Char Dham in Kamyavan: Krishna's Four Dhams in Braj

Char Dham in Kamyavan at a glance

The Char Dham in Kamyavan: an overview

Among the many wonders of Braj is one that gathers the whole of the Himalayas into a single forest: the Char Dham of Kamyavan. Here, by a beloved tradition, Lord Krishna brought the four great Himalayan dhams, Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri and set them upon the hills and ponds of the Kamyavan forest, so that his parents Nanda and Yashoda and all the people of Braj, might have their darshan without the long and difficult journey to the mountains. It is a place of quiet, deep devotion, tucked on the western edge of Braj and one of the most moving stops on the great Braj parikrama. To reach it as part of a Braj yatra, a mathura vrindavan tour package with Experience My India can include the Kamyavan Char Dham.

From the ground (Gurudutt): I love bringing pilgrims to Kamyavan, because the story here melts the heart. Kanhaiya could not bear to send his old parents on the hard road to the Himalayas, so he called the dhams to come to them here in Braj. To bathe at the Alaknanda Kund by Boodha Badri, to see Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri gathered on these Braj hills, is to feel a son's love made into holy ground. It lies deep on the Chaurasi Kos Yatra; come with a calm heart and time to spare. Radhe Radhe. See our Mathura Vrindavan tour Package  or message WhatsApp +91 7302265809.

The legend: Krishna, his parents and the four dhams

The Char Dham of Kamyavan is born of one of the tenderest stories of Krishna's love for his parents:

• The old vow. Nanda Maharaja and Mother Yashoda had vowed, in their childless old age, that if they were blessed with a child they would make the pilgrimage of the Char Dham; and after Krishna came to them and grew, they remembered their vow and began to prepare for the long journey to the Himalayas.

• Krishna's loving solution. Seeing the hardship the aged journey would bring his parents and knowing that all the holy dhams exist eternally in Braj, Krishna told them there was no need to travel so far and invited the dhams to appear here in their own land.

• The local manifestation. At his word, the sacred dhams came, one by one, to the hills and ponds of the Kamyavan forest, Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri, so that Nanda, Yashoda and all the Brajwasis could take their darshan at home; and it is believed that visiting them fulfils the heart's wishes.

The four dhams of Braj at Kamyavan

The four dhams are represented across the sacred geography of Kamyavan, on its hills, kunds and springs:

• Boodha Badri (Old Badrinath). The ancient site representing Badrinath, also called Adibadrinath, where Lord Badrinarayan is said to have appeared to give darshan to the Brajwasis; near it lies the Alaknanda Kund, in which pilgrims traditionally take a holy bath and the Nar-Narayan mountain and Devsarovar.

• Kedarnath in Braj. Set on a small hill in Kamyavan, the Kedarnath of Braj, where Lord Shiva is worshipped and bathed with holy waters, echoing the great Himalayan shrine of Kedarnath.

• Gangotri and Yamunotri. The sources of the Ganga and the Yamuna are represented too, upon a hill in the sacred geography of the area, the two shrines often seen together, so that the springs of the holy rivers are honoured here in Braj.

Together these make the Braj Char Dham and it is held that their darshan brings the merit of the great Himalayan pilgrimage, the gift of Krishna's love to those who cannot make the mountain journey.

Kamyavan: the Adi Vrindavan and its sacred sites

The Char Dham is only part of the wonder of Kamyavan, one of the twelve forests of Braj:

• The Adi Vrindavan. Kamyavan is loved as the Adi Vrindavan, the original Vrindavan, for its ancient sanctity among Krishna's forests; its name comes from kama, desire, for here, it is said, the heart's longings are fulfilled.

• The land of eighty-four. By tradition Kamyavan holds eighty-four kunds, eighty-four tirthas and eighty-four temples, a little Braj of its own, centred on the great Vimal Kund, the sacred tank ringed by shrines.

• Its beloved sites. Beyond the Char Dham are Kameshwar Mahadev, the guardian Shiva of Kamyavan; the Charan Pahari, with Krishna's footprints in the rock; the Bhojan Thali; the Phisalani Shila; and Gehvar Van, among many more.

Kamyavan on the Braj Chaurasi Kos Yatra

Kamyavan is one of the great stops on the Braj Chaurasi Kos Yatra, the 84 kos parikrama that encircles the whole of Braj. It is the deepest point the parikrama reaches from the Yamuna, on the western edge of Braj across the Rajasthan border and pilgrims usually halt overnight at Kaman to take in its many sites, the Char Dham among them. For the devout, reaching Kamyavan is one of the most rewarding parts of the whole yatra. Our 84 kos braj parikrama guide sets out the full circuit and its stops and our braj 84 kos yatra carries pilgrims around the whole of Braj, including Kamyavan and its Char Dham.

How to reach Kamyavan

Kamyavan, the town of Kaman, is on the western edge of Braj and reaching it takes a little planning:

• From Mathura. Kaman is about 50 to 70 km from Mathura by road, depending on the route, reached via Deeg in Rajasthan; a car is the most practical way, as it lies off the main tourist trail.

• From Govardhan. It is roughly 36 km from Govardhan, so pilgrims on the western-Braj circuit, of Govardhan, Barsana and Nandgaon, can continue on to Kamyavan.

• On the parikrama. Most pilgrims reach Kamyavan as part of the Braj Chaurasi Kos Yatra, halting overnight at Kaman; its sites are spread out, so allow time and, ideally, a guide who knows the forest-town.

Nearby lie govardhan hill, radha rani temple barsana and shri nand mahal nandgaon in the western Braj; our how to commute in vrindavan guide covers getting around the region.

Best time to visit and tips

• October to March is the best season, with pleasant weather for the spread-out sites; Rajasthan summers are very hot, so avoid them if you can.

• The Chaurasi Kos Yatra months bring the most pilgrims and the fullest experience, though also the largest crowds.

• Kamyavan's sites are spread across hills and kunds, so allow a full day or an overnight, wear comfortable footwear and carry water.

• A car and a guide who knows Kaman are a great help, as the town lies off the main trail and its sites take finding.

• Approach the Char Dham and the kunds with a devotional heart, follow local custom at the holy baths and keep your belongings close.

We take pilgrims to Kamyavan and its Char Dham as part of the Braj Chaurasi Kos Yatra and wider Braj journeys, with a comfortable vehicle, the darshan arranged and a Braj-born guide who knows the forest-town and its story. A shared day tour starts from around ₹1,499 per person, with darshan free. Our braj 84 kos yatra is not repeated here; for the twin cities our mathura vrindavan tour and for Vrindavan our vrindavan tour package cover the core of Braj and our mathura vrindavan tour itinerary and mathura vrindavan temple timings guides help you plan; message me on WhatsApp at +91-7302265809.

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