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Uttarakhand
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| Uttarakhand
is known as Devbhoomi, meaning the Land of Gods. The holy land houses
some of the most revered religious destinations of India. The Himalaya
range in Uttarakhand are said to be the home of the gods. This land is
very sacred for the Hindus as well as the Sikhs. Uttarakhand has
always been associated with spirituality, temples, pilgrimage, holy
shrines and mountain tourism. Uttarakhand is one of the state in India
which has some of the most important pilgrimage shrines. Temples are
scattered all across the state and the holy river of Ganges sanctifies
their presence. It is suggested by the historians that the land and
culture of Uttarakhand was once under the influence Buddhism, until
Adi Shankaracharya revived Hinduism here in 8th century AD. The idol
of Badrinath is said to be derived from the Narad Kund by Adi
Shankaracharya.
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The whole land of Uttarakhand
is always alive and vibrates with the music of
chiming bells, bathing people at various Ghats, chanting of
Hymns, song of local folks during festivals and fairs. Most of
the temples in Uttarakhand are associated with some Puranic or
Mahabharata story. There is no specific pattern to the
construction of these temples and most of them are devoted to
Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu, Goddess Kali and Nanda Devi along
with the temples of local gods and goddesses. |
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| The main temples in Uttarakhand
are the temples of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Panch Prayag,
Gangotri, Yamunotri, Hemkund Saheb, Sirkanda Devi, Haridwar and
Rishikesh. The famous Chardham trip is in this state which include a
visit to four of most revered Hindu temples, Yamunotri, Gangotri,
Kedarnath and Badrinath. The Char Dham tour is very significant for
Hindus. Haridwar, meaning Gateway to God, holds an important place in
Hindu religion. It is one of the most visited pilgrimages in India.
Rishikesh, situated 24 Km from Haridwar also very important pilgrimage
site for the Hindus. Rishikesh is also known as the Yoga Capital of
the World. Hemkund Sahib, an important pilgrim is associated with the
Sikhs as well as Hindus. The place is associated with Guru Govind
Singh Ji, 10th guru of Sikhs. Meetha-Reetha Sahib and Piran Kaliyar
are the other major holy places for Sikhs. |
Panch Badri
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| The
five Badries are revered by all as the apt tribute
to Lord Vishnu. Badrinath is devoted to the worship
of Vishnu who, according to an amusing tale, usurped
this place from Shiva. For Vishnu had come here as
the gods once did, to offer penance. He loved the
place so much that he plotted to unseat Shiva from
his meditation here. |
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He took on the form of a
beautiful child and began to wail. Shiva's wife,
Parvati picked him up but could not calm the child.
Since his wailing continued to disturb Shiva, he
shifted to Kedarnath in exasperation, leaving the
spot free for Vishnu to occupy. But remainders of
Shiva's stay continue to linger, most visibly in the
name, badri, a kind of berry that Shiva was most
fond of, and the gigantic tree, invisible to the
morale eye, that served Shiva. Considered one of the
Char Dgam or four principle places of Hindu worship at
himalayas,
Badrinath's four subsidiary badries include
Bhavishya Badri, Yogdhyan Badri, Vridha Badri and
Adi Badri. |
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Panch Kedar
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| The
five Kedar lies in the valleys between the rivers Bhagirathi
and Alaknanda. The term Kedar itself means a natural rock
formation or a glacial moraine. According to legend, himalayas
Kedarnath, the chief seat of the Panch Kedar, come into being
during the period when the five Pandava brothers were asked to
seek Shiva's blessings, purging them off sin of fratricide, or
killing their cousin brothers in the terrifying bettle of
Kurukshetra. Shiva disguised himself as a bull and started to
plunge underground when he was spotted by Pandavas. No wonder
the natural rock formation that is worshipped here resembles
the rump of bull. The other four places where Shiva is
worshipped take their appearance from different part of his
body - the navel at Madmaheshwar, the arm at Tungnath, the
face at Rudranath, and the matted hair at Kalpeshwar. |
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Gangotri
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| The
Shrine of Gangotri situated at an elevation of
himalayas 3200 mts. above sea-level amidst captivating
surroundings is 100 kms. from Uttarkashi. The
temple, constructed by the Gorkha General Amar
Singh Thapa in the 18th century, is situated on
the right bank of Bhagirathi. It is visited by
thousands of pilgrim every year. A number of
Ashrams are located on the other side of himalayas , some of
which provide accommodation facilities to the Gangotri visitors. |
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Yamunotri
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The Shrine of
Yamunotri, source of river Yamuna is situated in the direction
opposite to Gangotri and the road bifurcates and goes to
Yamunotri from Dharasu, a place between Rishikesh and
Uttarkashi. Yamunotri can also be visited via Mussoorie and
Barkot.
Situated at an
elevation of 3235 mts. above sea - level, the shrine of
Yamunotri is one of the 'Four Dhams' od Uttranchal. The source
of Yamuna lies about one km. ahead at an altitude of about
4421 mts. The approach is extremely difficult and pilgrims
therefore offer pooja at temple itself. |
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Rishikesh
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| Rishikesh
also known as the 'Place of Sages'
is a spiritual town situated 24 kms.
upstream from Haridwar, at the confluence
of the Chandrabhaga and Ganga, It is
believed that God by the name of 'Hrishikesh'
had apeared as an answer to the hard
penances by Rabhiya Rishi and henceforth
the place derived its name. |
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Haridwar
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| Located
in the foothills of Shivalik range, Haridwar is
reputed as the gateway to the four pilgrimages in the
Uttranchal region. Visit this sacred place that will
purify your body, mind and the soul. Spend some time
on the ghats in Haridwar that acquire a unique charm
in the evening with countless diyas floating in the
waters of Ganges. Down the ages Haridwar has also
become a major learning center for science, arts and
culture. |
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Suggested
Tours
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