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Badrinath temple at dawn with Himalayan peaks

Every dham · One guide

Every dham across India, one sacred atlas.

Significance, best season, and the road to reach — from Badrinath's snows to Rameswaram's shore.

Explore the Char Dham

(a) The Four Abodes

The Char Dham

Badrinath

Uttarakhand

Badrinath

Seat of Badri Vishal on the Alaknanda; the northern dham of the Himalayas, open only half the year.

One of the 108 Divya Desams, established by Adi Shankaracharya. Reach via Rishikesh (295 km) and Joshimath; nearest rail is Rishikesh, nearest airport Jolly Grant, Dehradun.

May – Oct3,133 m
Dwarka

Gujarat

Dwarka

Krishna's golden kingdom on the Arabian shore — the western dham, beside the Nageshwar Jyotirlinga.

Capital of Lord Krishna's reign. Reach via Jamnagar (airport, 137 km) or Dwarka railway station; Bet Dwarka island lies a short boat ride away.

Oct – FebSea coast
Jagannath Puri

Odisha

Jagannath Puri

Home of Lord Jagannath and the thunder of the Rath Yatra — the eastern dham on the Bay of Bengal.

One of the oldest living temples of India, famed for the Mahaprasad and the annual chariot festival. Nearest airport is Bhubaneswar (60 km); Puri has its own railhead.

Year-roundSea coast
Rameswaram

Tamil Nadu

Rameswaram

Rama's bridgehead and the 22 sacred wells — the southern dham and a Jyotirlinga on one island.

Where Rama worshipped Shiva before crossing to Lanka. The Ramanathaswamy corridor is the longest of any temple in India. Reach via Madurai (airport, 170 km) over the Pamban bridge.

Oct – AprIsland

(b) The Twelve Lights of Shiva

The 12 Jyotirlingas

01

Somnath

Prabhas Patan, Gujarat

02

Mallikarjuna

Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh

03

Mahakaleshwar

Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh

04

Omkareshwar

Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh

05

Kedarnath

Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand

06

Bhimashankar

Pune, Maharashtra

07

Kashi Vishwanath

Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

08

Trimbakeshwar

Nashik, Maharashtra

09

Vaidyanath

Deoghar, Jharkhand

10

Nageshwar

Dwarka, Gujarat

11

Rameshwaram

Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu

12

Grishneshwar

Ellora, Maharashtra

(c) By Region

Pilgrimage by land

01

North · Himalaya

Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, Yamunotri, Amarnath, Vaishno Devi, Haridwar — snow, river and stone.

12 sites →

02

West · Sahyadri

Dwarka, Somnath, Shirdi, Bhimashankar, Trimbakeshwar, Shani Shingnapur along the coast and ghats.

14 sites →

03

East · Ganga Delta

Puri, Varanasi, Gaya, Kamakhya, Deoghar, Bishnupur — the river's eastern pull.

11 sites →

04

South · Tirtha

Tirupati, Rameswaram, Kanchipuram, Sringeri, Sabarimala, Madurai — the Dravidian tirthas.

13 sites →

05

The Twelve

All 12 Jyotirlingas and the 51 Shaktipeeths, mapped and indexed for the yatri.

63 sites →

06

The Seven

Sapta Puri — Ayodhya, Mathura, Haridwar, Kashi, Kanchi, Ujjain, Dwarka — the seven moksha cities.

14 sites →

(d) Know before you go

About the dham & the yatra

What is a dham?

A dham is a sacred abode — a place where the divine is believed to dwell and where pilgrimage earns spiritual merit. The Char Dham of Adi Shankaracharya mark the four corners of India: Badrinath, Dwarka, Puri and Rameswaram.

When to travel

Himalayan dhams open April–November and close in snow. Coastal and southern temples welcome yatris year-round, best October–March. Plan around major festivals — Rath Yatra, Kumbh, Mahashivratri — for the fullest darshan.

Yatra etiquette

Dress modestly, remove footwear before entering, avoid leather items inside sanctums, and follow photography rules. Many inner sanctums are open to Hindus only; respect every temple's tradition.

Health & altitude

High dhams like Kedarnath and Amarnath demand fitness and acclimatisation. Carry warm layers even in summer, register for yatra permits where required, and travel insured.