Char Dham means a set of four pilgrimage places in India. It is believed that visiting these places helps achieve salvation! The four Dhams are Badrinath, Rameshwaram, Puri Jagannath Temple, Dwaraka.
Significance of Char Dham: The eventual goal of every devotee of Sanatan Dharma is freedom from the cycle of life and birth (Moksha). For this spiritual upliftment is needed in each birth. Completing this yatra with faith and devoutness washes away the sins of many a lifetime and advances you on your journey to Moksha. The inner peace that will fill you is an added benefit.
Badrinath Dham : The town of Badrinath is where divinity meets with the serenity of nature. It is located in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand at the height of 3,133 meters above sea level. Situated between Nar and Narayan Peaks the pious land of Vishnu also belongs to the Chota Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand. Starting with Yamunotri, Gangotri and Kedarnath, Badrinath is the last and most celebrated stop in the pilgrimage tour of Garhwal Himalayas.
Dwaraka : The Dwarkadhish temple which is located at Dwaraka, Gujarat. Dwarkadhish Temple is also known as the Jagat Mandir and occasionally spelled Dwarakadheesh, is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Krishna, who is worshiped here by the name Dwarkadhish, or ‘King of Dwarka’. Archaeological findings suggest it to be 2,000 – 2,200 years old.
Shree Jagannath Temple, Puri : The Shree Jagannath Temple is an important Hindu temple dedicated to Jagannath, a form of Vishnu, in Puri in the state of Odisha on the eastern coast of India. The present temple was rebuilt from the 10th century onwards, on the site of an earlier temple, and begun by King Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva, first of the Eastern Ganga dynasty.
The Puri Temple is famous for its chariot festival. Unlike the stone and metal icons found in most Hindu temples, the image of Jagannath is made of wood and is ceremoniously replaced every twelve or nineteen years by an exact replica.
Arulmigu Ramanatha Swami Temple, Rameswaram : Ramanatha Swami Temple is located in a town called Rameshwaram. It is one of the Char Dhams of India. It is the only one of the four Dhams where the resident Deity is Lord Shiva. The other three have either Vishnu in one form or one of His avatars in residence. The temple has additional significance because it is, firstly, a Jyotirlinga, and secondly, it is said in the scriptures that a pilgrimage to Varanasi to pay homage to Lord Vishwanath is incomplete without also paying homage to Lord Ranganatha at Rameshwaram. The Dham is also singular in that it is an important pilgrimage place for both Vaishnavites as well as Shaivites. Rameshwaram is called the “Varanasi of the South“.
People will have a confusion about Char Dhams of India and Chota Char Dhams of Uttarakhand. Chota Char Dhams of Uttarakhand consists of four ancient temples, they are, Gangothri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath.