The Char Dham or four abodes are four sacred pilgrimages in India. Char Dham is of supreme importance for Hindus, to attain salvation. These four sites are Badrinath, Jagannath Puri, Rameswaram, and Dwarka. It's blissful for every Hindu to visit Char Dham once in their lifetime. These four abodes are located at four cardinal points in the Indian subcontinent, Badrinath in North, Jagannath Puri in East, Rameswaram in South and Dwarka in West. Of all these four sacred sites three- Badrinath, Puri and Dwarka are dedicated to Lord Vishnu while One Rameswaram is dedicated to Lord Shiva. However, all these four dhaams have connection with Lord Vishnu. It is believed that in Rameswaram Lord Vishnu takes bath, in Puri he eats, in Badrinath Lord Meditates and in Dwarka he rests. The formation of char dham sacred sites is credited to Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th Century. Also you must have come across with 'Chota Char Dham', which forms the small circuit of four sacred temples in the North Indian state of Uttarakhand. Chota Char Dham includes Yamunotri Dham, Gangotri Dham, Badrinath Dham and Kedarnath Dham. Let's takes a look at the Char Dham:
Badrinath Dham, Uttarakhand : Majestic Badrinath Temple is located in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, on the banks of the Alaknanda River. Located in the Chamoli district, it is believed that, here, under the Badri tree. Lord Vishnu meditated for 1000 years and since then this location is considered sacred. The Badrinath temple has three sacred sections (a) The Garbha Griha or the sanctum sanctorum (b) The Darshan Mandap where rituals are conducted and (c) The Sabha Mandap where pilgrims assemble. Badrinath Dham is open for the pilgrims from the month of April to October every year.
Jagannath Temple, Puri : The magnificent Jagannath temple is located in Puri, Odisha. Lord Jagannatha, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu is worshiped here in the temple. Lord Jagannath literally means, lord of the universe. The Jagannath temple is the only temple in India, where goddess Subhadra, sister of Lord Krishna is worshiped along with her brothers, Lord Jagannatha and Lord Balabhadra. The temple dates back to 12th Century AD. Jagannath temple is constructed in such a way that no shadow of the temple falls on the ground at any time of the day. Mahaprasad, prepared in a huge kitchen, is offered to Lord Jagannath every day. Temple is famous for the 'Rath Yatra' or the Chariot festival. The festival takes place during the month of June/July, when the Lord comes out to the street to greet the devotees.
Rameswaram Temple, Tamil Nadu : The Rameswaram temple is located in the southern state of India, Tamil Nadu. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. According to legends,the temple was built by Lord Rama, incarnation of Lord Vishnu, before he entered Lanka to rescue Mother Sita. The temple is not just one of the four abodes, it is also among the 12 Jyotirlingas. The Shivlinga in the temple was established by Lord Rama himself. You can also find 22 holy wells in the temple's compound. In the temple devotees take a holy dip in the sacred water and worship Lord Shiva and Lord Rama together.
Dwarakadheesh Temple, Dwarka : Dwarakadheesh Temple is located in the western state of India, Gujarat. Dedicated to Lord Krishna, the miraculous Dwarkadheesh temple, also known as the Jagat Mandir, was constructed in the 15th-16th century in Chalukya styled architecture. The temple is built of soft limestone and granite. It has two entrances towards the north called "Moksha Dwara" (Door to Salvation) and towards the South is called "Swarga Dwara" (Gate to Heaven). The temple is a 7 storey temple, supported on 72 pillars.
