The Char Dham (Hindi: चारधाम, Cārdhām, "the four abodes"), also known as the Chatur Dhama (Sanskrit: चतुर्धाम), is a set of four Hindu pilgrimage sites in India. The circuit comprises Badrinath in the north, Dwarka in the west, Puri in the east, and Rameswaram in the south. Together they are regarded in Hindu tradition as among the most revered pilgrimage destinations.
Three of the four shrines are dedicated to Vishnu, namely Badrinath, Dwarka, and Puri, while Rameswaram is a shrine of Shiva. The grouping of these four sites as a single pilgrimage tradition is associated with Adi Shankara, the medieval philosopher and reformer credited with consolidating the circuit.
According to the tradition outlined by Adi Shankara, each dhāma is associated with one of the four yugas of Hindu cosmology. Badrinath is associated with the Satya Yuga, Rameswaram with the Treta Yuga, Dwarka with the Dvapara Yuga, and Puri with the Kali Yuga. Many Hindus hold the belief that undertaking a pilgrimage to these four sites can aid in attaining moksha, or liberation from the cycle of rebirth.
The Char Dham should not be confused with the Chota Char Dham, a separate pilgrimage circuit located in the state of Uttarakhand. The Chota Char Dham comprises the shrines of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath, and the term itself was popularised through the religious tourism industry. Of these, Badrinath is shared with the original Char Dham, while the other three sites are distinct to the Uttarakhand circuit.
Adapted from the English Wikipedia article on Char Dham.