Char Dham (literally meaning ‘the four abodes/seats’) are the names of four pilgrimage sites in India that are widely revered by Hindus. It comprises of Badrinath, Dwarka, Puri and Rameswaram. It is considered highly sacred by Hindus to visit Char Dham during one’s lifetime. The Char Dham defined by Adi Shankaracharya consists of four Vaishnavite pilgrimages.

According to Hindu mythology,

• Badrinath became prominent when Nar-Narayan, an incarnation of Vishnu did Tapasya there. At that time that place was filled with Berry trees. In Sanskrit language they are called Badri, so the place was named Badrika-Van i.e. the forest of Berry. The particular spot where the Nar-Narayan did Tapasya, a large Berry tree formed covering him to protect him from rain and sun. Locals believe that Mata Lakshmi became the Berry tree to save Narayan. Post Tapasya, Narayan said, people will always take her name before his name, hence Hindus always refer “Lakshmi-Narayan ” unlike “Shiva-Parvati” . It was therefore called Badri-Nath i.e. the Lord of Berry forest. This all happened in the Sat-Yuga. So the Badrinath came to be known the first Dham.
• The second place, Rameshwram got its importance in the Treta-Yug when Lord Rama built a Shiv-ling here and worshipped it to get the blessings of Lord Shiva. The name Rameshwram means “the God of Lord Rama”. Rama himself is considered to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
• The third Dhaam Dwarka got its importance in Dwapar Yug when Lord Krishna, another incarnation of Lord Vishnu, made Dwarka his residence instead of Mathura, his birthplace.

The Four Shankaracharya Peeth (Seats) at the Chaar Dham school of Hinduism, created at least four Hindu monastic institutions. He organised the Hindu monks under four Maṭhas (monasteries), with the headquarters at Dwarka in the West, Jagannatha Puri in the East, Sringeri Sharada Peetham in the South and Badrikashrama in the North.

THE CHAR DHAMS ARE :

1. Puri : Jagannath Temple, Puri

uri is located in the state of Odisha, India. It is one of the oldest cities in the eastern part of the country and is situated on the coast of the Bay of Bengal. The main deity is Shri Krishna which is celebrated as Lord Jagannatha. It is the only shrine in India, where goddess, Subhadra, sister of Lord Krishna is worshipped along with her brothers, Lord Jagannatha and Lord Balabhadra. The main temple here is about 1000 years old and was constructed by Raja Choda Ganga Deva and Raja Tritiya Ananga Bhima Deva. Puri is the site of the Govardhana Matha, one of the four cardinal institutions or Mathas established by Adi Shankaracharya. Brahma, Vishnu & Maheswara, all three of them are together everywhere and here Jagannath is held to be Vishnu, Balabhadra to be Maheswara & Subhadra to be Brahma. Oriya people celebrate a special day in this Dham which is known as Ratha Yatra (“Chariot Festival”)

2. Rameswaram : Ramanathaswamy Temple

Rameswaram located in the South is in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is situated in the Gulf of Mannar at the very tip of the Indian peninsula. According to legends, this is the place from where Lord Rama, built a bridge, the Ram Setu to Lanka. The Ramanatha Swamy Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva occupies a major area of Rameswaram. The temple is believed to have been consecrated by Shri Rama Chandra. Rameswaram is significant for the Hindus as a pilgrimage to Benaras is incomplete without a pilgrimage to Rameswaram. The presiding deity here is in the form of a Linga with the name Sri Ramanatha Swamy, it also is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. Brahma, Vishnu & Maheswara, all three of them are together everywhere and here Rama is held to be Vishnu, Laxman to be Maheswara & Hanuman to be Brahma.

3. Dwarka : Dwarkadeesh Temple

Dwarka in the west is a city in the state of Gujarat, India which derives its name from the word “dvar” meaning ‘door’ or ‘gate’ in the Sanskrit language. It is located where the Gomti River merges into the Arabian Sea. However, this river Gomti is not the same Gomti River which is tributary of Ganga River.The legendary city of Dwarka was the dwelling place of Lord Krishna. It is believed that due to damage and destruction by the sea, Dwarka has submerged six times and modern day Dwarka is the 7th such city to be built in the area.

4. Badrinath : Badrinath Temple

Badrinath is located in the state of Uttarakhand. It is in the Garhwal hills, on the banks of the Alaknanda River. The town lies between the Nar and Narayana mountain ranges and in the shadow of Nilkantha peak (6,560m).