The holy river Ganges and her tributaries flow past the Four Dhams that are located in the state of Uttranchal in North India. It is believed that Goddess Ganga descended upon the Earth in the form of a River to help the suffering humanity. It was split into four channels that include Alaknanda (in Badrinath), Mandakini (in Kedarnath), Bhagirathi (in Gangotri) and Yamuna (in Yamunotri). Each of the Four Dhams is blessed with spell binding scenic beauty and countless ancient temples. Every year, countless tourists from across the world, visit here in search of peace and tranquility. In the folds of the snow-covered reaches of the lofty Garhwal Himalayas in Uttarakhand are located four sacred Hindu shrines.

• Badrinath
  
• Kedarnath
  
• Gangotri
  
• Yamunotri

The region is referred as the land of the gods in the ancient Puranas. Scores of pilgrims visit the shrines by trekking arduously along the mountain paths, all for a communion with the divine. Over the centuries, these sites have been described in sacred scriptures as the very places where devotees could earn the merits of all the pilgrimages put together. Subsequently, temples were built at these sanctified sties for all and sundry.

Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the exquisitely architecture Kedarnath temple is said to be more than a 1000 years old. Built of extremely large, heavy and evenly cut gray slabs of stones, it evokes wonder as to how these heavy slabs were handled in the earlier days. The temple has a "Garbh Graham" for worship and a Mandap apt for assemblies of pilgrims and visitors. A conical rock formation inside the temple is worshipped as Lord Shiva in his Sadashiva form.

Amidst the dramatic mountain escapes of the majestic Kedarnath range stands one of the twelve 'Jyotir Lingams' of Kedar or Lord Shiva. Lying at an altitude of 3584 metes on the head of river Mandakini, the shrine of Kedarnath is amongst the holiest pilgrimages for the Hindus. According to legend, Lord Shiva wished to elude the Pandavas, who had come to seek penitence for having killed their kin in the battle of Kurukshetra. He took refuge in Kedarnath in the form of a bull. Bhima, one of the Pandavas brothers, found Shiva amongst a herd of cattle. Having identified the meanest and most arrogant of the herd as Shiva, Bhima is said to have grabbed him by the hindquarters. What remains at the shrine in Kedarnath is the rear end of the bull, with the rest of its body scattered throughout the Garhwal. Shiva dived into the ground leaving behind him a hump on the surface. This conical protrusion is worshipped as the idol. It is the main site of the Paanch Kedars temples.

• Madhyamaheshwar
  
• Tunganath
  
• Kalpeshwar
  
• Rudranath

Badrinath Dhaam is one of the oldest Hindu places of worship. On the right bank of the river Alaknanda lies the sacred shrine perched at an altitude of 3133 m above sea level, guarded on either side by the two mountain peaks Nar & Narain with the towering Neelkanth peak providing a splendid back-drop. Also known as the Vishal Badri, the largest among the five Badris, it is revered by all as the apt tribute to Lord Vishnu. Once the spot was carpeted with 'Badris' or wild berries and hence was famous as 'Badri Van'.

Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the temple is built in the form of a cone with a small cupola of a gilt bull & spire. Legend dates the temple prior to the Vedic age and the original temple is believed to be built by King Pururava and the icon of the lord carved by Vishwakarma, the craftsman of the gods. A Hindu reformist Adi Shankaracharya re-enshrined the temple back in the 8th century.

Gangotri, the origin of the sacred river Ganges, attracts tourists in large numbers every year. The confrontation with the daunting rivers and attempts to unravel the mysteries of the supernatural world are ubiquitous sights here. Along with the thrill of conquering nature, what one experiences here is the mystical aura that India is so famous for.

The picturesque pilgrimage in the hinterlands of the Himalayas is the most sacred spot where Ganga, the stream of life, touched earth for the first time. According to mythology, Goddess Ganga, the daughter of heaven, manifested herself in the form of a river to absolve the sins of King Bhagirath's predecessors, following his severe penance of 5500 years. Lord Shiva received her into his matted locks to minimize the impact of her fall. The river itself begins at Gangotri which literally means Ganga Uttari or Ganga descending she came to be called Bhagirathi at her legendary source. The Shrine of Gangotri is situated at an elevation of 3200 m above sea level. Set amidst captivating surroundings along the right bank of Bhagirathi Gangotri is 100 km from Uttarkashi.

The sacred shrine of Yamunotri, source of the river Yamuna, is the westernmost shrine in the Garhwal Himalayas, perched atop a flank of Bandar Poonch Peak (3615 m) and situated opposite to Gangotri.

