Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Char Dham Yatra and its Different Destinations


Chardham or the Four Abodes of God comprises Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri respectively, The Chardham yatra is the term used to symbolize the holy pilgrimage to the religious places as undertaken by the Hindus every year.

The Chardham Yatra begins from Yamunotri, and then it passes through the Gangotri, Kedarnath before ending at Badrinath. Here are the brief facts on the holy places that pilgrims visit as part of Chardham Yatra. The Chardhams or the Four Abodes are known for divinity and visiting them also brings complete peace of mind.

Yamunotri Temple
Yamunotri Dham– It is the home to Goddesses Yamuna. The holy place is located in the district Uttarkashi and well surrounded by the captivating forests and imposing mountain ranges. It is absolutely no doubt that Yamunotri offers serene and picturesque landscape. The holy place is balanced atop Bandar Poonch Peak (3615 m) and is strategically situated opposed to river Gangotri. Yamunotri’s real source emanates from glacier (Champasar glacier), which is sited on the Kalind mountain of 4421 m above sea level. The glacier is around 1km. up from the place of existence.


Gangotri Temple
Gangotri Dham- It is yet another sacred and holy destination and forms the part of Chardham Yatra, and is believed to be the abode of River Ganga. Gangotri is strategically located in northernmost part of the state of UttaraKhand and enclosed by Ice-mass. The Gangotri Dham is enclosed in the splendid Garhwal hills at an altitude of 3048 meters above sea level. The Dham is at the distance of 300 km from Dehradun, 250 km from Rishikesh and 105 km from Uttarkashi respectively. The temple at Gangorti Dham remains open all through the months of May through November every year.


Kedarnath Temple
Kedarnath Dham- The holy and revered place is located near Rudraprayag District in Uttarakhand. This Temple is the chair of Lord Shiva and surrounded by enthralling snow-capped mountains, including the Mount Kailash. Sri Kedarnath Dham is one of the twelve "Jyotirlingas" of Lord Shiva, and rests at an altitude of 3584 m from the outfall of holy river Mandakini. The Dham is also well known for its several kunds or the pools, and the most significant ones include Shivkund, Retkund, Hanskund, Udakkund, and the Rudhirkund respectively.



Badrinath Temple
Badrinath Dham- It is the final destination of Chardham Yatra and is abode to Lord Vishnu. Badrinath is one of the largest temples amongst the five Badris. Sri Badri Dham is strategically situated in the pristine and glistening Himalayan heights in the Tehri-Garhwal hill tracks (Uttarakhand) the height of 10,248 feet above sea level. Journey to Sri Badrinath Dham is considered to be quite tough and hard, as the pilgrim has to cross through rugged and uneven hilly terrains, cliffs and steep curves.

Make sure that you discuss about the Chardham tour with reliable tour and travel operator so that you can get low cost and effective deals. Keep in your mind that you are not in a hurry to choose the Chardham yatra tour deal as it may not solve the ultimate purpose of attaining the peace of mind spiritual bliss. You can know more on Badrinath Kedarnath on web.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Prominent Hill Stations around Delhi

Delhi being the capital of India has the dual distinction of a city near the Himalayas, a mighty mountain range. Tourists all across the world flock the city for a brief sabbatical before venturing out towards the many of the hill stations for their final reprieve. Delhi is well connected by rail, road and air transport to almost all the major hill stations of northern India. Amongst a host of hill stations which are accessible from Delhi, Kullu, Manali, Shimla, Nainital, and Mata Vaishno Devi are most sought after destinations for the visitors. Almost all of these hill stations near Delhi find their existence in the Himalayan belt ranging from northern parts of India and venturing into its eastern contours.

Kullu Hill Station
Kullu and Manali are the ultimate summer retreat destinations and are located on the banks of river Beas. Also called the “The Valley of Gods”, Kullu and Manali shower the tourists with its wide ranging flora and fauna, not to mention the enigmatic view of the snow covered mountains of Himalayan range. Manali is an excellent honeymoon destination for the newly weds and is resplendent with a variety of tourist places and activities like skiing, trekking, rafting and mountaineering for the adventure enthusiasts. Manali is also famous for its beautiful temples, not to mention the colourful handicrafts which are carefully crafted by local tribal artisans. The Ideal time to visit this beautiful place is between the month of May and October.

Shimla Mall Road
Shimla is another town situation in the Himalayan mountain range and is called “Queen of the Hills”. Once the summer capital of the British, It is located at an altitude of 2,100 meters above the sea level. Shimla as a town is bestowed with pleasant weather throughout the year, the only exception being winters, where one can see the snow covered mountains as a white majestic beauty. There are lots of tourist spots which the visitors can treat themselves while their stay in Shimla. The mall road, which is the life line of the city is the main shopping centre in Shimla and has numerous showrooms, restaurants and churches attuned to the British Architecture. The best time to visit Shimla is from April to November. During this period the tourists can be spellbound with various activities the town offers, such as trekking, ice skating etc.

Mata Vaishno Devi
Mata Vaishno Devi is regarded as one of the most prominent religious destinations in India, located in the state of Jammu and Kashmir; it is located at an altitude of 1615 ft on the Trikuta Hills of Shivalik Range near the town of Katra. It is one of the popular tourist shrines and revered place of worship in the Himalayan Kingdom. People from all over the world witness the “Darshan” of holy deity during the “Navratras” (“9 Nights”) festival. Devotees have to trek from Katra, to have a glimpse of the goddess and thereafter trek towards the “Bhaironath” temple to finally complete the yatra. With a religious fervour, Mata Vaishno Devi attracts million of devotees and tourists throughout the year and is always a sought after destination for the spiritually inclined.

Nainital at Night
Nainital is also one of the prominent hill stations which is quite accessible from Delhi by almost all means of transport. It is famous for its lakes and is often termed as “Lake District” of Uttrakahand, a northern state of India. The small town is a frequented place for the nature lovers and tourists seeking solace in the lap of nature. Once loved by the British, the town boasts of its much talked about lakes, trekking and sightseeing contours.