Badrinath

The holy town of Badrinath is located in the Chamoli district of the north Indian state of Uttarkhand. Sandwiched between the mountain ranges Nar and Narayan, Badrinath is in the Garhwal hills on the banks of the river Alaknanda. The towering Neelkanth peak, popularly known as the Garhwal queen forms a spectacular backdrop adding to the beauty of Badrinath. Badrinath derives its name from the word 'badri' which means berries, which once grew here in plenty. It is the most important among the four main shrines of the famous Char Dham pilgrimage ( Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri ). The climate here is cool through all the seasons of the year. Anytime between May and early November is the best time to visit, as one of the main attractions, the Badrinath temple is open to visitors only for these six months.

Besides being a very important religious destination, Badrinath is also a popular tourist attraction because of its natural pristine beauty, fresh air and spectacular scenery.

Badrinath Attractions

The Badrinath temple was built by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century. It is devoted to Lord Vishnu and is often referred to as Lord Vishnu's abode. The temple has three main sections, the Garbha Griha where the main deity resides, Darshan Mandap where the puja or ceremony is performed and the Sabha Mandap where the devotees and visitors assemble. There are 15 idols within the temple. Badrinath ( another form of Lord Vishnu ) is depicted as sitting in the Padmasana posture. He is surrounded by a number of idols of other gods, the most important ones being Lord Vishnu's wife goddess Lakshmi, Lord Kubera and Lord Shiva, his wife Parvati and son Ganesha. The temple remains close during winter ( November to April ).

The Badrinath temple, along with five other temples or badris forms the Panch Badri. Lord Vishnu is worshipped in different forms at Panch Badri. The five badris are:

• Vishal Badri: It is also known as the Badrinath temple
• Bhavishya Badri: This is located in the dense forests in Tapovan. Bhavishya means future. It is said that there will come a time when the Badrinath temple will be inaccessible and all devotees will throng to Bhavishya Badri instead. This temple houses the lion-headed idol of Narsingh
• Yogdhyan Badri: It is located at Pandukeshwar, named after the King of Pandavas, who meditated at this place. This temple is as old as the Badrinath temple.
• Vridha Badri: Located in Animath, Vridha badri or first badri is said to be the first holy place of Badrinath. Before the Badrinath temple was built by Shankaracharya, the Badrinath idol was worshipped here.
• Adi Badri: Adi Badri is on Ranikhet road where there are 16 temples, made with the idols of Lord Vishnu, belonging to the Gupta period. These temples were initiated by Adi Shankaracharya in order to spread Hinduism.

These are the natural medicinal hot springs, on the banks of Alaknanda River, adjacent to the Badrinath temple. Many pilgrims refresh themselves here before visiting the temple. It is a holy experience.

Located in Mana village, which is at a distance of 4 kms from the main town, Vasudhara falls is a gorgeous waterfall. It has an amazing site and wonderful ambience. It is said that this waterfall turns away from those visitors who are not pure and clean at heart.

Charanpaduka is a beautiful rock which holds the foot prints ( charan ) of Lord Vishnu.

Brahma Kapal Ghat is a flat platform on the banks of the River Alaknanda, where Lord Brahma is said to have resided.