The Yatra to Uttarakhand Chardhams beckons every pious Hindu. But the path is perilous and utterly difficult. If you abide by the right travel
tips, you can complete the Yatra successfully. So read on-
The most popular holy expedition of the Hindus in the Himalayas is Chardham Yatra which invariably covers Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. The road to the Gods is not an easy one. To help you dodge the perils of the way, we have summed up some invaluable tips for your happy journey up the mountains.
Make sure the place of stay in hotels or otherwise is booked beforehand. During the peak season in summers, it is almost impossible to get new booking.
The shrines are open only for six months, i.e., from May to October. Each shrine has a different opening and closing date as below-
Gangotri
opens on Akshay Tritiya (in late April) and closes on Diwali.
Yamunotri
opens on Akshay Tritiya and closes on Yama Dwitiya (Bhai Dooj).
Kedarnath
opens on Maha Shiv Ratri and closes on Yama Dwitiya.
Badrinath
opens on Bansant Panchami and closes on Vijaya Dashami.
General Travel Tips:
Make sure you have taken enough woollen to beat the chill. In summers, the average high is around mid-20 degrees in Celsius and at nights it is quite chilly.
Minutely go through the itinerary and resolve all your doubts before starting the journey. Otherwise it may not remain as happy as you wished.
Get yourself acquainted with the local traditions, customs and food habits beforehand, so that you do not offend the locals even unintentionally.
Entry in the temple with socks and shoes is not allowed. Cameras and mobile phones are also not allowed in some temples, so make sure you keep them safe or otherwise you may run the risk of losing them.
Monsoons bring landslides and can be hazardous for the outside visitors. So plan your trip either during the summers or post-monsoon.
Ensure you have tight-fitting clothes like salwar-kameez, jeans, shirt-pants and the likes. Flowing clothes like sarees, skirts, dhoti etc. might turn into unnecessary hazards.
Ask for directions from shopkeepers and not pedestrians.
Learn some relevant sentences in Hindi (if you are not Hindi-speaking) so that you do not face trouble during conversing with the locals. Otherwise, keep someone close who know Hindi or the local dialect, or everything and everyone may get lost in translation.
Do not carry alcohol or non-vegetarian food products. These are prohibited during the journey.
Last but not the least, consult with someone who has already gone for Chardham Yatra earlier. You will get a clear idea of the practical pros and cons.
Things to Carry:
Heavy woollen clothes that include muffler, monkey cap, gloves, warm woollen socks, easy-to-carry warm blanket, raincoat, umbrella, heavy-duty torch, sunglasses, canvas/waterproof shoes, medical kit and dry food.
The journey-food typically includes dry fruits like almond, apricot, peanuts, cashew, raisins, figs etc. Also include chocolates, glucose, toffees and lozenges, biscuits and similar foods. This will provide instant boost to your energy level during your long haul uphill. Carry adequate quantity of drinking water.
Do not forget to take your medical kit and your prescribed drugs (if any). If you have high sugar or pressure, make sure to include the medicines without fail. The general medical kit should invariably include painkillers, antibiotics, anti-septic cream, bandage, band-aids, medicated lotion, medicines for fever, cough and cold.
Include moisturizer, cold cream, lip balm and sunscreen lotions.
Carry extra batteries for torch, extra films for camera, chargers for mobile, tablet and laptop, debit/credit cards, extra cash during trek as might be necessary for some warm sip by the road-side tea-stall or the likes.