Winter Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand

Char Dham Yatra, a pilgrimage journey of Uttarakhand that devotees earlier could complete only in summer season, will now be possible to do all year round. Uttarakhand Tourism Department has introduced Winter Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand, which will continue even after the snowfall season begins in the Himalayas.

What are Winter Char Dhams of Uttarakhand?

The traditional Char Dham Yatra temple – Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath, are the most visited religious places in India. Due to the high altitude of over 3000 m (10,000 ft), all the Char Dham temples are covered in thick snow during winter, thus closed for around six months. However, meanwhile the Char Dham Temples are closed, the deity of all these respective temples are worshipped in alternative temples in another four different places namely Mukhba, Kharsali, Ukhimath, and Pandukeshwar, which is collectively called Winter Char Dham Yatra.

Traditional Chardham	Winter Chardham
Kedarnath	Omkareshwar
Badrinath	Pandukeshwar
Yamunotri	Kharsali
Gangotri	Mukhba

Which are the Winter Char Dham Yatra Temples?

Just like the Char Dham, which has four temples dedicated to four deities including Goddess Ganga in Gangotri, Goddess Yamuna in Yamunotri, Lord Shiv in Kedarnath, and Lord Vishnu in Badrinath, Winter Char Dham Temples is a pilgrimage circuit of four temples dedicated to the same deities but in different temples. These are the four temples which will be the part of Winter Chardham in Uttarakhand.

Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath

Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath is the winter seat of Lord Kedarnath. For winters, when the Kedarnath valley is engulfed in snow, Lord Kedarnath is ceremonially brought to the lower altitude temple of Omkareshwar in Ukhimath. Devotees can worship Kedarnath Mahadev here during the Char Dham winter yatra, until Kedarnath is reopened in summer.

Yog Badri Mandir in Pandukeshwar

Though in winters, a celebrated idol from Lord Badrinath Temple is placed in Narsingh Temple of Joshimath, the place which is traditionally recognised as the winter seat of Lord Badrinath is Yog Badri Mandir in Pandukeshwar. Also, commonly recognised as Pandukeshwar Temple, it is the place where Kind Pandu (Father of the Pandava brother mentioned in epic Mahabharata) meditated and attained salvation. The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu in a meditative posture.

Yamuna Mandir in Kharsali

The winter seat of Yamunotri Temple is in the Yamuna Mandir in Kahrsali which locally is called Kharsali Temple. Devotees can complete the darshan of Goddess Yamuna here during winters whilst the Yamunotri Temple is closed due to harsh weather in winter. Kharsali is in the proximity of Yamunotri, hence it has been the winter seat from ancient times.

Mukhba Temple in Mukhba Village

Devotees can continue worshipping Goddess Ganga in winter even after Gangotri Temple closes due to heavy snowfall at Mukhba. The new Winter Chardham Circuit promotes Char Dham yatra throughout the year by allowing devotees worship Goddess Ganga at Mukbha Temple in Mukhba. Due to the harsh conditions at Gangotri in winter, the Goddess is worshipped at lower altitude in this village.