Originally, the appellation Char Dham referred to a pilgrimage circuit encompassing four important temples—Puri, Rameswaram, Dwarka, and Badrinath—located roughly at the four cardinal points of the subcontinent. An archetypal All-India pilgrimage circuit, the formation of the original Char Dham is credited to the great 8th century reformer and philosopher Shankaracharya (Adi Sankara). In the original Char Dham, three of the three sites are Vaishnava (Puri, Dwarka and Badrinath) while one is Shaiva (Rameswaram). The Chota Char Dham included representatives from all three major Hindu sectarian traditions, with two Shakti (goddess) sites, (Yamunotri and Gangotri), one Shaiva site (Kedarnath), and one Vaishnava site (Badrinath).

Haridwar:
Haridwar, literally Gateway to God, is one of the Hindu holy places in India and a center of Hindu religion and mysticism for centuries. Located on the banks of River Ganges (Ganga), at the point where the Ganges descends from the hills to the North Indian plains, Haridwar attracts a large number of Hindu pilgrims from all over the world. This is the largest of several sacred ghats (bathing steps), Har Ki Pauri hosts a nightly Ganga Aarti (river-worshipping ceremony) in which tiny flickering lamps are floated off the steps. Worshippers fill the city during major festivals.

It's especially busy during the yatra (pilgrimage) season from May to October, and is the site of the annual Magh Mela religious festival.

Haridwar’s main street is Railway Rd, becoming Upper Rd, which runs parallel to the Ganges canal (the river proper runs further to the east). Generally only cycle-rickshaws are allowed between Laltarao Bridge and Bhimgoda Jhula (Bhimgoda Bridge), so vehicles travel around the opposite bank of the river. The alleyways of Bara Bazaar run south of Har-ki-Pairi Ghat

Yamunotri:
Yamunotri is the source of the Yamuna River and the seat of the Goddess Yamuna in Hinduism. It is situated at an altitude of 3,293 metres (10,804 ft) in the Garhwal Himalayas

The sacred shrine of Yamunotri, source of the river Yamuna, is the westernmost shrine in the Garhwal Himalayas, perched atop a flank of Bandar Poonch Parvat. The chief attraction at Yamunotri is the temple devoted to the Goddess Yamuna and the holy thermal springs at Janki Chatti (7 km. Away).

The destination of all pilgrims is usually to bath in the icy waters of Goddess Yamuna before having a darshan of the black idol of the Goddess herself in the main sanctum sanctorum. People usually have a dip in the taptkund adjacent to the temple before having a glimpse of the deity. The taptkund (natural hot sulphur springs) are said to have numerous medicinal properties. Some devotees however venture out to the river below to bath in its icy waters. It is said that Yamuna's brother, Lord Yama (god of death) had promised her that whoever takes a dip in her waters will be spared the excruciating tribulations of hell. The dip in the icy waters releases a sudden surge of energy in the body like that of electricity charging a dead battery.

Gangotri:
Gangotri is a town and a Nagar Panchayat in Uttarkashi district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. Gangotri is a holy pilgrimage site for followers in Hinduism.

Gangotri Temple is one of the holiest places in India. Near the source of the Ganges, the shrine is dedicated to the origin of Hinduism’s most sacred river.

According to Hindu mythology, Goddess Ganga - the daughter of heaven, manifested herself in the form of a river to absolve the sins of King Bhagirath’s predecessors, following his severe penance of several centuries. Owning to her might, Lord Shiva received her into his matted locks to minimise the immense impact of her fall. She came to be called Bhagirathi at her legendary source.

Kedarnath
Kedarnath is a town located in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and has gained importance because of Kedarnath Temple. It is a nagar panchayat in Rudraprayag district

Tucked at the base of 6970m peaks, 22km from the nearest road, Kedarnath is in the most dramatic location of any of the char dham temples. The puja offered inside, especially around the stone 'hump', is fervent and can be quite intense.

Kedarnath is a steep 14 km trek from Gauri Kund (horses and palanquins are available for hire). There is even a helicopter service during peak season.

The town and the temple are open from May to October only to avoid heavy snowfall in winter. Specific dates are as per the Hindu Calendar and one needs to check for specific dates for each year. One can still visit when the town is shut down but one needs to be prepared for being on own amidst heavy snow fall. Gaurikund also shuts down in winter.

Badrinath:
Badrinath is a holy town and a nagar panchayat in Chamoli district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is the most important of the four sites in India's Char Dham pilgrimage and gets its name from the temple of Badrinath. It is in the Garhwal hills, on the banks of the Alaknanda River, at an elevation of 3133 m.

Located only a few kilometers from the Indo-China (Tibet) border, Badrinath is generally a two-day-long journey from either Kedarnath, the site that precedes it in the Char Dham circuit, or one of the main disembarkation points on the plains. Hemkund Sahib, an important Sikh pilgrimage site, is on the way to Badrinath, so the road is especially crowded during the summer pilgrimage season. The temple and its substantial surrounding village are accessible by road. Many people prefer to reach Badrinath shrine starting early morning from Joshimath have darshan of Lord Vishnu and return to Joshimath by evening to avoid any altitude problems.

origin of saraswati river, near mana village. This is said be origin of Saraswati river coming out and going underground again as this river is not visible anywhere from source upto Allahabad Sangam in UP where it is said to merge into Ganga river along with Yamuna river.Very close to visible river Saraswati there is very small water stream said to be water from Mansarover Lake in Tibet.