Hindu Pilgrimage in Uttarakhand 

In Uttrakhand, the countless devotees among the lots of religious sites and circuits. This pilgrimage is a tour of four holy sites Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. In Hindi, the meaning of Char Dham is ‘char’ means four and ‘Dham’ refers to religious destinations.

All four pilgrimage locations are situated at high altitudes.  The shrines remain closed for around 6 months a year. The shrines are opened in April or May and close with the onset of October or November. It is the belief of most of the people, that one should complete the Char Dham in a clockwise direction. Hence, the char dham yatra starts from Yamunotri, proceeds towards Gangotri, then Kedarnath, and finally ends at Badrinath.  The devotee can complete the journey by road or by air. Helicopter services are also available to complete the yatra. 

Char Dham Yatra with helicopter is all about travelling to four different places in Uttarakhand. As the name describes, Char Dham yatra is about travelling to four locations in Uttarakhand. These places are also known as the four Pilgrimages. Char Dham is a religious place for Hindus. People visit Char Dham for lord Shiva and lord Vishnu worship. In Char Dham Yatra, the locations, we cover are Gangotri Yamunotri Kedarnath and Badrinath.

​ Char Dham Yatra Details & Helicopter Services

For people who love to travel, Uttarakhand is a complete package to travel.

• Chardham Yatra Registration on Uttarakhand Govt. The portals are mandatory to book Helicopter Services online. If not already registered, please click on Chardham Yatra Registration
• For Sign Up or Create an account, validate your e-Mail ID and Mobile No. through OTP on travelacharya.in. User ID/Booker ID will be your registered Mobile No. and you will need to create your password. You can then log in to travelacharya.in for booking an online Helicopter ticket.
• Enter Group ID to book tickets for multiple pilgrims or enter Unique Registration Number to book Helicopter Service for a single person.
• Maximum 02 Helicopter Tickets can be booked per User with a maximum of six passengers per Ticket.
• For booking tickets for a group with more than 12 passengers, the Booker will be required to Signup with another Booker ID on travelacharya.in. if already available or create another Booker ID for booking tickets for a group of more than 12 passengers.
• Helicopter Bookings are only allowed based on the Tour Date of Shri Kedarnath Dham provided in Char Dham Yatra.
  For example- For the Tour date of 05th May for Shri Kedarnath Dham, booking can be done between 02 May to 07 May, a total of 06 Days.

Char Dham Starting & End Point

Char Dham starting & end point. All this information helps devotees to visit all four pilgrims in Uttarakhand.

DEHRADUN TO YAMUNOTRI

You have to reach the government helipad Dehradun, Sahastradhara, the start and end point of this trip. Flights timings are specified in advance. Pilots and ground staff of the helicopter service brief passengers about the trip, during the flight, off-ground. In Kharsali, you can proceed to the Yamunotri temple, which is just 5 km away, on a palanquin. After visiting the temple, you will return to Kharsali and stay there.

KHARSALI TO GANGOTRI

The next day after breakfast, you will proceed to Harsil by helicopter. you can visit the Gangotri temple, which is 25 km and takes about 45 minutes by taxi. After doing prayer, return to harsil and take a rest here.

GANGOTRI TO KEDARNATH

The next day after breakfast, the helicopter will drop you to the Phata helipad, from where you can change the chopper to proceed to Kedarnath. The Kedarnath temple is just 30 minutes from the helipad. After visiting the temple, you will drop to Guptkashi for the night.

GUPTKASHI TO  DEHRADUN

After breakfast, the chopper will drop you to Badrinath. From the Badrinath helipad, you can check into your hotel or proceed to the temple for prayers directly. In the evening, explore Badrinath and back to your hotel for the rest. At 4 am, get ready to attend the Maha Abhishek of Lord Badrinarayan. After enjoying breakfast return back to Dehradun.

Char Dham Date & Time

Gangotri: Gangotri is the head of the goddess Ganga and a source of the Holy River Ganga, the most sacred of all Indian rivers in the district of Uttarkashi. Kapat is open now for darshan from April to June and September to November.

Yamunotri: Yamunotri is the head of the goddess Yamuna and the source of the holy river Yamuna. Yamuna is the second-most sacred Indian river after River Ganga. In Uttarkashi district, Yamunotri is dedicated to Goddess Yamuna.

Badrinath: Badrinath is the temple of lord Vishnu in respect of Bhagwan Badrinath and Alaknanda, Saraswati from Badrinath ji. Badrinath temple have been established by sage Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century. Badrinath temple is open for darshan from May to October. The temple is closed in October or November and is open around April.

Kedarnath: Kedarnath is 12 jyotirlingas and the temple of lord Shiva, Mandakani river from Kedarnath. People come to worship lord shiva and take the blessing of lord shiva. Kedarnath temple is located in the Garhwal Himalayas. The Kedarnath temple is located at an altitude of 3,580 metres, near the Chorabari glacier, which is the source of the Mandakini River. Kedarnath temple gate is open for darshan From May to October. During winter months, the town remains closed.

FAQ

•  How to register for Char Dham Yatra? 

          Online Registration Process through Web Portal & Mobile App 

• New User – Sign up
• Existing User – Sign In
• Plan your Tour – Manage Tour Information
• Register yourself – Manage Pilgrims or register yourself as a pilgrim and register others as well.
• Through Mobile Application – Tourist Care Uttarakhand

  From which helipad stations, I can book Helicopter Service for Shri Kedarnath Dham?

You can book Helicopter Service from Sersi, Phata and Guptakashi for Shri Kedarnath Dham.

• What is the payment option available to Book Helicopter Services Online?

      For user convenience, there are multiple payment options like Credit/Debit     Cards, UPI, Net banking etc. available to book tickets for the Helicopter service on the IRCTC website. 

• Can I book a Helicopter service for an individual?

      Yes, you can book a Helicopter service for a single passenger through     Chardham Yatra registration No.which was allotted by UTDB at the time of Yatra   registration.

• How can I cancel my Helicopter Booking?

Online Helicopter tickets booked through the IRCTC website can be cancelled only on the IRCTC website by following these steps.

• Log onto travelacharya.in
• Login using Registered Mobile No. and password.
• On the Top Right corner click on Booking Tab to check your booking
• Click on the Booking ID which you want to cancel
• Click on the cancel button and select the passenger(s) and cancel the booking.
• The refund amount against the ticket cancelled online will be transferred to the same user’s bank account. The transfer was made in 5 to 7 business working days.
• How to book packages?

Char Dham packages can be booked online at travelacharya.in or any nearby offices in your city

• For how many days,I can book a Helicopter service for Shri Kedarnath Dham?

    Helicopter Bookings are only allowed from Registered Tour Date – 3 Days to   Registered Tour Date + 2 Days to visit Shri Kedarnath Dham provided at the time of Char Dham Yatra Registration by the passenger. For example- For the Registered Tour date of 05th May for Shri Kedarnath Dham, booking can be done between 02nd May to 07th May = in between 06 Days.

 Conclusion

People can visit all four places using a helicopter as well. Various websites provide different packages to visit all four places in Uttarakhand. Some devotees even do only the Dham Yatra to two shrines: Kedarnath and Badrinath.

The Char Dham Yatra with helicopter is also a wonderful experience. People also do the Char Dham Yatra by helicopter so that they can easily travel to all four places in less time. There are different packages to visit all four places in Uttarakhand. Devotees can check all the information on the various websites and book different services like hotels, helicopter services, etc.