India's Char Dham

India's Char Dham

When speaking of the four dhams, we mean Badrinath, Dwarka, Puri, and Rameswaram. Each of these destinations has its own charm. The Char Dham were established by Adi Shankaracharya, an 8th century Hindu philosopher, sage, and thinker. Shankaracharya is also credited with establishing the Advaita school of Hinduism In Hindi, "char" means four and "dham" refers to religious destinations. The term "Char Dham" is believed to have been coined by Adi Shankaracharya. The term literally means "four abodes of God" or "holy destinations". The Char Dham are located in the four corners of India. They are considered to be the most important spiritual destinations in the country. Hindus believe that visiting the Char Dham during one's lifetime is highly sacred. They believe that this trip washes away all their sins and cleanses their soul for salvation Badrinath Temple About Badrinath Temple The holy town of Badrinath is home to Lord Vishnu. It is only open for six months every year, from the last week of April to the first week of November Puri Jagannath Temple Dedicated to Lord Jagannath who is revered as a form of Lord Krishna, this is the third dham in the Yatra. The temple is one of the most important Hindu temples in the country that is home to Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra. Dwarkadhish Temple In Gujarat’s Dwarka lies the second dham, the temple called Dwarkadhish Temple. It is also known as Jagat Mandir, and is dedicated to Lord Krishna. It is believed that Dwarka was built by Krishna, and hence the city dates back to centuries. The temple is sitting by the Gomti River, and it is believed that Meera Bai merged with the deity residing in the temple. The temple is all of five stories in height, built atop 72 pillars. Rameshwaram Temple The Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameshwaram is dedicated to Lord Shiva, in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is one of the Char Dham, apart from being one of the 12 Jyotirlinga temples. Lord Shiva is worshiped here in the form of a lingam. It is believed that the lingam in the sanctum was originally built by Sita Devi out of sand. The iconic temple has 64 holy water bodies all around it, and bathing here in these holy water bodies is an important part of the pilgrimage.