Which of the following is not included in the Char Dham of India?

A. Rameshwaram

B. Amarnath

C. Badrinath

D. Dwarka

The Char Dham (meaning "four sacred places") refers to four important pilgrimage sites in India. Hindus believe that visiting these places helps achieve moksha (salvation). The four Char Dham sites are Badrinath, Dwarka, Puri, and Rameswaram. It is believed that every Hindu should visit each of these places at least once in their lifetime.

The concept of Char Dham was popularized by Adi Shankaracharya, a great Hindu philosopher. Apart from these, there is a smaller circuit in Uttarakhand known as the Chota Char Dham, which includes Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath.

According to legend, Bhrigu Muni was the first sage to discover Amarnath, a holy cave in the Himalayas. It is believed that the Kashmir valley was once under water, and Kashyap Muni drained it using rivers and streams. Once the land dried, Bhrigu Muni had the first darshan (sighting) of the Amarnath ice Lingam, symbolizing Lord Shiva.

Later, local shepherds are said to have rediscovered the cave, and it became a major pilgrimage destination. The Amarnath cave, surrounded by snow-covered mountains, is visited by lakhs (hundreds of thousands) of devotees every year.

In the past, the route to Amarnath was via Rawalpindi (now in Pakistan), but today, trains connect the rest of India to Jammu, the winter capital of Jammu & Kashmir. The main pilgrimage season is between Guru Purnima and Shravan Purnima, although weather conditions in the mountains must be carefully considered.

• Rameswaram is located on Pamban Island in Tamil Nadu.
• Dwarka is an ancient city in Gujarat, known for its religious significance.

Hence, the correct answer is option (D).