Who made Char Dham? – Char Dham History and Significance

Adi Shankaracharya, the great Hindu revivalist, philosopher, saint, and teacher, is credited with uniting the diverse and often conflicting elements within Hindu tradition. He established four sacred shrines, one in each corner of the Indian peninsula, into a singular pilgrimage circuit known as Char Dham. Adi Shankaracharya is widely praised in philosophical, religious, and spiritual critiques that study the remnants of his literary works. He is also recognized for his foresight. Nowhere is this more evident than in his efforts to establish four major monasteries at the cardinal points of the Indian peninsula: Sringeri Sharada Peetham in Karnataka (South), Jyotirmath in Uttarakhand (North), Govardhana Matha in Orissa (East), and Dwaraka Pitha in Gujarat (West). These monasteries were linked to the sacred shrines of Rameswaram, Badrinath, Jagannath Puri, and Dwarkadheesh.

It has been widely accepted since his time that a visit to all these shrines would bring one closer to the Divine, as well as help forge a sense of unity across the diversities housed in this sacred land of India. He did not stop there; he also maintained that the overseeing of the ritualistic pooja at a particular shrine would be undertaken by Brahmins belonging to different regions. For example, the Rawal of Badrinath belongs to the Namboodiri community in Kerala, while the priests at Rameswaram come from Maharashtra and are given Deeksha by Sringeri Math.

Char Dham of India

Let us now proceed with a concise guide on the four abodes of divinity chosen by Adi Guru Shankaracharya as Char Dham.

History of Jagannath Temple, Puri

The Jagannath Temple is the only known shrine where Sri Krishna is worshipped along with both his siblings—Balarama and Subhadra. Rarely does one come across someone who hasn’t heard of the iconic Puri Jagannath Yatra, the annual procession of the three deities from the temple to Gundicha Temple and their return after nine days. Allusions to the Ratha Yatra date back to even Puranic texts like the Skanda Purana, Brahma Purana, etc. The initiation of the construction of what forms its present structure is attributed to the Eastern Ganga dynasty kings of the 10th century.

As the first temple to be visited in the Char Dham pilgrimage, it has held sacred ground for the spiritual works of great saints like Ramananda, Adi Shankara, Ramanuja, and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

History of Badrinath, Uttarakhand

Badrinath marks the culmination of the other Char Dham Yatra too, differentiated as Chota Char Dham or Himalayan Char Dham. The sacred land has been a witness to the penances done by Nar and Narayan over thousands of years to bring higher spiritual good for all beings on Earth. The present idol is said to have been discovered by Adi Shankaracharya. It is venerated as the holiest of all Vaishnavite shrines in this universe, even in the Skanda Purana.

• Suggested Tour: Badrinath Yatra by Helicopter

History of Ramanathaswamy Temple, Rameswaram

Can a shrine be more pious than one established by Sri Rama himself to worship Lord Shiva? It is said that it is from the sacred soil of this island that Sri Rama embarked on his mission to cross the ocean itself, not before procuring the blessings of Lord Shiva. Also, the architectural marvel that the temple is needs to be seen to be appreciated. In fact, the temple is credited with having the longest corridors among all temples in the world. The temple houses two Shivlingas: one brought by Lord Hanuman from the Himalayas, while the other is said to have been made of sand by Maa Sita.

History of  Dwarakadheesh Temple, Gujarat

Dwaraka is blessed to have been ruled by Sri Krishna in the Treta Yuga. The temple’s flag, depicting the Sun and Moon, stands as a testimony to the belief that Sri Krishna’s essence would permeate this temple until the end of time, until the Sun and Moon too fall under the inevitable cycles of destruction that everything material undergoes. As per the mythology, the temple is said to have been constructed over what constituted the original resting place of Lord Krishna, Hari-griha, by his grandson Vajranabha.

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