The Char Dham, also known as the "four abodes" or "four seats, " is a set of four pilgrimage sites in India that are considered to be very sacred by Hindus. The four sites are: Yamunotri: located in the western Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, it is the source of the Yamuna River and the seat of the goddess Yamuna, who is considered to be the sister of Lord Yama, the god of death. Gangotri: also located in the western Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, it is the source of the Ganges River and the seat of the goddess Ganga, who is considered to be the mother of all rivers and the embodiment of purity and salvation. Kedarnath: located in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, it is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines of Lord Shiva and is considered to be one of the most sacred temples in Hinduism. Badrinath: located in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, it is one of the four sacred shrines in India's Vaishnavism tradition, and is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The Char Dham Yatra is considered to be a spiritual journey that can cleanse one's sins and help attain salvation. It is said that once a person completes the Char Dham Yatra, he is freed from the cycle of birth and death. The Char Dham Yatra usually starts from the west to the east, i. e Yamunotri-Gangotri_x 0002_Kedarnath-Badrinath. The yatra is usually done between April to June and September to November, due to the heavy snowfall in the region during the rest of the months. The yatra can be done by foot, helicopter, or by road, depending on one's preference and physical abilities.