Home

Destinations

Hotels

Uttaranchal-Holiday-Experiences-Travel-Themes

Uttar Pradesh Pilgrimages - Haridwar, Rishikesh, Badrinath and Kedarnath

Uttaranchal experience details

Send this page to a friend

It was a lifetime?s desire of Mrs Ranganathan of Chennai to visit the holy lands of Rishikesh and the Char Dham. She got the local club to organise a tour and a group of 25 elderly people set out on this ambitious journey.

Pilgrimages

Haridwar

Set in the foothills of the Himalayas, this is the start of the Uttarakhand region. The twin cities of Haridwar and Rishikesh are among the most significant pilgrimage centres on the banks of the Ganga. Millions of Hindus travel here to pray to Ganga Mai and take a dip in the river to wash away their sins. The cities have an ancient history and are built around the Ganga ghats and hundreds of ashrams that crowd its lanes.

Highlights:

Har-ki-Pauri - this is the central ghat in Haridwar where the waters of the Upper Ganga Canal are diverted from the main river. The ghat is also the venue for the famous Kumbha Mela.
Evening Arti - the evening prayers at Har-ki-pauri to the chants of drums and cymbals, is a sight worth experiencing. Apart from the main arti performed by priests, hundreds of worshippers float their little oil lamps into the waters with a prayer on their lips.
Ram and Lachman Jhula - These are two famous suspension bridges that go across the Ganga at Rishikesh. The waters of the river appear cold and fast-flowing, and get more rapid as you travel higher up.
Bharat Mandir, Triveni Ghat - this is one of the oldest temples at Rishikesh, dedicated to Ram and Lachman's brother, Bharat. The ghat is also considered very auspicious for a dip.

Garhwal

In this region are the craggy, tall Himalayas that appear much more menacing than the Kumaon hills. The Ganga, Yamuna, Alaknanda, Bhagirathi and many other holy rivers flow on their down ward journey through these mountains.

Highlights:

Garhwal is the land of the 'Char Dham' the four holiest pilgrimages in India:

Yamunotri - A long and winding drive past gorges and valleys along the Yamuna River, takes you to its source, 209 km north of Rishikesh.
Gangotri - 100 km north of Uttarkashi, is the holy spot of Gangotri. However, the actual mouth of the Ganga, known as Bhagirathi here, is at the Gaumukh glacier, 18 km further.
Badrinath - This is the most-visited shrine, dedicated to Vishnu and built by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8^th century.
Kedarnath - this is the place of pilgrimage dedicated to Shiva. It is the most inaccessible of the four pilgrimages and you have to reach it after a 13 km trek from Gaurikund. The Mandakini river starts here.