Badrinath is a Hindu holy town in Uttaranchal, India and considered to
be the most important of the four sites in India's Chardham pilgrimage.
It is an important destination on the sacred itinerary of every devout
Hindu. It has been emphasized in the ancient scriptures that there are
many sacred spots of pilgrimage in the Earth, Heaven and the Nether
world, but there has been none equal to Badri nor there shall be. The
significance of this place is that it is considered to be the seat of
the God Vishnu in his aspect of Badrinarayana. The prime sites in this
area are Badrinath Temple, Tapt Kund, Brahma Kapal, Charanpaduka,
Sheshnetra, Neelkantha. Another important religious attraction at
Badrinath is the Badrinath Temple which is considered as the abode of
Lord Vishnu and is situated at 3,124 meters above sea level in the
Himalayas. The temple has three parts - Garbha Grih (The Sanctum
Sanctorum), Darshan Mandap (for pujas) and Sabha Mandap (for devotees to
assemble). At the backdrop is the Neelkanth mountain peak situated
between twin peaks named Nar and Narayan. The Badrinath temple was built
by the Gharwal kings.The temple is more than two centuries old. It is believed that Lord Vishnu came to the area, called 'Badri Van', or the berry garden, to meditate after Narad rebuked the Lord for being immersed in worldly pleasures. The main idol in the temple is that of Lord Vishnu in the form of a black stone. Lord Vishnu is in a meditative stance with both hands on his lap. The sacred river Alaknanda flows by the temple. The holy river Alaknanda is fed by the Badrinath glaciers and the Holy Ganges. The temple of Badrinathji is five meters high, it is built in the form of a cone with a small coupla of a gilt bull and spire. The temple opens every year in the month of April-May and closes for winters in the third week of November. At one time the spot was covered with wild berries ("badris") and was famous as the "Badri Van" (the garden of wild berries). Facing the temple at the bank of Alaknanda River is "Tapt Kund"a hot water spring, a bath in this spring is a very refreshing experience for the travelers. It is believed to be a reliever from many diseases.
Places of Interest
The nearby places of interest are the Panch Badri namely :
Yog Dhyan Badri
The temple of Yog dhyan Badri, one of the five Badris. It is located at Pandukeshwar. The location is just 24 km short from Badrinath on the Rishikesh Badrinath highway. The image, worshipped here is that of the Lord in a meditative posture. It is believed that the Pandavas settled here after handing over Hastinapur to king Parikshit.
Bhavishya Badri
Bhavishya Badri is located at Subain near Tapovan, about 17kms. east of Joshimath on Joshimath - Lata Malari route. Pilgrims have to trek beyond Tapovan, up the Dhauliganga river. The temple of Bhavishya Badri is at an elevation 3641mts., and is surrounded by dense forests. It is believed that one day the route to Badrinath temple will become inaccessible and then Lord Badrinath will be worshipped here. Hence this place is rightly called Bhavishya Badri meaning the future Badri.
Adi Badri
Adi Badri is believed to be the ancient aboard of Bhagwan Badrinath. The Idol worshiped here is a black stone depicting Lord Vishnu. This place is approachable from Karnprayag by a motorable road on the way to Ranikhet. There are 16 small ancient temples, 7 among them belong to the late Gupta period. The credit for building these temples is given to Shankaracharya. The main temple of Lord Narayan is situated on a raised platform in the pyramidal form where the idol is enshrined. The idol of Lord Vishnu is a meter high. Adi Badri is considered as the emerging source of river Saraswati.
Vriddha Badri
The idol placed here is known as vriddha old or the first Badri and the temple remains open throughout the year. It is situated at an altitude of 1380mts. and at a distance of 7kms. from Joshimath. The idol of Badrinath was enshrined and worshiped here before the advent of Adi Guru Shankaracharya.
Things to remember
- The Badrinath temple remains closed during winter and is open from April to November
- One may carry light woolen between June - September
- One should carry heavy woolen between October - November
- Languages spoken - Hindi, English and Garwali
- Panchshilas
- Panchdharas
- Mata murty temple
- Mana Village
- Vasudhara
- Bhim Pul
- Vyas GutaYogadhyan Badri
- Alkapuri
- Satopnath Swargarohan Parbat