The annual Chardham yatra commenced on 21st April 2015 with the opening of the sacred portals of the Himalayan shrines of Gangotri and Yamunotri after a six-month winter break.

Always Seek Knowledge:

• The portals of Gangotri shrine, which is located at a height of over 10,000ft in Uttarkashi district were opened at 12.30pm with prayers and vedic rituals.
• The portals of the Yamunotri shrine, which is also located at a height of over 10,000ft in Uttarkashi district, were opened at 11.30am.
• SDRF personnel have been deployed along the routes to the shrines of Gangotri and Yamunotri for the safety of the pilgrims and JCB’s have been placed along patches prone to landslides to avoid delay in opening roads that get blocked during landslides, he said.
• The portals of two remaining shrines of Kedarnath and Badrinath that are included in the Chardhams will be opened on April 24 and April 26, respectively.
• Char Dham :
  •  Char Dham are the names of four pilgrimage sites in India that are widely visited by Hindus.
  •  The name of char Dham are:
    •  Badrinath
    •  Dwarka
    •  Puri
    •  Rameswaram.
  •  The Char Dham defined by Adi Shankaracharya consists of three Vaishnavite and one Shaivite pilgrimages.
  •  The other pilgrimages sites in the Indian state of Uttarakhand i.e.. Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath which known as Chota Char Dham.