How to Get Most of Your Do/Char Dham Yatra Package

Char Dham Yatra is one of the most sacred pilgrimages in India. Hindus believe that they should visit these four holy places once in their life. Visiting these places help them get blessings of four gods and wash away their sins. As a Hindu, you want to go on a Do Dham or Char Dham Yatra. Some of you may have queries in your mind – how to get most of this yatra, how to get a Char Dham Yatra package, what things you should carry etc. To make your pilgrimage convenient and safe, you can follow the below mentioned steps:

Know About Do Dham or Char Dham Yatra 

Dho Dham Yatra is a small part of visiting any two of four sacred places in Uttarakhand, the Himalayan state in India. On the other hand, Char Dham Yatra is a pilgrimage of all the four holy places, abodes of four gods, – Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath. Yamunotri and Gangotri are dedicated origin places of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers. These places have temples with idols of Goddesses Ganga and Yamuna. Kedarnath is meant for Lord Shiva and Badrinath is for Lord Vishnu. You can complete your Char Dham Yatra in 10-15 days.    

Be Aware of Opening and Closing Dates of Char Dham Yatra

In general, Hindus like you take Char Dham Yatra from the end of April to October. The exact opening and closing dates vary each year and the government of Uttarakhand announces the exact dates when devotees could visit these four shrines. Here are the tentative opening and closing dates for Char Dham temples

Char Dham Temples	Opening Dates (Tentative)	Closing Dates (Tentative)
Yamunotri	10 May	2 November
Gangotri	10 May	2 November
Kedarnath	12 May	3 November
Badrinath	10 May	9 November

Book a Respective Yatra Package   

You all are different. So, your pilgrim needs can vary from others on several different factors. Some of you might not be able to visit all the four holy shrines in a single tour/trip. In this case, you can opt for Do Dham Yatra. For this yatra, you can choose any two of the four holy places – Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath. If you are physically fit and economically sound, you can visit all the four shrines. Based on your wish and decision, you can book a Do Dham Yatra package or Char Dham Yatra tour package.  

Be Clear about The Things to Do

In their Do Dham or Char Dham Yatra, devotees usually visit the dedicated temples at two or four holy shrines. Apart from temple visits, there are several things to do around these two/four sacred places, you can check out hot water springs such as Surya Kund and Narad Kund. You can choose trekking and visit the waterfalls (Vasundhara and Kempty). Watching Ganga Aarti, visiting Gomukh Glacier, and sightseeing at Harsil and Chopta are the things you can do during your pilgrimage to two or all four holy shrines. 

Be Aware of the Things to Carry with You

Do or Char Dham Yatra is different from other holiday/business trips. It is a pilgrimage to high areas of the Himayan state in India – Uttarakhand. So, you need to be very careful about your pilgrimage and carry all the requisite things in terms of documents, garments, and foods. You must carry your health report card, identity card (aadhar card, voter I card, or passport), hotel room booking slip, flight/air ticket. 

You should carry woollen clothes if you plan your pilgrimage to these four shrines in September and October as nights are colder. Further, you can carry torchlight, mobile power banks, raincoat, sunscreen, first aid kit, routine medicine if you have, sunglasses, and moisturiser. You should also carry foods and snacks along with water bottles to stay energetic during the spiritual journey.  

Know What You Should Do During Your Do/Char Dham Yatra

You need to follow the rituals associated with this sacred journey. Before entering into a temple at any of these four holy places, you should take off your shoes and cover your head with a handkerchief or scarf. Avoid clicking photographs if photography/videography is not allowed. Further, you must stay away from consuming non-vegetarian foods and alcoholic drinks. In brief, you should avoid doing anything that could hurt the sentiments of locals.