1/1|archive-date=28 June 2023|url-status=bot: unknown}}</ref> Badrinath, Dwarka, and Puri are shrines of [[Vishnu]], whereas Rameswaram is a shrine of [[Shiva]].<br />
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Defined by [[Adi Shankara]], each ''dhāma'' represents a particular [[yuga]], with Badrinath representing [[Satya Yuga]], Rameswaram representing [[Treta Yuga]], Dwarka representing [[Dvapara Yuga]], and Puri representing [[Kali Yuga]]. Many Hindus believe that visiting these sites can help them achieve [[moksha]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Burkhalter-Flueckiger |first=Joyce |title=Everyday Hinduism |publisher=Wiley |year=2015 |isbn=9781405160117 |pages=110}}</ref><br />
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The Char Dham is not to be confused with the [[Chota Char Dham]] which comprises Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath. It is a Hindu pilgrimage circuit in [[Uttarakhand]] which was named by the [[religious tourism]] industry.<br />
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==Description==<br />
According to Hindu legend, Badrinath became prominent when [[Nara-Narayana]], an avatar of Lord Vishnu, performed ''[[Tapas (Indian religions)#Hinduism|tapas]]'' there. Many berry trees then grew in the area, so the site was initially named ''badarikāvaṇa'', the forest of berries. Per legend, a large berry tree grew above Nara-Narayana to save him from the rain and sun. Locals say that it was [[Lakshmi]] who became the berry tree to save Narayana. After completing ''tapas'', Narayana said declared that people should always invoke her name before his. Therefore, Hindus refer to "[[Lakshmi Narayana|Lakshmi-Narayana]]."<br />
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Within the ''satya yuga'', the area came to be known as ''badrināth'', the lord of the berry trees, in recognizance of Nara-Narayana’s penance. The temple to him is located on the banks of the [[Alaknanda River]] in the [[Chamoli district]] of Uttrakhand.<br />
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The second ''dhāma'', Rameswaram, has its origins in the [[Treta Yuga]] when [[Rama]] installed a ''[[lingam]]'' there and worshipped it to get atonement from Shiva for slaying [[Ravana]], a devotee of Shiva.<ref>Ayyar, P. V. Jagadisa (1991). ''South Indian shrines: illustrated''. New Delhi: Asian Educational Services. {{ISBN|81-206-0151-3}}</ref> It is believed that Rama's footprints are imprinted there.<ref>Seeger, Elizabeth, 1889-1973. (1969). The Ramayana. New York :W.R. Scott</ref><br />
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The third ''dhāma'', Dwaraka, was established in the [[Dvapara Yuga]] when Krishna made the city his residence.<ref>Chakravarti Mahadev-1994-The Concept of Rudra-Śiva Through The Ages-Delhi-Motilal Banarsidass-Second Revised. {{ISBN|81-208-0053-2}}</ref><br />
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At the fourth ''dhāma'', Puri, Vishnu is worshipped as [[Jagannatha|Jagannath]], his [[avatar]] for the current epoch, [[Kali Yuga]].<br />
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The monk [[Adi Shankara]] organised four {{IAST|[[Matha|maṭhas]]}} to correspond to the four sites of the Char Dham: the headquarters at [[Dvārakā|Dwarka]] in the West, [[Jagannatha Puri|Puri]] in the East, [[Sringeri Sharada Peetham]] in the South and [[Badrikashrama|Badarikashrama]] in the North.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sanskrit.org/www/Shankara/shankar4.html |title=Sankara Acarya: 4 - Monastic Traditions |access-date=3 May 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120508091224/http://www.sanskrit.org/www/Shankara/shankar4.html |archive-date=8 May 2012 }}</ref><br />
