Reason behind the Char Dham Yatra

{Original article written in july 2012, later edited} 

People believe that by completing the char dham yatra {pilgrimage to the 4 holy shrines} one attains moksha {liberation} and that sins are washed away.

No—No—No—No—No—No—No—No—No

this is not true; No soul can get liberated in this way.

Adi Shankaracharya started the tradition of the char dham yatra.

The true char dham yatra consists of a pilgrimage to Badrinath in the north, Rameshwaram in the south, Dwarka in the west and jagannath puri in the east.

A pilgrimage  to  yamunotri, gangotri, kedarnath and badrinath in the Himalayas is not the actual char dham yatra.

The true char dham yatra

The importance of the four (char dham) temples spread in the four directions

Geographically speaking the char dham (the four temples) made a perfect square or cross with Badrinath in the North and Rameswaram in the South falling on same longitude and Dwarka(old)in the West and Puri in the East on same latitude ( at that time, before coastlines changed)

Ancient temples with a hidden yantra (mystical diagram) based on sacred geometry were scientifically designed to be powerful energy centers

The Badrinath temple has a Bhairav yantra and in the words of the chief priest of the temple this “creates an explosion of energy”

Please click on the link below to read more about that yantra

http://bhoj11.blogspot.com/2016/09/vishnus-yantra-and-questions-regarding_3.html

So the four temples on the extreme limits of India create a concentration of energy in India.

The char dham yatra or pilgrimage to the four ancient holy shrines

The reason why Adi Shankaracharya started the tradition of the char dham yatra and the religious gathering of the Kumbh mela was that he wanted to integrate India spiritually

There was a north / south cultural divide and India was split up.

Adi Shankaracharya  arranged that the idol at Badrinath be offered chandan {sandalwood}  and silk from the south India also the head priest comes from south India  {namboodiri brahmin from kerala}

And the Shivling at rameshwaram be offered Ganga water from north and the priest comes from north India {gharwal brahmin or from Varanasi in north}

This was Adi Shankaracharya ‘s vision to have a flow of spiritual energy across India and as a direct result India was firmly integrated

i have added a few more points about the char dham yatra in the below mentioned blog

click:
https://bhoj11.blogspot.com/2020/08/ram-temple-at-ayodhya.html

Adi  Shankaracharya also started the tradition of the Kumbh mela a spiritual gathering of millions of people which creates a strong spiritual vibration

In the later years Mahatma Gandhi started giving speeches at the Kumbh mela and uniting the Indians.

The Britishers were quick to put a ban and the Kumbh mela was not held again till India got its freedom.

Please Note: visiting ancient temples has its own advantages. This article is to break the myth that just by doing the char dham yatra a person gets salvation.