Do Dham Yatra: Kedarnath ji and Badrinath Ji Yatra

TREK DIFFICULTY

Moderate

TREK DURATION

6 Days

HIGHEST ALTITUDE

11,755 feet | 10,279 feet

GROUP SIZE

TREK DISTANCE

18 Km

BASECAMP

Uttarakhand

BEST TIME

May to June and September to October

PICKUP POINT

Dehradun (Prince Chowk)

Do Dham Yatra (Kedarnath & Badrinath) Overview

Commencing from the Holy town of Haridwar, Do Dham Yatra takes you through two of the most sacred places in Uttarakhand, “ Kedarnath and Badrinath”. Perched in the Garwhal Himalayas at an altitude of 3,583 mts Kedarnath is the worship place of Lord Shiva and Badriath is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. They both are a part of Chota Char Dham whereas Kedarnath is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas and Shiva is worshipped here in the form of ‘Hump of a Bull’. Badrinath at an altitude of 3,133 mts was established in the 8^th century by Adi Shankaracharya and is believed that Lord Vishnu meditated here.

To reach Kedarnath one has to go through a challenging trek of 19 kms from Gaurikund with river Mandakini flowing alongside the trail offering breathtaking views of meadows, waterfalls, and snow clad peaks. Known as the protector of Kedarnath during winters Bhairav Nath temple dedicated to a fierce manifestation of lord Shiva is also accessible by a 1.5 kms trek from the main temple offering a magnificent view of the Kedarnath Valley. Badrinath along the banks of Alaknanda River is accessible by vehicle and is a brisk walk to the temple showcasing the majestic Neelkanth peak and surrounded by Nar and Narayan Peaks. The Black Granite Idol of Lord Vishnu is worshipped at the temple. Prior to visiting the temple devotees take a dip at the Tapt Kund(hot springs) believed to hold medicinal values. One can also explore the last Indian village ‘Mana’ before the Tibet border with its mythological importance and is the last place where river Saraswati is visible before disappearing. Vyas gufa where Sage Ved Vyasa is believed to have written Mahabharata is also accessible from Mana.