BADRINATH TEMPLE INDIA

 

Living in Canada for many years now hasn't changed my love for my home country THE INCREDIBLY  BEAUTIFUL  INDIA. India is a beautiful country with its Rich Heritage and some of the most serene destinations surrounded with high mountains , dense vegetation with evergreen forests , holy rivers flowing for decades and old famous temples on hills.  Uttarakhand state in northern part of India is crossed by the Himalayas known for its Hindu pilgrimage sites is one such divine destination.

 The most famous Badrinath Temple

Perched on the Garhwal hill tracks, near Alaknanda River, Badrinath Temple.

LOCATION

Badrinath or Badrinarayan Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu ( Hindu God )is one of the most popular and religious holy towns of the Hindus located in the Chamoli district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is one of the four sites in India's Char Dham pilgrimage and gets its name from the temple of Badrinath. It is situated in the Kumaun Himalayas along a headstream of the Ganges (Ganga) River, at an elevation of about 10,000 feet (3,000 metres).

The temple and town form one of the four Char Dham and Chota Char Dham pilgrimage sites.

Lord Vishnu as Badrinarayana is worshipped in Badrinath Temple. You can also worship Kuber (god of wealth), sage Narada, Uddhava, Nar and Narayan, Goddess Lakshmi, Garuda( a legendary bird or bird-like creature in Hindu faith. He is variously the vehicle mount (vahana) of the Hindu God Vishnu), and Navadurga, the manifestation of Goddess Durga in nine different forms.

BADRINATH RIVER

The holy Badrinath River is situated in the Kumaun Himalayas along a headstream of the Ganges (Ganga) River, at an elevation of about 10,000 feet (3,000 metres). It is located along the twin mountain ranges of Nar and Narayan on the left bank of Alaknanda River. 

PLACES TO EXPLORE

VASUDHARA FALLS

This is an amazing waterfall situated near Badrinath.  It joins the river Alaknanda and as it heads towards Badrinath Temple, it bypasses the region. The distance from Badrinath to Vasudhara is approx 9 km. The first 3 kilometers of badrinath to mana village can be covered  by road  with an option of driving.

TAPT KUND( Hot Water Spring)

Just below the temple, there is a natural thermal spring which is believed to be infused with healing and therapeutic properties. The devotees take a dip in the holy and hot waters of the Kund before entering the sacred shrine of Badrinath. Near the Tapt Kund also lie five boulders which are, as per hindu mythology, Narad, Narsingh, Varah, Garur and Markanday.

BRAHMA KAPAL

It is a flat platform by the banks of Alaknanda 100 meters north of the temple. Performing propitiating rites for the deceased family members, it is believed, would free them from the vicious circle of life and death.

NEELKANTH PEAK

The famous beautiful  also known as the 'Queen of Garhwal', Neelkanth Peak, stands with a height of 6,597 meter (approx). The peak sets a great background to the Badrinath shrine. Named after Lord Shiva, the splendour of the snow-covered peak gets augmented as it receives the first rays of the Sun at the crack of dawn. The beauty of that moment  cannot be described in words. 

MATA MURTI MANDIR

 Located 3 km from the Badrinath temple, on the banks of Alaknanda River. Mata Murti temple is believed to be the mother of Nara and Narayan, the twin-brother avatar (incarnation) of Lord Vishnu.

CHARAN PADUKA

This is a place with a rock which is believed to be imprinted with the footprints of Lord Vishnu, as he descended on earth from Vaikunth (his heavenly abode). 

Through boulders and caves, a steep climb of about 3 km from the Badrinath town will take you to Charan Paduka. 

SHESHNETRA

Located 1.5 km from the temple, 

between the two seasonal lakes, on the opposite bank of Alaknanda, there exists a huge rock which gives the impression of Shesh Nag, the legendary snake of Lord Vishnu. 

 The Shesh Nag is a resting couch for Lord Vishnu who is a part of the Hindu male Trinity(Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma are the other two). Lord Shiva wears a snake as his ornament around his neck.

The Sheshnetra has a natural mark which looks like an eye of the SheshNag the serpent is believed to be guarding the sacred shrine of Badrinath.

BEST TIME TO VISIT 

The winters start from November and last for February with cool chilly days with average temperature uptown 5°C. Minimums can go down to zero and bring heavy snowfall during winters.

Badrinath has a cold climate almost throughout the year. With the onset of the Monsoon season, Badrinath witnesses heavy rainfall and a drop in temperatures. Traveling during monsoons can be dangerous due to heavy rains and floods.Taking a trip during monsoons involves the risks of floods, landslides and other monsoon related problems. Freezing temperatures in the winter makes winter inappropriate for religious tours in this Chota Char Dham destination.

Therefore the best time to visit the Badrinath temple is from April/May to June and September to October/November.

The temple is open for the pilgrims from May to November. The temple remains closed during the winters when the deity is worshiped at Nar Singh Temple in Joshimath.

HOW TO REACH

By Bus

There is no direct bus/train to Badrinath. To reach Badrinath you have to first reach Haridwar/Rishikesh. 

Once you reach Haridwar or Rishikesh, from there you'll easily get the direct bus to Badrinath. Badrinath is approx 300 km from Rishikesh which takes around 10-12 hrs to reach.

By Air

Jolly Grant Airport is the nearest airport from Badrinath, at a distance of 311 kilometers. The airport has flights connecting to Delhi, Lucknow and Mumbai. You can opt to hire a taxi from the railway station or can board a bus from the nearest bus station to reach Badrinath. 

By Train

Regular trains to Haridwar and Dehradun are available at all times of the year. You can hire a cab or get a bus from here.

ACCOMODATION

You can find some good budget Hotels around Badrinath Temple such as, Badrinathpuri Vaikunth Dham Guest House , Bhumika Guest House , Triveni Camps , Badri Retreat , Narayan Palace Hotel or Rocks N Pine.

Hotels like Hotel Sarovar Portico,Narayan Palace and Hotel Mount View are other options if you have a higher budget.

And yes don't forget to taste some really good food at the restaurants close to the temple. You can enjoy foods like paranthas, Purity and also a variety of some Gujarati snacks as well.

I am sure your Badrinath Yatra will be an exciting life time experience.