Chota Char Dham

छोटा चार धाम

4 temples in the tradition. Listed in the order tradition follows. The note at the foot of the page says how much of that order a text actually fixes.

In the traditional order

  1. 1

    Yamunotri

    यमुनोत्री

    Yamunotri, Uttarakhand

    The sister of Yama. The river Yamuna is held to be the sister of Yama, the god of death. Because of that bond, bathing in her waters is believed to grant salvation and to protect the bather from an untimely…

  2. 2

    Gangotri

    गंगोत्री

    Gangotri, Uttarakhand

    Bhagirath brings the Ganga down. King Bhagirath performs penance to bring the goddess Ganga down from heaven to earth. Her fall is too powerful for the earth to bear, and Shiva receives the river in his matted locks at…

  3. 3

    Kedarnath

    केदारनाथ

    Kedarnath, Uttarakhand

    Nara and Narayana ask Shiva to stay. Nara and Narayana, two incarnations of Vishnu, perform penance in Bharata Khanda and worship Shiva every day in an earthen linga. Shiva, pleased after a long time, offers them a boon.…

  4. 4

    Badrinath

    बद्रीनाथ

    Badrinath, Uttarakhand

    Nar-Narayan and the badri tree. Answering the prayers of sages, Vishnu takes birth as Nar-Narayan and performs austerities at this place for the good of the world, to counter the demon Sahasrakavacha. Lakshmi becomes a…

Plan the circuit

Side by side, so you can see the season, the walking and the nearest station for each. Where we have not confirmed something, the cell says so. Always check dates and conditions before you travel — especially with elders.

Not yet confirmed for any of these temples: darshan hours.

  • Yamunotri
    Main months
    Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov
    Altitude
    3,293 m
    Walking and access
    No road reaches the temple. From Janki Chatti, the last motorable point, it is a 6 km trek; the state portal says pony, palki and doli are available for the ascent. Chartered helicopters fly from Dehradun.
    Nearest station / airport
    Dehradun, Haridwar or Rishikesh
  • Gangotri
    Main months
    Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov
    Altitude
    3,100 m
    Walking and access
    Gangotri is reached directly by motorable road, so the temple itself needs no trek. Gaumukh, about 19 km further, is a trek. No official information on step-free access at the temple has been found yet.
    Nearest station / airport
    Dehradun, Haridwar or Rishikesh
  • Kedarnath
    Main months
    Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov
    Altitude
    3,584 m
    Walking and access
    There is no road to the temple. From Gaurikund the approach is on foot or by helicopter; the state trust page gives the trek as about 21 km, a figure that predates the post-2013 route and must be confirmed. We have found no official information on pony, palki or doli services or their rates. Helicopter seats are booked only through IRCTC HeliYatra after yatra registration. The shrine is at 3,584 m; the temple committee links the state health advisory from its home page.
    Nearest station / airport
    Rishikesh · Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun
  • Badrinath
    Main months
    Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov
    Walking and access
    The temple committee lists road distances from Rishikesh railway station (about 274 km) and Jolly Grant airport (about 290 km). No official information on step-free access, ramps or wheelchair provision inside the complex has been found yet.
    Nearest station / airport
    Rishikesh · Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun

    Not yet confirmed: altitude.

Where this list and its order comes from

  • Government: Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board: 'It is believed that one should complete the Char Dham Yatra in a clockwise direction. Hence, the pilgrimage starts from Yamunotri, proceeds towards Gangotri, onto Kedarnath, and finally ends at Badrinath.' The stated rationale is pradakshina direction; the route also follows the Garhwal road network west to east. Note that the circuit is modern — the four Garhwal sites were first named together in print in 1917. uttarakhandtourism.gov.in · seen 2026-09-18

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