Chota Char Dham

Chota Char Dham

Yamunotri

Gangotri

Kedarnath

Badrinath

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Kedarnath

Badrinath

Gangotri

Yamunotri

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The four places in Uttarakhand

The Chota Char Dham (lit. 'the small four abodes/seats' or 'the small circuit of four abodes/seats') is an important Hindu pilgrimage circuit^[1] in Uttarakhand, in the Indian Himalayas. Located in the Garhwal region of the state of Uttarakhand, the circuit consists of four sites—Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath.^[2] Badrinath is also one of the four destinations (with each destination being in different corners of the country) of the longer Char Dham from which the Chota Char Dham likely draws its name.^[3][4]

Akshaya Tritiya (April or May in the Gregorian calendar) marks the beginning of the Chota Char Dham Yatra and closes two days after Diwali, on the day of Bhai-Bij (or Bhai Dooj)^[5] In May and June, tourists flock in large numbers, due to heavy rainfall greater chances of roadblocks or landslides in late July and August during monsoon season.

The Annual Chota Char Dham Yatra resumed in May 2014, after being suspended during the 2013 Uttarakhand floods. The footfall has now improved due to proactive measures taken by the government of Uttarakhand.^[6] In 2022, in just two months (10 June – 10 August), 2.8 million pilgrims have visited these Dhams.^[7]

A record 4.1 million pilgrims visited Chota Char dham in 2022.^[8] Over 1.4 million pilgrims have already visited Kedarnath, over 600,000 have visited Gangotri, and over 500,000 have visited Yamunotri. Around 1.5 million pilgrims have already visited Badrinath the same year.^[9]