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The table below gives an overview of the four ''Amnaya Maṭhas'' founded by [[Adi Shankara]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sringeri.net/history/amnaya-peethams|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060626000000/http://www.sringerisharadapeetham.org/html/History/amnaya.html|url-status=dead|title=The Amnaya Peethams|archivedate=26 June 2006|website=Sri Sringeri Sharada Peetham}}</ref><br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|-<br />
![[Guru-shishya tradition|Shishya]]<br/>(lineage)<br />
![[Relative direction|Direction]]<br />
![[Matha|{{IAST|Maṭha}}]]<br />
!{{IAST|[[Mahāvākya]]}}<br />
![[Veda]]<br />
!{{IAST|[[Sampradaya]]}}<br />
|-<br />
|{{IAST|[[Padmapāda]]}}<br />
!East<br />
|{{IAST|[[Govardhana matha|Govardhana Pīṭhaṃ]]}}<br />
|{{IAST|Prajñānam brahma (''Consciousness is Brahman'')}}<br />
|[[Rig Veda]]<br />
|Bhogavala<br />
|-<br />
|{{IAST|[[Sureśvara]]}}<br />
!South<br />
|{{IAST|[[Sringeri Sharada Peetham|Sringeri Śārada Pīṭhaṃ]]}}<br />
|{{IAST|Aham brahmāsmi (''I am Brahman'')}}<br />
|[[Yajur Veda]]<br />
|{{IAST|Bhūrivala}}<br />
|-<br />
|{{IAST|[[Hastamalakacharya|Hastāmalakācārya]] }}<br />
!West<br />
|{{IAST|[[Dvaraka Pitha|Dvāraka Pīṭhaṃ]]}}<br />
|{{IAST|Tattvamasi (''That thou art'')}}<br />
|[[Sama Veda]]<br />
|Kitavala<br />
|-<br />
|{{IAST|[[Totakacharya|Toṭakācārya]]}}<br />
!North<br />
|{{IAST|[[Jyotirmath|Jyotirmaṭha Pīṭhaṃ]]}}<br />
|{{IAST|Ayamātmā brahma (''This self "soul" is Brahman'')}}<br />
|[[Atharva Veda]]<br />
|Nandavala<br />
|}<br />
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==Sites of the Char Dham==<br />
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=== Puri ===<br />
[[File:Temple-Jagannath.jpg|thumb|[[Jagannath Temple, Puri|Jagannath Temple]], [[Puri]]]]<br />
[[Puri]] is located in the state of [[Odisha]] and is one of the oldest cities in the eastern part of the country, on the coast of the [[Bay of Bengal]]. The main deity worshipped there is Krishna, revered as [[Jagannath]]. It is the only shrine in India where [[Subhadra]], the sister of Krishna, is worshipped along with her brothers, Jagannatha and [[Balarama|Balabhadra]]. As per temple records, King [[Indradyumna]] of [[Avanti (region)|Avanti]] built the main temple of Jagannath at Puri.<ref>Chakraborty, Yogabrata (28 June 2023). "পুরীধাম ও জগন্নাথদেবের ব্রহ্মরূপ বৃত্তান্ত" [Puridham and the tale of lord Jagannath's legendary 'Bramharup']. ''dainikstatesmannews.com'' (in Bengali). Kolkata: [[Dainik Statesman]] (The Statesman Group). p. 4. Archived from the original on 28 June 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2023.</ref> Starting in the tenth century, the first king of the [[Eastern Ganga dynasty]], [[Anantavarman Chodaganga]], rebuilt the present temple on the site of the pre-existing temples in the compound, excluding the main Jagannath temple.<ref>Cesarone, Bernard (2012). "Bernard Cesarone: Pata-chitras of Odisha". ''asianart.com''. Retrieved 2 July 2012. <q>This temple was built in approximately 1135–1150 by Codaganga, a king of the Eastern Ganga dynasty</q></ref> Puri is the site of the ''Govarḍhana Maṭha'', one of the four cardinal ''maṭhas'' created by [[Adi Shankaracharya|Adi Shankara]].<br />
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===Rameswaram===<br />
[[File:Rameswaram temple (11).jpg|thumb|[[Rameswaram Temple]], [[Rameswaram]]]]<br />
[[Rameswaram]] is located in the state of [[Tamil Nadu]], in the southern part of the Indian peninsula. According to legend, this is the place where [[Lord Ram|Rama]], along with his brother Lakshmana and devotee Hanuman, built a bridge (Rama Setu) to reach [[Lanka]] to rescue his wife Sita, who had been abducted by Lanka's ruler Ravana. The Ramanathaswamy Temple, dedicated to Shiva, occupies a significant area of Rameswaram. The temple is believed to have been consecrated by Rama. The site is important to Hindus as a pilgrimage to [[Varanasi]] is considered incomplete without a pilgrimage to Rameswaram. The presiding deity is in the form of a [[Linga]] with the name Sri Ramanatha Swamy; it also is one of the twelve [[Jyotirlingas]].<br />
