Winter Chardham Yatra will be held for the first time in Uttarakhand, Shankaracharya will start from 27th December.
When the whole world is immersed in the celebrations of Christmas and New Year, then the historic winter journey will begin for the first time in Devbhoomi Uttarakhand. Usually Chardham Yatra starts in summer in Uttarakhand, but for the first time the winter yatra is going to start in the post month. Jagatguru Shankaracharya Avimukteshwarananda will start the yatra. Representatives of Shankaracharya met Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday. CM Dhami has given best wishes for Chardham Yatra. The 7-day winter pilgrimage will start from 27th December. Whereas it will conclude on January 2 in Haridwar.
To invite the yatra, a delegation from Jyotirmath met Chief Minister Dhami and gave the invitation letter for the yatra. Following the traditions established by Adiguru Shankaracharya two and a half thousand years ago, Shankaracharya of Jyotishpeeth is undertaking a pilgrimage to the winter places of worship. This is the first time in the history of Adiguru Shankaracharya tradition that the Acharya of Jyotishpeeth is undertaking a pilgrimage to the places of worship of Char Dham located in Uttarakhand.
Describing Shankaracharya’s visit as historical, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that his pilgrimage will promote winter travel to the four Dhams. This yatra will conclude on 2nd January in Haridwar.
What is the common belief regarding Chardham Yatra?
The winter Chardham pilgrimage is a historic initiative. For the first time in history, a Shankaracharya is undertaking such a journey. It is a common belief that for 6 months of winter, the reins of the Char Dhams of Uttarakhand are handed over to the deities and the movable idols established at those places are installed as per the rituals in the winter worship places. Only traditional priests perform the puja at these places for 6 months, but common people have a belief that if the doors are closed for 6 months, the darshan of the deities will also be rare.
Travelers will get religious-spiritual benefits
Jyotirmath’s in-charge Mukundand Brahmachari said that in order to remove this concept of common people and to start the tradition of darshan at the winter stay place of the gods by starting the winter Chardham pilgrimage of Uttarakhand, ‘Jagadguru Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati will be present from 27th December to 2nd. Will travel till January. On the one hand, passengers will get religious-spiritual benefits from seeing God. The local people of the mountain will benefit materially from this journey. He told that this journey will be historic in itself, when a Shankaracharya will visit Chardham in winter. This will not only promote Sanatan culture, but Uttarakhand, whose revenue depends on religious pilgrimages, will also benefit. Perhaps soon the doors of Uttarakhand will open for winter travel also.
This is the complete schedule of the journey
Jyotirmath’s media in-charge Dr. Brijesh Sati said that all preparations have been completed for Shankaracharya’s visit. According to tradition, the Chardham Yatra, which will start from Haridwar on 27th December at 8 am, will first reach Yamuna temple in Kharsali village for the winter worship of Yamunaji. Leaving from the winter worship place of Yamunaji on 28th December, the Yatra will reach Mukhwa village, the winter worship place of Gangaji in Harsil, via Uttarkashi on 29th December.
After visiting Uttarkashi Vishwanath on 30th December, it will reach Omkareshwar, the winter worship place of Lord Kedarnath. Jagatguru Shankaracharya’s journey will reach Joshimath, the winter worship place of Baba Badrinath, after worshiping Lord Omkareshwar on 31st December. After completing this leg of Chardham, Jagatguru Shankaracharya will reach Haridwar with his disciples on January 2 to conclude the journey.
