Char (4) Dham names in India are Badrinath, Dwarka, Jagannath Puri, and Rameswaram (as defined by Adi Shankaracharya). Char Dham Yatra is one of the most popular Hindu pilgrimages in India. Hindus believe that visiting these four places helps achieve salvation, and every Hindu should do the Char Dham Yatra at least once in a lifetime.

What is Char Dham?

Char means four in Hindi and some other Indian languages. Dham means a shrine, abode, or a holy place. Char Dham is a group of four holy shrines in India. Three are related to Lord Vishnu, and Rameswaram is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Millions of Hindus visit these four places every year. Char Dham Yatra consists of visiting these four places in a single journey.

Types of Char Dham Yatra:

There are two types of Char Dham Yatra, viz. Bada Char Dham Yatra and Chhota Char Dham Yatra. The names of the Bada Char Dham Yatra are Badrinath, Dwarka, Puri, and Rameswaram. The names of the Chota Char Dham Yatra are Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath.

Who Started the Char Dham Yatra?

Shri Adi Shankaracharya started this yatra. He thought that devotees would be spiritually enlightened, and this pilgrimage would ease their path to salvation.

Char Dham Names and their meaning:

1. Badrinath:

Badrinath is the only common place in both Chhota and Bada Char Dham Yatra. The Badrinath temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The place is sacred for Jains also.

According to a story, when Lord Vishnu was meditating there, Goddess Lakshmi stood by his side and sheltered him from the scorching heat. Thus, she turned herself into a Badri (cloud). Therefore, Lord Vishnu is also called Badrinath; thus, this place got its name.

2. Dwarka:

Dwarka was an ancient city in India, which was built from scratch by Lord Krishna for the safety of his people. The city drowned in the sea after his death.

The meaning of the name Dwarka is Gateway. Dwarka was situated on the shore of the sea. Therefore, it was a gateway to the land. Hence, the name might have been given.

3. Jagannath Puri:

Puri is a coastal city in Odisha famous for Jagannath Temple and Rath Yatra. In the Rig Veda, Puri is mentioned as Purushamandama-grama, which later became Purushottama Puri or Jagannatha Puri, which means the City of Lord Vishnu. The name is shortened to Puri nowadays.

4. Rameswaram:

Rameswaram is a town in Tamil Nadu famous for the Rameswaram Temple, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas. Lord Rama installed a Shiva Lingam here and prayed to Lord Shiva to absolve him from the sins of killing Ravana, who was a Brahmin.

The name Rameswaram is one of the epithets of Lord Shiva, which means “Lord of Rama”.

Char Dham Names in Hindi:

बद्रीनाथ, द्वारका, पूरी, रामेश्वरम.