Chardham Yatra By Helicopter

Departure from Sahastradhara helipad, Dehradun (07:00 AM).

Arrival at Kharsali helipad, Yamunotri (07:45 AM).

Assemble at the State government helipad on Sahastradhara Road, Dehradun, the starting and concluding point of this yatra. The ground staff briefs you about the do's and don'ts of the trip. The helicopter departs from here at around 7'o clock in the morning. As you arrive at the Kharsali helipad for Yamunotri, you are transferred to your hotel.

After freshening up, you visit the Yamunotri temple for darshan. One of the four sites of Chhota Chardham Yatra of Uttarakhand, Yamunotri (3293 m) is the seat of Rive Goddess Yamuna. Yamunotri, lying on the top of Bandar Poonch Parvat, is the source of Yamuna River.

The main attractions here are Goddess Yamuna and the thermal springs at Janki Chatti, which are around 7 km away. The actual Champasar glacier is at an altitude of 4421 m above the seal level and is inaccessible. The temple, placed on the left bank of Yamuna River, was erected by Maharaja Pratap Shah of Tehri Garhwal. The idol of the Goddess here is in black marble. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Departure from Yamunotri helipad (07: 45 AM).

Arrival at Harsil Helipad (08:30 AM).

On day 2, depart from Yamunotri helipad and arrive at Harsil Helipad, lying amidst the beautiful lush Uttarakhand valleys. The day is scheduled for visiting the next Chardham destination of Uttarakhand- Gangotri. It is advisable that you visit the Gangotri temple, right from the helipad. The temple is located at a distance of 22 km from here. Arrive at the temple around 50 minutes later.

This religious town of the Hindu devotees is placed on the banks of Bhagirathi River and is the originating point of the holy River Ganga. The temple is located at an altitude of 3100 m. the river here is known as Bhagirathi and it gets the name Ganga from Devprayag where it meets Alaknanda River. Gaumukh in the Gangtori Glacier is the originating point of Ganges River. This glacier is a 19 km trek away from here.

Have Darshan at Gangotri temple, which was constructed by Amar Singh Thapa, the Gurkha General. The temple was constructed in 18th century. After Darshan, get transferred to your hotel in the afternoon. After completing the check-in, have your lunch. Later, you can relax for some time. The evening is at leisure. If you want, you can embark on an evening walk to the nearby villages where you can also buy some fine-quality woolens. Stay overnight.

Start the day early. Depart from Harsil helipad by 9.00 AM. Due to government regulation, you have to change chopper at Guptkashi helipad to continue to Kedarnath. Deboard and aboard the new helicopter awaiting for your further journey. Arrive at Kedarnath helipad by 10.00 AM approx.

Surrounded by snowcapped peaks, Kedarnath is the most remote site among all Char Dhams in Uttarakhand. The Kedarnath temple, the holy shrine of Lord Shiva houses one of the 12 Jyotirlingas in India. The temple lies at a distance of approximately 500m from the helipad and reaching it would take about 15 minutes.

The Kedarnath temple was originally constructed by the Pandava brothers of the Hindu epic, Mahabharata and later renovated by Adi Shankaracharya during the 8th century. At the temple entrance gate, there is a Nandi bull statue (the divine bull of the Lord). Pay respects to bull and the divine lingam of Lord Shiva.

Next, proceed to the ancient Triyuginarayan temple, which is dedicated to Lord Vishnu, is built on the site where it's believed that Lord Vishnu had witnessed the wedding ceremony of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.

You will be spending the night at Kedarnath. A Rudra Abhishek has been scheduled at the Kedarnath temple at 4 AM.

Today depart from Kedarnath. Your chopper will take you to Guptkashi helipad for change of helicopter. Board the new helicopter at 10:15 AM and you will arrive at Badrinath helipad by 11:00 AM.

Deboard at Badrinath helipad, after which you will be transferred to the hotel. Complete your check-in formalities at the hotel, and get ready to visit the Badrinath temple. The holy temple of Lord Vishnu, known as Lord Badri here is one of the divine 108 divya desams. Take blessings of the Lord.

Later, move on for a visit to the Mana village, close to Badrinath temple, the last village before Indo-China border, inhabited by an Indo-Mongolian tribe.

Overnight stay in Badrinath.

The highlight of Badrinath yatra is the special Maha Abhishek Pooja, which commences at 4 AM sharp in early morning and continues for almost 2hrs. Special arrangement has been made for you to sit inside the temple and watch the proceedings of the Shringar rituals of the deity.

Departure from Badrinath helipad (11:30 AM).

Arrival at Sahastradhara helipad, Dehradun (12:30 AM) Attend the Special Abhishek Puja at Badrinath temple, a major highlight of the yatra. It Puja starts 04.30 AM in the wee hours of morning.

The Puja lasts for around 2 hours. Have darshan of the deity from close quarters.

Later, depart from the Barinath helipad to Sahastradhara helipad in Dehradun. The tour ends.