Char Dham of India - History, Significance & Importance

Chardham Yatra is one of the most significant spiritual expeditions undertaken by devout pilgrims. This holy expedition consists in journey to the ‘Chardhams’; i.e. ‘four’ religious destinations situated in the four corners of the country. After a pilgrim has completed visit to all the four Dhams, he or she is said to have completed the ‘Mahaparikrama’ or holy circumambulation successfully. Chardham Yatra offers your soul with immense spiritual satisfaction and imparts you with an unusual divine joy at the end of the journey. Thronged heavily by pious pilgrims and sages, the Chardhams stand out as a real holy concoction of the four most revered pilgrimage destinations of the country. All devoted Hindus consider it to be their divine duty to set out for Chardham yatra at least once in their lifetime.

History of Chardhams of India 

The four Dhams in the India Chardham Circuit include Badrinath in North, Rameshwaram in South, Dwarka in West, Puri in East. Badrinath dham’s historical significance dates back to the Satya yug. The history of this particular dham is also a part of the history of Char Dham pilgrimages Uttarakhand. It is believed that Nar-Narayan, Lord Vishnu’s incarnation had performed rigorous penance in this region. During the penance, Mata Lakshmi, the consort of Vishnu assumed the form of a huge Badri tree to offer shade to Lord Vishnu and guard him from the scorching sun rays. Since then the place came to be known as Badrinath dham. The historical importance of the next Dham, Rameshwaram dates back to the Treta Yug when Lord Rama struck with the guilt of Brahaman hatya, started worshipping Lord Shiva here in order to get blessed by Lord Shiva and thus become free of the burden of sins. Dwarka, the third Dham has a history that dates back to the Dwapar yug. Lord Krishna after leaving Mathura got settled at Dwarka and came to be known as the king of Dwarka. Lord Krishna’s stay at Dwarka turned it into an auspicious dham. Puri dham’s history dates back to nearly 1000. The Dham belongs to Lord Jagannath who is a form of Lord Vishnu. Puri dham temple was built by two kings; Raja Tritiya Ananga Bhima Deva and Raja Choda Ganga Deva.

The great Hindu spiritual guru, reformer and philosopher Adi Guru Shankaracharya is known to have laid the foundation of the Chardham yatra in India

Places Belonging to Chardham of India

Chardham of India consists in the following four places-

Badrinath Dham

Badrinath Temple

Badrinath dham is situated in the state of Uttarakhand and is a part of the Chota Chardham circuit too. This dham is an abode of Lord Vishnu in the form of Badri Narayan. This dham is one among the 108 Divya Desams of the Vaishnavites.

Rameshwaram Dham

Rameshwaram Temple Gopuram [Source]

The temple of Rameshwaram belongs to Lord Ramanatha Swamy, a form of Lord Shiva. This temple is believed to have been set up by Lord Rama himself. The temple is one among the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva that our country has. It is located in Gulf of Mannar and the region is a part of the South Indian state of Tamilnadu.

Puri Dham

Jagannath Temple, Puri [source]

Puri Dham has the famous Jagannath temple, a temple belonging Lord Jagannath who is none other than Lord Vishnu. Along with Lord Jagannath, his brother Lord Balabhadra and sister, Goddess Shubhadra too are worshipped in this temple. Puri is located in eastern India, within the state of Orissa.

Dwarka Dham

Dwarkadhish Temple, Gujarat [source]

Dwarka dham has the famous Dwarkadhish temple, an abode of Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna is said to have ruled over Dwarka as the king after departing from Mathura. Dwarka is located in the West Indian state of Gujarat.