Devout Hindu go on pilgrimages all over India. There are four important pilgrimages for them and these are called Four Pilgrimage Centers or Char Dham, in Hindi. The Chardham Yatra, the actual trips themselves are therefore considered to be very important journeys. These four places are Gangotri or the origin of the Ganges, Yamunotri or the origin of the river Yamuna, Badrinath, the abode of Vishnu and Kedarnath or the abode of Shiva. All the four journeys are arduous and till the other day the destinations themselves did not have decent accommodation. Today Chardham Camps have been set up by the Leisure Hotels group at several places in the state of Uttarakhand in India.
The camps pertinent to the Chardham Yatra are set up at Joshimath for Badrinath, Guptkashi for Kedarnath, Barkot for Yamunotri, and Harsil for Gangotri. These camps were set up in 2003 and these have helped make the tough pilgrimages not only bearable but also pleasant. The accommodation known as the Chardham Camps ensure that optimum comfort is provided to the pilgrims making the arduous journey. This accommodation is far better compared to that available in any hotel in the area of Chardham.
The accommodation provided at the Chardham Camps is on the concept of Swiss cottage camps. The accommodation is in spacious tents that are weather-proof and have luxury thatched roof with attached baths and toilets with running hot and cold water. The pilgrims can enjoy multi-cuisine dining facilities in terms of sumptuous vegetarian wholesome food. This food is essentially regional such as South Indian or Gujarati and Marwari. At these camps pilgrims are extended total assistance for visiting shrine as well as making arrangements for ponies and palanquins that may be required. Special offers are in force depending upon the time of the year in which the visit is being planned.