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===Dwarka ===<br />
[[File:Dwarkadheesh temple.jpg|thumb|[[Dwarakadheesh Temple]], [[Dwarka]]]]<br />
[[Dwarka]] is located in the state of [[Gujarat]] on the westernmost coast of India. The city derives its name from the word "''dvara''" meaning [[door]] or [[gate]] in the [[Sanskrit]] language. It is located where the Gomti River merges into the [[Arabian Sea]]. However, this river Gomti is not the same as the [[Gomti River]], which is a tributary of [[Ganga River]]. The legendary city of [[Dvārakā]] was the dwelling place of [[Lord Krishna|Krishna]]. It is generally believed that due to damage and destruction by the sea, Dvārakā was submerged six times, and modern-day Dwarka is the 7th such city to be built in the area.<ref name="GoUnesco">{{cite web |last1=Santosh |first1=Urmila |title=Where Mythology Meets Reality: Sunken City Of Dwarka |url=https://www.gounesco.com/where-mythology-meets-reality-sunken-city-of-dwarka/ |website=gounesco.com |publisher=GoUNESCO |access-date=25 July 2019 |date=22 November 2016 |archive-date=1 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190701022620/https://www.gounesco.com/where-mythology-meets-reality-sunken-city-of-dwarka/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="EconomicTimesLeg">{{cite news |last1=Shankar |first1=Kalyani |title=Legends by the sea |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/travel/legends-by-the-sea/articleshow/1764244.cms |newspaper=The Economic Times |publisher=Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd |access-date=25 July 2019 |date=15 March 2007 |archive-date=25 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190725161442/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/travel/legends-by-the-sea/articleshow/1764244.cms |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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===Badrinath===<br />
[[File:Badrinath Temple, Uttarakhand (Photo- Vishwanath Negi).jpg|thumb|[[Badrinath Temple]]]]<br />
[[Badrinath]] is located in the [[Chamoli district|Chamoli]] district of [[Uttarakhand]] at an altitude of 3,133 meters (10,279 feet). The temple of Badrinath is dedicated to [[Vishnu|Lord Vishnu]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-05 |title=Chardham Yatra 2024: Badrinath Temple, Where Lord Vishnu Did Penance |url=https://www.timesnownews.com/spiritual/chardham-yatra-2024-badrinath-temple-where-lord-vishnu-did-penance-article-109854547 |access-date=2024-05-18 |website=Times Now |language=en}}</ref> It is in the Garhwal hills, on the [[Alaknanda River]] banks. The town lies between the Nar and the Narayana mountain ranges and in the shadow of the [[Nilkantha (mountain)|Nilkantha]] peak (6,560&nbsp;m).<br />
Nearby within 3&nbsp;km, there are also other interesting sightseeing spots like Mana, Vyas Gufa, Maatamoorti, Charanpaduka, Bhimkund, and the Mukh of the Saraswati River. [[Joshimath]] is situated on the slopes above the confluence of the Alaknanda and Dhauliganga rivers. Of the four Maths established by [[Adi Shankara]]charya, Joshimath is the winter seat of Char dham.<br />
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While the three other Dhams remain open throughout the year, [[Badrinath Temple|Badrinath Dham]] only stays open for pilgrims' darshan from April to October each year.<br />
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== Chota Char Dham==<br />