Yamunotri is the origin of the sacred river Yamuna. Famous for its thermal springs and glaciers, it is one of the most important stopovers on the itinerary of the Hindu pilgrim. According to an old legend, Asit Muni, the revered sage, used to reside here. Yamunotri finds a special mention in the Hindu mythology. According to a legend, this secluded hilly spot was the home of an ancient sage, Asit Muni.

Among the major attractions of Yamunotri are hot water springs nearby. Devotees prepare rice and potatoes to offer at the shrine, by dipping them in these hot water springs, tied in muslin cloth. The trek to Yamunotri is spectacular, dominated by a panorama of rugged peaks and dense forests. From Rishikesh, a 213 Kms journey by road takes one to Hanuman Chattri. From here, the remaining 13 Km trek is covered on foot or on ponies. Palanquins and Porters are also available on hire.

Faith has moved mountains. From a cave shrine tucked away deep in the Tricuta Mountains of Kashmir to a bustling religious centre, the call of Mata Vaishno Devi has drawn and converted many a non-believer. Those who come as tourists leave as staunch followers singing her praises. This is the ultimate refuge of the helpless; the one place that answers your prayers; where all dilemmas are resolved. So come with faith - that's all that is asked of you.

Vaishno Devi is a hard four-hour (13-km) climb from Katra. The best time to come is March to July, as the rest of the time of the year it can be very cold. The main pilgrimage time is March-April and September-October. In 1986, 1.6 million people came here, or 15 to 20 thousand people a day. The cave ideally handles just 8 or 10 thousand people a day, as only 12 or 15 people are let into the cave at a time. On the full moon day in Kartik (October/ November) the line to get into the cave can be 4-km long. It is believed that the arm of Goddess Sati fell at this place.

During the time when the Goddesses were wreaking havoc on the evil Asuras, the 3 main manifestations, Maha Kali, Maha Lakshmi and Maha Saraswati, pooled their collective strength and sent a divine child to be born in the house of one Ratnakar. She was to uphold righteousness and attain a level of consciousness by which she would merge with Vishnu.

An extraordinary child, she went deep into the forest, in search of god. Intrigued by reports of her piety, Gorakhnath the tantric sent his disciple Bhairon Nath to look for her. But he began invading her privacy and even suggested that she become his wife. To escape him, Vaisnavi left Tricuta Mountains.

While passing through a ravine she shot an arrow into the earth from where water gushed out -- this stream came to be known as Baan Ganga. Charan Paduka, marked by the imprints of her feet, is the place where she rested. The Goddess then meditated in the cave at Adhkawari. It took Bhairon Nath nine months to locate her, the reason why the cave is known as Garbh Joon. Mata Vaishno Devi blasted an opening at the other end of the cave with Her Trident when Bhairon Nath located her.

On arriving at the Holy Cave at Darbar, she assumed the form of Maha Kali and cut off Bhairon Nath's head which was flung up the mountain by the force of the blow and fell at the place where the Bhairon Temple is now located. The boulder at the mouth of the Holy Cave according to the legend is the petrified torso of Bhairon Nath who was granted divine forgiveness by the benevolent Mata in his dying moments.

Inside the large opening, behind an open-gated iron fence, an underground trickle of water emerges 10 feet up from a small cleft in the sedimentary rock and freezes s it drips to form a small cleft in the sedimentary rock and freezes as it drips to form a tall, smooth cone of ice.

Tales of the Cave Discovery

Legend has it that Lord Shiva recounted to Goddess Parvati the secret of creation in a cave in Amarnath. Unknown to them a pair of mating doves eavesdropped on this conversation and having learned the secret, are reborn again and again, and have made the cave their eternal abode. Many pilgrims report seeing the doves pair when they trek the arduous route to pay obeisance before the ice-lingam.

According to an ancient tale, there was once a Muslim Shepherd named Buta Malik who was given a sack of coal by a Sadhu (saint). Upon reaching home he discovered that the sack, in fact, contained Gold. Overjoyed and overcome, Buta Malik rushed back to look for Sadhu and thank him. But on the spot of their meeting discovered a cave, and eventually this became a place of pilgrimage for all believers. To date, a percentage of the donations made by pilgrims are given to the descendents of Malik, and the remaining to trust which manages the shrine.

Yet, another legend has it that when Kashyap Rishi drained the Kashmir valley of water the cave and lingam were discovered by Bregeish Rishi who was travelling the Himalayas. When people heard of lingam Amarnath for them it became Shiva's abode and a centre of pilgrimage.