The Char Dham
Chār Dhām
About this circuit
The Chār Dhām are the four great abodes at the cardinal quarters of Bharat: Badarīnātha in the north, Dvārakā in the west, Purī in the east and Rāmeśvaram in the south. Tradition associates the circuit with Ādi Śaṅkara, and completing all four is held to be among the greatest of pilgrimages. Three dhāmas are Vaiṣṇava; one, Rāmeśvaram, is Śaiva. (The Himalayan 'Chota Char Dham' of Uttarakhand — Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath — is a distinct circuit that shares only Badrinath.)
Sources: [Oral tradition] Chār Dhām pilgrimage tradition
- The Char Dham 1 · North
Badrinath
Badarīnātha - The Char Dham 2 · West
Dwarka
Dvārakā - The Char Dham 3 · East
Puri
Purī - The Char Dham 4 · South
Rameswaram
Rāmeśvaram