How to Reach Chardham
A holy expedition for the Chota Char Dham Yatra in the subcontinent of Devbhoomi (Uttarakhand), is considered to be of great religious essence among the Hindu devotees. The four abodes of God are said to be nestled in Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri and this spiritual journey is usually embarked from Haridwar, known as the gateway to spirituality and therefore, is the base for the commencement of Char Dham Yatra.
Haridwar is well connected to Delhi, the major cities of Uttarakhand and other national cities by roadway and railway. For airways, the Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun is the nearest airport for Char Dham and is well connected to the major Indian cities. The Char Dham packages are curated for all-inclusive visits to all four shrines, as well as planning a visit to individual shrines or Do Dham Yatra. Reaching the Char Dham shrines involves treks both long and short.
In order to plan and reach Char Dham, one can opt for railways, roadways and airways.
By Air:-
The Jolly Grant Airport at Dehradun is the nearest airport to reach Char Dham. On reaching Jolly Grant, the rest of the route has to be covered by road by private vehicles or inter-state and intra-state buses.
Lately, Helicopter services have been started for smoother conveyance during the Char Dham Pilgrimage. The journey to Char Dham by helicopter also starts from Dehradun, Sahastradhara Helipad. The nearest helipads of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath are Kharsali Helipad, Harshil Civil Helipad, Phata Helipad and Badrinath Helipad respectively.
By Rail:-
1. Yamunotri - The nearest railway station is Dehradun Railway Station which is 180 km from Janki Chatti. The Yamunotri Temple is around 7 km away from Janki Chatti which is reached by trekking the route.
2. Gangotri - Rishikesh Railway Station is the nearest one to reach Gangotri. The shrine is 260 km away from the station which is covered by road.
3. Kedarnath - To reach Kedarnath, board a train to Rishikesh Railway Station and reach Gaurikund by road covering a distance of 207 km. From Gaurikund to Kedarnath Dham a trek of 15 km is undertaken by the devotees.
4. Badrinath - The nearest railway is the Rishikesh Railway Station, 289 km from Badrinath Temple.
By Road:-
Getting off from Haridwar, Rishikesh and Dehradun railway stations and Dehradun Airport, the rest of the distance is covered by road, traversing the route by private and public transport to reach the respective destination. Intra-state buses and inter-state buses are strongly connected to reach the nearest designated destination of the Char Dham shrines.
