Chota Char Dham of Uttarakhand: Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, ...

The Chota Char Dham, the "small four abodes", are four shrines of the Garhwal Himalaya in Uttarakhand. They are visited in the order from the west to the east: Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath. The shrines are closed in winter because of snow and open again around the end of April or in May, which is why the yatra is a spring-to-autumn event and why the opening dates are announced each year by the temple committees.

Shrine	District	About
Yamunotri	Uttarkashi district	The source of the river Yamuna and the temple of the goddess Yamuna; the shrine is reached by a trek from Janki Chatti.
Gangotri	Uttarkashi district	The temple of the goddess Ganga on the bank of the Bhagirathi; the source of the river, Gaumukh, is further up the valley and is reached by a longer trek that needs a permit.
Kedarnath	Rudraprayag district	The jyotirlinga of Shiva, described on its own page.
Badrinath	Chamoli district	The temple of Vishnu as Badrinarayan on the Alaknanda.

Before you go

These are mountain journeys and the weather changes quickly; landslides on the roads are common in the monsoon, which is the worst time for the yatra. Pilgrims have to register through the official portal of the Uttarakhand government; use only that official site. Pilgrims over 60, with high blood pressure, heart or lung illness, and children should talk to a doctor first, and the altitude at Kedarnath and Badrinath calls for an easy pace and for acclimatisation. See our guide to health and safety on a yatra.

Temple rules, opening seasons, booking arrangements and routes change. Before you travel, check the official website of the temple or the state tourism board, and be careful of anyone who asks for money to book darshan or a stay by phone or message. We do not sell tours or packages. Information on this page was last checked in November 2026.