Chardham Yatra takes you on a journey to the high Himalayas of Uttarakhand where you get to visit the four revered and ancient shrines of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. These shrines have been talked about in our Puranic literature and great religious importance has been attached to each of these. Each of the shrines in the Chota Chardham circuit come with its own unique significance and richness of folklore associated with it. Traveling to the Chardham is considered a one of a kind of experience and of course it is so because generally people living in the plains cannot imagine the ambiance of the high snow clad Himalayas. Only when you get to undertake the journey, you get to know about the Himalayas; its beauty, its challenges, its sublimity and its divinity. Here are some of the experiences you could gather during your Chardham Yatra. Read on to learn more-
Experiencing the Divine
The term ‘Deva Bhoomi’ has been coined to hint at the divinity that pervades the very air of the region. Scores of pilgrims traverse the most difficult terrains; brave the most difficult weather conditions to reach the Chardham every year, caring a fig for the perils hidden in the route. Their inner urge to respond to the call of the divine empowers them to reach God’s abode high up in the Himalayas. Apart from the four Dham of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath, there are several other small and big shrines in the region. The ambiance turns sonorous with the chanting of holy mantras, with the ringing of bells while the air around turns fragrant with the smoke from incense sticks. As you experience all these manifestations of divinity, your mind and body gets purified and you may then come to feel that God is nowhere else but at the Chardham.
Experiencing Virgin Nature
The nature at the Chardham region is un-spoilt and untainted. Its ethereal beauty makes you feel, as it were, it is a paradise that you have arrived at. Getting to experience such beautiful nature is a privilege in itself and remains with you all through your life.
Experiencing Local lifestyle
As you travel to the Chardham you would get many scopes to mingle and interact with the locals of the region. You will have many stop-overs or halts at the various quiet Himalayan villages and that’ll let you have a sneak peek into the traditional lifestyle and culture of the Garhwali natives. The natives of Uttarakhand Garhwal region are simple hospitable people far away from the complexities of city life. They have great physical endurance and tenacity to survive in the harsh environs of the high Himalayas. They follow a ‘green’ lifestyle in congruence with Mother Nature. Their way of life will certainly inspire you if you ever had a chance to spend a day with them.
Experiencing the Challenges of Route & Weather
The entire Chardham Yatra mostly spans across the rugged Garhwal Himalayan terrain full of steep slopes, sharp dangerous turns, crevasses, dips, uneven; undulating pathways and narrow one-man pathways. It is indeed a test of your courage and patience when you traverse on such a route. The weather too high up there is pretty unpredictable. Even when it is sunny, there is always a possibility of sudden downpours, cloud bursts, mountain storms and resultant flash floods. You cannot actually understand how and when weather starts behaving erratic, putting all lives at stake. There again, your endurance, your courage and your positivity is put to test each moment. Thus, once you have completed the Yatra successfully, you have passed all the challenging tests of Chardham route and weather and the experience gathered makes you return much stronger and dauntless
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