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Why in News:
- Increasing health-related fatalities among pilgrims, particularly due to altitude sickness and cardiac arrest at Kedarnath, have raised concerns during the ongoing Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand.
Key Facts: The Char Dham of Uttarakhand
- Definition: Also known as the ‘Chhota Char Dham’, it is a significant Hindu pilgrimage circuit in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand consisting of four sites: Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath.
- The Four Shrines:
- Yamunotri: Dedicated to Goddess Yamuna; located near the source of the Yamuna River. Key feature: Surya Kund (hot spring).
- Gangotri: Dedicated to Goddess Ganga; located on the banks of the Bhagirathi River. The actual source, Gaumukh, is 19 km away.
- Kedarnath: One of the 12 Jyotirlingas dedicated to Lord Shiva; situated near the Mandakini River. It is the highest of the four shrines.
- Badrinath: Dedicated to Lord Vishnu; situated on the banks of the Alaknanda River. It is also a part of the ‘Main Char Dham’ of India (alongside Dwarka, Puri, and Rameshwaram).
- Unique Points:
- Panch Kedar: Kedarnath is the first of the five Shiva temples in the Panch Kedar circuit (Kedarnath, Tungnath, Rudranath, Madhyamaheshwar, and Kalpeshwar).
- Adi Shankaracharya: The restoration and organization of these sites are traditionally attributed to the 8th-century philosopher Adi Shankaracharya, who established the Badrinath Math.
- River Confluences: The Yatra route follows the Panch Prayag (five holy confluences), where Alaknanda meets other rivers to eventually form the Ganga at Devprayag.
