|
|
Badrinath Temple
Perched
at an altitude of 3,133 mt. above sea-level, in the middle of a beautiful
valley, it is located on the right bank of holy river Alaknanda. Dedicated
to Lord Vishnu, the temple of Shri Badrinathji is 15 mt. in height, built
in the form of a cone with a small cupola of a gilt bull and spire.
Legend dates the temple prior to the Vedic age, though the present temple
is believed to have been established by Adi Shankaracharya, the 8th
century A.D., Hindu reformist.
The temple has been renovated several times due to earlier damages by
avalanches and looks modem now with a colourful "Singh Dwara" or
the main entrance gate. The temple has three parts - Garbha Griha (the
sanctum sanctorum), Darshan Mandap (for pujas) and Shobha Mandap (for
devotees to assemble).
It is believed that the image of Badrinath had been thrown into the
Alaknanda river during the time of the Buddhist era and later retrieved
and reinstalled by Shankaracharya during the following Hindu revival.
There are 15 idols in the temple complex. Finely sculpted in black stone,
the Badrinath (Vishnu) image is a metre high. Other images include those
of Laxmi (Vishnu's consort), Garurh (Vishnu's mount), Shiva, Parvati,
Ganesh etc.
With its great scenic beauty and attractive recreational spots in the
vicinity, Badrinath attracts an ever increasing number of secular visitors
each year.
Panch Dharas
(a) Prahalad Dhara (b) Kurma Dhara (c) Urbasi Dhara (d) Bhrigu Dhara (e)
Indra Dhara.
Panch Shilas
(a) Narad Shila (b) Varaha Shila (c) Garurh Shila (d) Markandeya Shila
(e) Narsingh Shila.
Tapt Kund
Natural thermal springs on the bank of the river Alaknanda, where it is
customary to bathe before entering the Badrinath temple.
Narad Kund
A recess in the river, near Tapt Kund, forming a pool from where the
Badrinath idol was recovered.
Brahma Kapal
A flat platform on the bank of river Alaknanda. Hindus perform
propitiating rites for their deceased ancestors.
Sheshnetra
1 .5 km away is a boulder having an impression of the legendary snake,
better known as the Sheshnag's eye.
Charanpaduka
3 km away is a beautiful meadow where the footprint of Lord Vishnu is
seen on a boulder.
Neelkanth
A pyramidal shaped snowy peak (6,59 7mt) towering above Badrinath,
presents a dramatic sight. It is popularly known as the 'Garhwal Queen'.
Other Four Badris :
Yogadhyan Badri
The temple of Yogadhyan Badri, one of the five Badris, is located at
Pandukeshwar (1920 mt.) just 24 km short of Badrinath on
Rishikesh-Badrinath highway. The image here in a meditative posture, is
worshipped at Badrinath. According to the myth, the Pandavas handed over
Hastinapur to king Parikshit and retired here.
Bhavishya Badri
The temple of Bhavishya Badri is at an elevation of 2,744 mt. and is
surrounded by dense forests. Located at Subain near Tapovan about 17 km
east of Joshimath on Joshimath - Lata - Malari route. Pilgrims have to
trek beyond Tapovan, up the Dhauliganga river. Tapovan has sulphurous hot
springs and the view of the Tapovan valley towards the north is
breathtakingly beautiful. Traditionally it is believed that a day will
come when the present route to Badrinath will be inaccessible and Lord
Badrinath will be worshipped here. Thus the name 'Bhavishya Badri' which
literally means the Badri of the future.
Bridha Badri
About 7 km short of Joshimath, on the main Rishikesh- Badrinath motor
road, is Animath. It is believed that Badrinath or Lord Vishnu was
worshipped here before the enshrinement of Badrinath by Adi Guru
Shankaracharya. The temple of Bridha Badri is open throughout the year.