Another circuit of four ancient pilgrimage sites in the Indian state of [[Uttarakhand]] is referred to as [[Chota Char Dham]] to differentiate it from this bigger circuit of Char Dham sites. It consists of [[Yamunotri]], [[Gangotri]], [[Kedarnath]], and [[Badrinath]]. The Chota Char Dham shrines are closed over winter due to snowfall and reopen for pilgrims with the advent of summer.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=T7ZHUhSEleYC&dq=Char+Dham&pg=PA468 Char Dham of Garhwal] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405045122/https://books.google.com/books?id=T7ZHUhSEleYC&dq=Char+Dham&pg=PA468 |date=5 April 2023 }} ''India'', by Joe Windless, Sarina Singh, James Bainbridge, Lindsay Brown, Mark Elliott, Stuart Butler. Published by Lonely Planet, 2007. {{ISBN|1-74104-308-5}}. ''Page 468''.</ref><ref>''Chardham Yatra'', by Savitri Dubey. Published by Alekh Prakashan. {{ISBN|978-81-88913-25-1}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.alekhprakashan.com/Bookdesc.aspx?id=1635|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101223140101/http://www.alekhprakashan.com/Bookdesc.aspx?id=1635|url-status=dead|title=Welcome To Alekh Prakashan<!-- Bot generated title -->|archive-date=23 December 2010|access-date=11 December 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Char Dham and Hemkund Sahib Yatra to restart from May 2014|url=http://news.biharprabha.com/2014/04/char-dham-yatra-restarts-in-may-uttarakhand-assures-safety/|work=IANS|date=24 April 2014|publisher=news.biharprabha.com|access-date=24 April 2014|archive-date=7 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190107000849/http://news.biharprabha.com/2014/04/char-dham-yatra-restarts-in-may-uttarakhand-assures-safety/|url-status=live}}</ref><br />
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=== Winter Char Dham ===<br />
The Uttarakhand government is promoting a ‘Winter Char Dham’ initiative to boost tourism during the off-season.<ref>{{Cite web |title=WINTER CHAR DHAM CIRCUIT {{!}} Uttarakhand Tourism |url=https://uttarakhandtourism.gov.in/winter-char-dham-circuit-0 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240722144332/https://uttarakhandtourism.gov.in/winter-char-dham-circuit-0 |archive-date=2024-07-22 |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=uttarakhandtourism.gov.in |language=en}}</ref> During winter, the traditional Chota Char Dhams are closed and the deities are relocated to nearby villages for worship.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Winter Char Dham यात्रा क्या है? क्यों कहते हैं सूर्य पर्यटन, यहां जानें हर एक बात |url=https://zeenews.india.com/hindi/religion/what-is-winter-char-dham-why-is-it-called-sun-tourism-all-about-uttarakhand-winter-char-dham/2585429 |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Zee News Hindi |language=hi}}</ref> The Winter Char Dhams are the winter abodes of deities from the main Dhams: Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath for Kedarnath, Pandukeshwar in Chamoli for Badrinath, Mukhba in Uttarkashi for Gangotri Dham, and Kharsali for Yamunotri.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-01-02 |title=What is the winter Char Dham? Why is the Uttarakhand government promoting it? |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/winter-char-dham-uttarakhand-9756353/ |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref><br />
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==See also==<br />
* [[Chota Char Dham]]<br />
* [[Sapta Puri]]<br />
* [[Jyotirlinga]]<br />
* [[Yatra#Famous yatras|Famous Hindu yatras]]<br />
* [[Hindu pilgrimage sites in India]]<br />
* [[List of Hindu festivals]]<br />
* [[Padayatra]]<br />
* [[Ratha Yatra]]<br />
* [[Tirtha (Hinduism)|Tirtha]]<br />
* [[Tirtha and Kshetra]]<br />
* [[Chari Kshetra]]<br />
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==References==<br />
{{Reflist|30em}}<br />
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== External links ==<br />
* {{official website|https://badrinath-kedarnath.gov.in/}}<br />
*{{commons category-inline|Char Dham}}<br />
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{{Hindu holy cities}}<br />
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[[Category:Hindu pilgrimage sites in India]]<br />
[[Category:Char Dham temples]]<br />
[[Category:Hindu holy cities]]</div>Aman064