Chota Char Dham & Bada Char Dham

Why in News?

In recent days, the committee heads of the ‘Chota Char Dham’ shrines in Uttarakhand have said that non-Hindus may soon be banned from entering the temple premises.

• Chota Char Dham– These are 4 highly sacred Hindu pilgrimage sites located in the Himalayan region of Uttarakhand namely, Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath.
• The pilgrimage typically runs from April/May to October/November, and is undertaken at least once in a lifetime to attain salvation.
• The pilgrimage typically begins at Yamunotri and ends at Badrinath.
• Yamunotri- It is the source of the Yamuna River and is dedicated to Goddess Yamuna.
• It is located in the Uttarkashi district.
• Gangotri - It is the source of the river Ganga, dedicated to Goddess Ganga.
• It is located in the Uttarkashi district.
• Kedarnath - Located in Rudraprayag district, it is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is the highest Jyotirlinga.
• It is located in Garhwal Himalayas in the Rudraprayag district.
• Badrinath - Located in Chamoli district, it is dedicated to the 'Badri' incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
• It is located in Alaknanda Valley in the Chamoli district.

Bada Char Dham

• This "Great" circuit spans the 4 corners of India, representing the 4 cardinal directions and different Yugas (epochs).
• Badrinath (North) - Located in Uttarakhand; dedicated to Lord Vishnu.
• Dwarka (West) - Located in Gujarat; dedicated to Lord Krishna.
• Puri (East) - Located in Odisha; home to the Jagannath Temple dedicated to Lord Jagannath.
• Rameswaram (South) - Located in Tamil Nadu; dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Reference

The Indian Express | ‘Chota Char Dham’ shrines