KRDARNATH - BADRINATH

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. The most remote of the four Chota Char Dham sites, Kedarnath is located in the Himalayas, about 3,583 m (11,755 ft) above sea level near Chorabari Glacier, the head of river Mandakini, and is flanked by snow-capped peaks. The nearest road head is at Gaurikund. 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. Auli :is a ski destination in Chamoli district in the Himalayan mountains of Uttarakhand, India. Auli, also known as Auli Bugyal, in Garhwali, which means "meadow", is located at an elevation of 2,500 metres (8,200 ft) to 3,050 metres (10,010 ft) above sea level.[1] After the creation of the state of Uttarakhand, formerly part of Uttar Pradesh, Auli was marketed as a tourist destination. Auli lies on the way to the Hindu pilgrimage destination of Badrinath. It is surrounded by coniferous and oak forests, with a panoramic view of the peaks of the Himalayas.[1] The slopes are intended for both professional skiers and novices. The Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam Limited (GMVNL) a state govt agency which takes care of this resort, and Uttarakhand Tourism Department conduct winter sports competitions at Auli to encourage skiing in India.[2] It has a 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) cable car, a chairlift and a ski lift, along with a maintained trek route. There is a training facility of Indo-Tibetan Border Police. A small Hindu temple connected with the Hindu epic the Ramayana is also present. Rudraprayag : is a town and a municipality in Rudraprayag district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Rudraprayag is one of the Panch Prayag (five confluences) of Alaknanda River, the point of confluence of rivers Alaknanda and Mandakini. Kedarnath, a Hindu holy town is located 86 km from Rudraprayag. The famous man eating Leopard of Rudraprayag hunted and written about by Jim Corbett dwelled here.   Ukhimath: (also written Okhimath) is a small town and a Hindu pilgrimage site in Rudraprayag district, Uttarakhand, India. It is situated at an elevation of 1311 meters and at a distance of 41 km from Rudraprayag. During the winters, the idols from Kedarnath temple, and Madhyamaheshwar are brought to Ukhimath and worshipped here for six months. Ukhimath can be used as center destination for visiting different places located nearby, i.e. Madhmaheshwar (Second kedar), Tungnath (Third kedar) and Deoria Tal (a natural fresh water lake) and many other picturesque places.[1]According to Hindu Mythology, Wedding of Usha (Daughter of Vanasur) and Anirudh (Grandson of Lord Krishna) was solemnized here. By name of Usha this place was named as Ushamath, now known as Ukhimath. King Mandhata penances Lord Shiva here. During winter the Utsav Doli of Lord Kedarnath is brought from Kedarnath to this place. Winter puja of Lord Kedarnath and year round puja of Lord Omkareshwar is performed here. This temple is situated at Ukhimath which is at a distance of 41 km from Rudraprayag.[2]