Uttarakhand - Land Of Gods

Uttarakhand is the home to many spiritual sites like the Chota Char Dham which includes places like Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri. There are almost 142 temples in the region which are visited by millions of people all around the world. Adi Badri, Augustmuni, Badrinath, and Baleshwar are some of the most famous temples. The highest Shiva temple Tungnath which is more than 1000 years old is exceptional and also exists in Uttarakhand. Panch Kedar comprises 5 places where different parts of Lord Shiva appeared when he disguised himself as Nandi the bull and was trying to hide from Pandavas and Draupadi.

Mythology around Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand has many legendary tales woven into it, like the story of Pandavas ascending to heaven. To attain Moksha Pandavas came to Lord Shiva. He was not willing to forgive him because Pandavas has committed the heinous crime of killing their own brother Kauravas. Lord Shiva disguised himself as a bull called Nandi and hid among other bulls in Guptkashi. Later Pandavas found him but were only able to catch the hemp of the bull. The place where the hemp appeared is where the temple Kedarnath is built. Other places where the other parts of Nandi appeared were called Panch Kedar. Later Lord Shiva forgave Pandavs and they ascended into heaven. Another story revolves around Raja Daksha whose daughter Sati was married to Lord Shiva. Once Raja Daksha arranged a Yagya to which Lord Shiva was not invited which caused grief in the heart of Sati. She came to the Yagya and left her body which made Lord shiva severe the head of her father Daksha in anger. Later Mahadev gave a second life to King Daksh by placing a goat’s head and said that now the place will be known after his name. Hence the temple called “Daksheshwar Mahadev Temple”  was named after King Daksha Prajapati and it is situated in Haridwar. Guru Dronacharya is one of the most renowned teachers of all time. According to legends he had meditated in a cave near Dehradun Uttarakhand. Later that cave was made into a temple called Tapkeshwar. Tales from Ramayana mention that Lord Rama meditated in the world’s highest temple devoted to Shiva called Tungnath. There are lots of tales about Lord Shiva in Uttarakhand, one among them being the marriage between Lord Shiva and Parvati. It happened in Triguginarayan temple which is said to be situated in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand. It is said that the fire which witnessed the wedding still exists inside the temple and it is said it will never cease and will exist for eternity.

Chota Char Dham

There are four pilgrim sites which are jointly termed as Chota Char Dham.

Kedarnath - the pilgrim site which has both historical and religious significance. It is said Pandavas built this temple when  Bheema tried to catch the bull but only was able to catch the hemp of Nandi. Lord Shiva disguised himself as a bull because he could not forgive Pandavas for their crimes at the war of Kurukshetra. Pandavas had to kill Kaurvas who were brothers to them. Later Pandavas attained salvation and ascended to heaven. The temple is one among the 12 Jyotirlingas and is devoted to Lord Shiva who is one among the Trimurti.

Badrinath - the temple is devoted to Lord Shiva and is situated near the bank of the river Alaknanda. The religious site is part of both Chota Char Dham and Char Dham. The place is said to be reestablished by the monk Adi Shankara. Badrikashram which is now called Badrinath temple is a place where Lord Vishnu in the form of Nara and Narayana underwent severe repentance. You can see the Neelkanth Parbat from Badrinath temple. The temple remains closed for six months due to the extreme snowfall that happens in the region.

Yamunotri - the shrine dedicated to Goddess Yamuna and the region is said to be the place where the River Yamuna originated. It is also a seat of the Goddess who according to Hindu Mythology is the sister of God Yama who is known as the God Of Death. The place is known for its glaciers and thermal springs. The place is the first of the Chota Char Dham and is the toughest place to trek. Due to the compact and narrow nature of the paths, the place is the toughest place to go for trekking.

Gangotri - one among the Chota Char Dham which is said to be the seat of Goddess Ganga. It is the place where the river Ganga originated. The place opens on the day of Akshaya Tritiya and closes on the day of Bhai Dooj according to sources. Legend says that the temple is located near a stone that was said to be worshipped by King Bhagiratha who was an avid worshipper of Lord Shiva. Everyone who has a keen interest in spirituality should visit these pilgrim sites to receive blessings from deities.