Travelling to the Kedarnath temple in the himalayas form the first leg of the Do dham yatra. Himalayas ( Him- Snow + Alaya- home) has long been revered as the mystical abode of Gods. The snow clad mountains and the green valleys with gushing rivers have a magnetic pull that have drawn Tourists and pilgrims alike. Tucked away in the four riverine valleys are the Char Dham or the four holy pilgrimages : Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath.
Uttranchal has a multitude of other famous temples like Mansa Devi, Chandi devi, Dhari Devi, Rudranath & Tungnath which is two of the Panch ( Five) kedars or Shivas abode.
I had long been planning to do the trip but could still plan only a do dham trip covering Kedarnath and Badrinath.
If you want to make this trip forget the luxury of hotels as it is a pilgrimage trail dotted with lot of Dharamshalas which will provide clean spartan accomodation and simple food.
So I left the dust and grime of Mumbai for Delhi which was hotter and murkier. Then caught a train from Delhi to Haridwar from Delhi, the Shatabdi express and stayed at the Bharat Sevashram which I had prebooked from Bombay. The ashram is very clean and has lot of rooms in a four storey building with four wings surrounding the central courtyard which houses the prayer hall. Canteen facilities available with prior booking, only veg stuff. Place is very cheap so do not expect much.
Booking for Gaurikund and kedarnath can be done for the ashram (Bharat sevashram) from here. Do necessary homework on the net to get better deals. Many operators are available from Rishikesh who give cheaper rates for a six day car tour.
Uttranchal has a multitude of other famous temples like Mansa Devi, Chandi devi, Dhari Devi, Rudranath & Tungnath which is two of the Panch ( Five) kedars or Shivas abode.
I had long been planning to do the trip but could still plan only a do dham trip covering Kedarnath and Badrinath.
If you want to make this trip forget the luxury of hotels as it is a pilgrimage trail dotted with lot of Dharamshalas which will provide clean spartan accomodation and simple food.So I left the dust and grime of Mumbai for Delhi which was hotter and murkier. Then caught a train from Delhi to Haridwar from Delhi, the Shatabdi express and stayed at the Bharat Sevashram which I had prebooked from Bombay. The ashram is very clean and has lot of rooms in a four storey building with four wings surrounding the central courtyard which houses the prayer hall. Canteen facilities available with prior booking, only veg stuff. Place is very cheap so do not expect much.
Booking for Gaurikund and kedarnath can be done for the ashram (Bharat sevashram) from here. Do necessary homework on the net to get better deals. Many operators are available from Rishikesh who give cheaper rates for a six day car tour.| The Trip from Delhi to Badrinath and Back | |
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Day 1 | Delhi – Rishikesh: |
Day 2 | Departure from New Delhi for Rishikesh. Enroute visit Haridwar by road. (225 kms / 5 hrs). Upon arrival at Rishikesh, check in at your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to explore the city on your own.Dinner & Overnight at The Tapovan Resort / SimilarDay 02- Rishikesh -Guptakashi (194 kms, 6-8 hrs )Leave from Haridwar for Guptakashi after breakfast. Lunch en route in Srinagar. Arrive and check in to the Char Dham Camp Guptakashi and relax. Dinner at the camp resort. Overnight at Guptakashi. |
| Day 3 | Guptakashi-Kedarnath (Drive 32 kms, trek 14 kms )After breakfast, pick up some packed lunch and leave for Gaurikund (a 32 kms drive -one way). On arrival start your journey on the tough trek ahead. Stop for lunch en route and continue after that to arrive by late afternoon. On arrival check in at Punjab Sind Awas/ Bikaner House or any Dharamshala . After freshening up, perform Pooja and obtain Darshan at Shri Kedarnathji. In the evening visit Adi Shankaracharya Samadhi behind the temple. Dinner and overnight at the ashram in Kedarnath. |
| Day 4 | Kedarnath -Guptakashi (Trek 14 kms, drive 32 kms)After breakfast, start you journey back to Gaurikund and on arrival leave for Guptakashi by road to reach the Char Dham Camp by evening. Relax with Ayurvedic Massage. Dinner at the camp resort. Overnight at Guptakashi. |
| Day 5 | Guptakashi -Badrinath (215 kms 7-8 hrs): After breakfast leave for Joshimath via Chopta, one of the most beautiful sites on the whole trip. Enjoy the beautiful drive through the thick forest. Lunch at Joshimath. Arrive at Badrinath .Check in at Hotel. Day Free at Leisure .Dinner and overnight Hotel Naryan Palace |
Day 6 | Badrinath: Early morning holy Darshan Breakfast at Hotel . Afternoon spend timevisiting Mana village- the last village before the Tibetan border. Come backto the Hotesl for dinner and overnight stay |
Day 7 | Badrinath - Rishikesh 274 kms (Drive 9-10 hrs)After breakfast leave for Haridwar and on the way stop for lunch atSrinagar. Continue, and if time permits, visit Devprayag (The confluence of rivers Alaknanda and Bhagirathi, to become the Ganga). Reach Haridwar in the evening to check in to Hotel Tapovan Resort or similar . |
Day 8 | Rishikesh – Delhi: Depart from Rishikesh for Delhi. Arrive and transfer to Railway station / Airport |
