All India Char Dhams (Bada Char Dhams)

► 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.

► 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)
(Brahma Purana)

- Sri Krishna abides in Purushottama Kshetra (Puri) as Lord Jagannatha (along with Lord Balarama and Devi Subhadra). The Jagannath Temple of Puri was originally built by king Indradyumna. The famous Ratha Yatra of Lord Jagannatha is held here every year in Puri. Sri Krishna previously abided in Purushottama Kshetra as Lord Nilamadhava.
- Devi abides in Purushottama Kshetra (Puri) as Viraja Kshetra or Utkala Shakti Peetha (identified with Devi Vimala). There are many other temples of Devi in Puri.
- Lord Nrisimha was established by sage Narada before king Indradyumna performed Yagnas in Purushottama Kshetra. Thereafter the Image of Lord Jagannath was established.
- Sage Markandeya established the Markandeya Mahadev Temple (near Markandeya Sarovar) in Purushottama Kshetra (Puri) after getting the vision of Sri Krishna as a child on a Banyan Tree (Kalpa Vata). This puranic event is described in Brahma Purana. There are many other temples of Lord Shiva in Puri.

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

☗ Gandhamadana Parvat
☁ Sea Shore (Rameshwaram)
◼ 22 Teerthams inside Temple
(Tamil Nadu Eastern Coastal Plain)

(Valmiki Ramayana)
(Skanda Purana - Setu Mahatmya)

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

► 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.
- Lord Shiva protected merchant devotee Supriya from the atrocities of demon Daruka and abides as Nageshwara Jyotirlinga (identified with Dwarka Nageshwar).
- Kumaras created a Shiva Linga and worshipped Lord Shiva in Dwarka.