Kedarnath:

Kedarnath shrine is one among the twelve jyotirlings of Lord Shiva. Kedar is another name of lord Shiva. Kedarnath is situated as an altitude of 3,581 mt, and 14 km. trek from gaurikund. It is believed to have been made by the 5 Pandav brothers (Mahabharat) after they won the war. It is set amidst the stunning mountainscape of the Garhwal Himalayas at the head of the Mandakini River. There are more than 200 shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva in Chamoli district itself, the most important one is Kedarnath. The lingam at Kedarnath is pyramidal, unlike its usual form. A status of Nandi the celestial bull stands at the entrance of the temple and exquisitely carved images adorn the interiors of the temple. During the winters, the shrine is submerged in snow and hence is closed. The ideal time to visit is between May to October.

Badrinath:

This is a Vishnu temple situated at a height of 3000 meters in the Himalayas. It is famous for it's statue of Lord Vishnu with many priceless gems and a large diamond over his third eye. The Bhrama Kapala located at a distance of 200 ft. from the main shrine to the north on the banks of the river Alaknanda is the site for performance of remembrance rites for the ancestors pitras (souls of the dead) by offering prasad (rice food) of Lord Badri Narayan. Main Festivals are Mata Murti ka Mela (Sept.), Krishna Janmashtami; (Jul/Aug), Badri-Kedar Utsav. Other Places to see there are Tapt Kund, Sheshnetra, Neelkanth, Charanpaduka, Brahma Kapal and many more. Road : Well connected to Rishikesh, Haridwar, Dehradun, Kotdwar and other hill stations of Gaharwal and Kumaon. Railhead : Rishikesh (300 kms.), Kotdwar (327 kms.)

Rishikesh:

Rishikesh is one of the popular pilgrimage place of Hindus, which is famous as TAPO BHUMI, the place for meditation of the gods. Rishikesh is 24 km from Haridwar. This is the place where River Ganga starts his journey through plains after leaving the mountains. Another reason of the popularity of this place is that there are lots of Ashrams, Yoga centers and meditation centers and the ideal locations. The two famous bridges Laxman Jhula and Ram Jhula connect Rishikesh’s two sides. Other places to see in Rishikesh are Neelkanth Mahadev Mandir, Bharat Temple etc.

Varanasi:

Varanasi is the holiest places of Hindus. One of the oldest living cities of the world formerly known as Banaras or Kashi. Varanasi gets its name from the two tributaries of the Ganga - Varuna and Assi - between which it is situated. It attracts the tourist because of its 2000 year old history, civilization, music and craft of silk weaving etc. It is said that Lord Shiva has founded this city.

The main temple of Varanasi is Golden Temple, which is dedicated to Lord Shiva and Vishwanath. Mogul Emperor Aurangzeb distorted the original temple and in that place he built a Mosque. Then in 1776, Ahilya Bai built the present temple. Another is Durga temple, which was built in 17 century by a Bengali Maharani. This temple is also known as Monkey temple. Mahatma Gandhi opened a temple known as Bharat Mata Temple. The most popular places are the Ghats of Varanasi, which line the west bank of river Ganga. There are around 100 Ghats in Varanasi. Ghats like Dasaswamedh Ghat, Manikarnika ghat , Asi ghat, Dasaswamedh, Barna Sangam, Panchganga, Manikarnika, Mansarovar ghat, PanchGanga Ghat, Kedar ghat are the most popular Ghats of Varanasi. It is said that life is incomplete without %%% the Kashi.