Badrinath
Information
The Abode of Lord Vishnu, the
god of creation. The holiest shrine is
situated in between of holy twin mountain
ranges of Nar and Narayan along the left bank
of river Alaknanda. With the splendid Neelkanth
mountains as the backdrop, it is an important
destination on the sacred itinerary of every
devout Hindu. Once the spot was carpeted with
‘Badris’ or wild berries and hence
was famous as ‘Badri Van’.
The revered shrine is still alive with myriad
legends from mythology. Its sanctity is emphasised
in the ancient scriptures as "There are
many sacred spots of pilgrimage in the heavens,
earth and the nether world, but there has
been none equal to Badri, nor shall there
be".
As per the Hindu legend, when the holy Ganga
(The Ganges River) was requested to descend
to earth to help suffering humanity, the earth
was unable to withstand the force of its descent.
Therefore the mighty Ganga was split into
twelve holy channels. Alaknanda was one of
them that later became the abode of Lord Vishnu
or Badrinath.The temple of Shri Badrinathji
on the banks of the Alaknanda river, dates
back to the vedic times. Situated at an altitude
of 3,133 mts., the present temple is believed
to have been built by Adi Guru Shankaracharya
- an 8th century’s philosopher-saint,
who also established a ‘math’
here. Also known as ‘Badri Vishal’,
Badrinath is one of the Panch Badris.
The temple remains closed during the winter
season and is open from April-May to October-
November
Main
Sightseeing of Badrinath
Badrinath Temple - On
the right bank of Alaknanda lies the sacred
spot perched at an altitude of 3,133 metres
above the sea level. Encircled by a beautiful
valley, the 15 mts. high temple is dedicated
to Lord Vishnu, it is built in the form
of a cone with a small cupola of a gilt
bull and spire. Built by Adi Guru Shankaracharya
- the philosopher-saint of the 8th century,
the temple has been renovated several times
due to damage by avalanches. Its colourful
‘Singh Dwara’ or the main entrance
gate gives it a new, modern look.
The temple is divided into three parts
- the ‘garbha griha’
or sanctum sanctorum, the ‘darshan
mandap’ where the rituals
are conducted and the ‘sabha
mandap’ where devotees assemble.
The complex has 15 idols. Especially attractive
is the one metre high image of Badrinath,
finely sculpted in black stone. It represents
Lord Vishnu seated in a meditative pose.
Tapt Kund : Devotees take
a holy dip in the natural thermal springs
on the banks of the river Alaknanda, before
entering the Badrinath Temple. The water
of the kund is believed to have medicinal
properties.
Brahma Kapal : A flat
platform on the bank of river Alaknanda
where Hindus perform propitiating rites
for their deceased ancestors.
Sheshnetra : A boulder
having an impression of the legendary serpant
- known as Sheshnag’s eye.
Charanpaduka : The footprints
of Lord Vishnu can be seen on a boulder
in this beautiful meadow.
Neelkanth : A Pyramidical-shaped
snowy peak towering above Badrinath, popularly
known as the ‘Garhwal Queen’.
Mata Murti Temple ( 3 kms.) : On
the right bank of Alaknanda stands the temple
dedicated to the mother of Sri Badrinathji.
Mana Village (4 kms.) : Inhabitated
by Indo-Mangolian tribe, it is considered
to be the last Indian village before Tibet
on this route. Nearby are Vyas Gufa - the
rock cave of saint Ved Vyas, the writer
of Maharashtra; Bhim Pul - a natural bridge
over the Saraswati river and Vasundhara
Falls - a 122 mts. high waterfall - all
forming an important part of the pilgrimage
to Badrinath.
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Excursions
from Badrinath
Hemkund Sahib (43 kms.) : Near
the Valley of Flowers is the holy lake Hemkund
- an important pilgrimage of the Sikhs and
Hindus. Along its shores is the sacred Sikh
Shrine where Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth
Guru unified with God after prolonged meditation
in his previous birth. Nearby is the Lakshman
Temple where Lakshman - the brother of Lord
Rama performed his penance. The reflection
of surrounding snow-clad peaks in its placid
waters offers a scenic sight.
Satopanth (25 kms.)
: A three cornered lake with a circumference
of about 1 km, situated at an elevation of
4,402 mts. above sea level. It is named after
the Hindu triad - Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh,
who are believed to occupy one corner each
of the lake. The trek is hazardous with dramatic
landscapes. An experienced guide is advisable.
Govindghat (25 kms.) : The
confluence of Alaknanda and Lakshman Ganga
rivers. It has an imposing Gurudwara named
after Guru Gobind Singh.
Valley of Flowers (42 kms.) : An
exotic valley in a conical shape lies to the
east of Badrinath with river Pushpawati flowing
through it. The valley that is presently a
national park, is 19kms. trek from Govindghat.
A must-see for all nature lovers.
Joshimath ( 44 km.) : The
winter home of Shri Badrinathji is situated
on the slopes above the confluence of Alaknanda
and Dhauliganga. It is one of the four ‘maths’
established by Adi Guru Shankaracharya.
Auli ( 57 kms.) : An ideal
Aki resort in the Garhwal Himalayas with its
slopes comparable to the best in the world.
Perched at an elevation of 2,500-3,050 mts,
Auli not only offers a magnificent view of
the Himalayan ranges but is a delight for
winter sports enthusiasts..
How
to reach?
By Air : Nearest airport
is Jolly Grant at Dehradun ( 317 kms.)
By Train : The nearest railway
station to Badrinath are Rishikesh (300 kms.)
and Kotdwar (327 kms.)
By Road : Badrinath is well
connected with Rishikesh, Haridwar, Dehradun,
Kotdwar and other hill stations of
Garhwal and Kumaon
