All India Char Dham (Bada Char Dham)

All India Char Dham, also known as Bada Char Dham, are 4 sacred pilgrimages on the North, East, South and West of India which confer great blessings. The places are Badrinath in the North, Puri in the East, Rameshwaram in the South and Dwarka in the West.

1. Badrinath (North):

► Badrinath (3300 m) (Swayam Vyakta Kshetra) (Divya Desam) (All India Char Dham) (Uttarakhand Char Dham) (Sapta Badri)
(Chamoli district, Uttarakhand)

☗ Nara Parvat
☗ Narayana Parvat
▬ River Alakananda flows
• Pancha Dharas:
(1) Prahlada Dhara
(2) Kurma Dhara
(3) Bhrigu Dhara
(4) Urvashi Dhara
(5) Indira Dhara
(Uttarakhand Himalayas (Garhwal))

(Skanda Purana - Badarikashrama Mahatmya)

- Lord Vishnu abides in Badrinath or Badarikashrama (which is a Swayam Vyakta Kshetra) as Badri Vishal.
(Skanda Purana - Badarikashrama Mahatmya - 2)

2. Puri (East):

► Puri (All India Char Dham) (Shakti Peetha)
(Puri district, Odisha)

☁ Sea Shore (Purushottama Kshetra)
☗ Nilachala Hill (Puranic)
◼ Indradyumna Sarovar
◼ Markandeya Sarovar
◼ Shweta Ganga Sarovar
◼ Narendra Sarovar
(Odisha Coastal Plain)
(Skanda Purana - Purushottama Kshetra Mahatmya)

- Sri Krishna abides in Purushottama Kshetra (Puri) as Lord Jagannatha (along with Lord Balarama and Devi Subhadra).

3. Rameshwaram (South):

► Rameshwaram (Jyotirlinga) (Paadal Petra Sthalam) (All India Char Dham)
(Ramanathapuram district, Tamil Nadu)

☗ Gandhamadana Parvat
☁ Sea Shore (Rameshwaram)
(Tamil Nadu Eastern Coastal Plain)

- Sri Rama worshipped Lord Shiva in Rameshwaram and was granted the boon of victory against Ravana. Thereafter Lord Shiva abided there as Rameshwara Jyotirlinga.

4. Dwarka (West):

► Dwarka (Moksha Puri) (Divya Desam) (Jyotirlinga) (All India Char Dham)
(Devbhoomi Dwarka district, Gujarat)

☁ Sea Shore (Dwaraka Kshetra)
▬ River Gomati flows
◉ Gomati - Sagara Sangam (Confluence)
☸ Daruka Vana (Puranic)
(Gujarat Coastal Plain)
(Srimad Bhagavatam)
(Skanda Purana - Dwaraka Mahatmya)
(Shiva Purana)

- Sri Krishna established his kingdom in Dwarka after leaving Mathura. Sri Krishna stayed in Dwarka for a long time (till his final departure) and performed various Leelas while staying in Dwarka. Sri Krishna abides in Dwarka as Sri Dwarkadheesh.
- Sri Krishna married Devi Rukmini, Jambavati, Satyabhama, Kalindi, Satya, Lakshmana, Bhadra and the sixteen thousand and one hundred women who were held captive by Narakasura.
- Sri Krishna killed many demons like Mura and Narakasura while staying in Dwarka.
- Sri Krishna received Sudama, accepting his flattened rice and turning his humble house into palace.
- Curse of sage Durvasa on Devi Rukmini and later boon of sage Durvasa to the devotees of Sri Krishna.
- Sri Krishna met the Gopis in Dwarka.

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