There is something strikingly spiritual about this place. The loftiness of the mountains, the expanse of the undulating hills, the depth of the ravines, the softness of the wafting breeze and an endless sense of being - all these factors happen to touch the heart and the mind. These are the mountains that have beckoned, from long, long ago, a stream of wandering ascetics, religious scholars, devotees and travelers to their laps. There is a mention of these mountains in the Mahabharata when Pandavas ascended the slopes of a peak called Swargrohini or Ascent to Heaven. Just 4 kms away is Mana, where there is a cave where Vyas is said to have written the Mahabharata.

It is in these mountains that rishis, munis and yogis did severe austerities - some saints still are residing here in remote caves and sandy banks of the gurgling rivers. It is here that Goddess Ganga happens to descend to Earth from Heaven at Gangotri - the symbol of India’s culture and civilization, ever-changing, ever-flowing, and yet ever the same Ganga. It is here that Yamuna commences at Yamunotri; and Bhagirathi starts to trundle down fearlessly from Kedarnath; besides Alaknanda which meanders downhill from Badrinath. No wonder, then, this region is probably the most sacred in the world.

The water of the Ganga, especially at the source, contains no impurities and remains uncontaminated even after being kept over several years. While Hindus attribute this to its holiness, geologists say it is because of the minerals in it and scientists to the secretion of herbs.

This region consists of these four major pilgrim sites - one of them being part of the four major important temples of India established by none other than Adi Shankar himself centuries ago. Remember, these are holy towns, venerated by the people who come visiting on a pilgrimage and scarcely populated by simple-minded hill-folks, who are always under the influence of the positive vibrations of the region. And after you have finished your journey into this sacred region, you’ll come back a changed person.

Of all the four sites in this circuit, Badrinath is the most venerated. But this is not the first spot which you would probably go to. Your journey would start from Haridwar. You would obviously head for Yamunotri via Rishikesh. Since Yamunotri is a full-day’s journey from Haridwar, so start early in the morning. This place is the seat of goddess Yamuna as well as source of the river, and stands at the western flank of the perpetually snow-covered Bandarpoonch Peak (20,730ft). It is famous for thermal springs, including the Surya Kund, a tank full of boiling water into which rice and potatoes are cooked and taken as prasad. The source of Yamuna is at the difficult-to-reach Saptrishi Kund, said to have been venerated by the austerities of the seven rishis - Kashyap, Atri, Bhardwaj, Vishwamitra, Gautama, Jamadagni and Vashitha. The actual temple is six-kms-walk from the town of Hanuman Chatti. It houses the deity of goddess Yamuna, carved from black stone. She is the daughter of Surya and two sister of Yamraj.

After having touched the soils of the source of Yamuna, you’d head towards the source of probably the most venerated of rivers - Ganga. The seat of the goddess Ganga is at Gangotri, a two days’ journey from Yamunotri. This is a small town and the town as well as the life here is centered around the temple dedicated to goddess Ganga. This temple was built by the Gurkha General Amar Singh Thapa in the 18th century. The aarti ceremony is impressive as is the temple that sits on the banks of the gushing river. There are a few guesthouses and restaurants here which serve the pilgrims and the adventurous. A large number of tourists make an overnight 17-km trip to the actual source of Ganga at Gaumukh. Gangotri glaciers that start from Chaukhamba cluster of peaks extend up to Gaumukh. And river Ganga starts her long journey from within these glaciers. It is called Bhagirathi at the source and acquires the name of Ganga from Devprayag onwards where it meets Alaknanada.

The water of the Ganga, especially at the source, contains no impurities and remains uncontaminated even after being kept over several years. While Hindus attribute this to its holiness, geologists say it is because of the minerals in it and scientists to the secretion of herbs.

From Gaurikund, Kedarnath is accessible after a steep 13-km trek. Untrained persons can take up to one day on this paved path and spend the night at Garurchatti. As you approach from Garurchatti, the magnificent temple of Kedarnath becomes visible even halfway through. With the stunning background of towering white dome mantled with snow, the temple presents an enchanting sight.

There is an aura of peace and purity. Here, the unholy are said to become holy and the holy, holier still. The temple is built on a morainic ridge jutting out at right angles from the snowy range. Besides its affiliation with Lord Shiva, Kedarnath is believed to be the site of Adi Shankar’s samadhi.

Remember, these are holy towns, venerated by the people who come visiting on a pilgrimage.

Your last halt on this circuit would be Badrinath, a two-day long journey from Kedarnath. Interestingly, badri refers to berry which grows abundantly in this area and nath refers to Lord Vishnu. (Legend has it that Goddess Lakshmi took the form of berries to protect Lord Vishnu from inclement weather while He was doing penance.) According to The Bhagwad Gita, “In Badrikashram, Lord Vishnu in his incarnation as the sages Nara and Narayana, has been undergoing great penance for the welfare of all entities.”

The most visited site here is the Badrinath Temple, established by Adi Shankar in the 9th century. Of the several murtis here, the most important is the black stone statue of Lord Vishnu as Badri Narayana, depicted sitting in a meditative pose, rather than in His reclining posture. The temple is magnificent in its style and architecture. It is built on a ridge jutting out at right angles from the snowy range. It stands adjacent to the site of an earlier temple built by the Pandavas. Outside the temple door stands a large statue of the Nandi Bull built of large, heavy and evenly cut grey slabs of stones. How these were handled in those times remains a mystery.