Adibadri
Adibadri is also one of five Badris and is situated quite far from the
cluster of the other four which form the Vishnu-Kshetra. Approachable from
Karnaprayag by a motorable road on way to Ranikhet, are remains of 16
small temples. Seven among them are more ancient, with flat roofs
belonging to the late Gupta period. Local tradition assigns the building
of the temples to Shankaracharya. The main temple of Narain is
distinguished by a raised platform in the pyramidal form where the idol is
enshrined. Sculpted out of black stone, the idol of Lord Vishnu is a metre
high.
Mata Murti Temple
Devoted to the mother of Sri Badrinathji. Other important temples include
Seshnetra Temple, Urvashi Temple and Charanpaduka.
Valley
of Flowers
East of Badrinath is the exotic Valley of
Flowers
in a conical shape with the river Pushpawati flowing through it. This
valley has been declared as a National Park to regulate camping, cooking,
grazing etc. which disturb environmental conditions and endanger a number
of endemic flora. The valley is a 19 km trek from Govindghat. The base
camp being Ghangaria, 14 km from Govindghat, where lodging and boarding
facilities are available. It was in 1931 that Frank Smith and Holdsworth
stumbled into this valley while returning from their successful Kamet
expedition. Their subsequent writings on the valley evoked a great deal of
interest among people, both at home and abroad.
Mana Village
Inhabited by an Indo-Mongolian tribe, it is considered as the last Indian
village before Tibet. Vyas Gufa, Ganesh Gufa, Bhim Pul, Vasudhara Falls
(3.6 km) are among the places near Mana village.
Alka Puri
15 km from Badrinath via Mana village, lies the source of Alaknanda river
from the glacier snouts of Bhagirath - Kharak and Sate Panth glaciers. The
spot is supposed to be the abode of Kuber, Yakshas and Gandharvas.
Sato Panth
25 km from Badrinath and located at an elevation of 4,402 mt. above
sea-level is a three cornered lake of serene water with a circumference of
about 1 km. The lake is named after the Hindu triad Brahma, Vishnu and
Mahesh who are believed to occupy one comer each of this lake. The trekis
hazardous and full of dramatic views. An experienced guide is advisable.
There is no place to rest except in between caves. Cooked food, stove etc,
must be carried from Badrinath itself.
Arwatal
For the more enterprising, a trek to Arwatal (3,980 mt) via-Mana,
Ghastoli and Aruanala is rewarding. Through hazardous icy and snowy
terrain a number of streams have to be crossed. Badrinath to Ghastoli is
17 km and Arwatal is approximately another 18 km. Photography isprohibited
in this area and a guide is essential.
Vyas Gufa (Cave)
Near Mana village, this is a rock-cave where Ved Vyas is believed to have
composed the Mahabharat and the pauranic commentaries.
Bhim Pul
On the other side of Mana village, a massive rock forming a natural
bridge, lies over the roaring Saraswati river. It presents a spectacular
view of water thundering down through the narrow passage under the rock
and is believed to have been placed there by Bhim, the second eldest among
the five Pandava brothers.
Vasudhara
As the name suggests, Vasudhara is a magnificent waterfall with a height
of 122 mt. This place is 5 km from Badrinath out of which 2 km is
motorable upto Mana, the last village of India on this border.
Hemkund
Sahib
Situated
at a height of 4,329 mt, near the Valley of Flowers, is the holy lake
Hemkund, associated with Guru Gobind Singh. Encircled by seven snow-clad
peaks and their associated glaciers, the crystal clear serene waters of
the lake reflect the surroundings enchantingly. The glaciers from Hathi
Parvat and Sapt Rishi peaks feed the lake and a small stream called
Himganga flows out of this lake.
According to the holy Granth Saheb, it is believed that Guru Govind
Singh, the 10th Guru of the Sikh faith, meditated on the banks of this
lake in one of his earlier births. It has not only become a place of
pilgrimage for the Sikh community but also for the Hindus and people of
other faith. There is a Sikh Gurudwara and a Lakshman temple built on the
bank of the lake. According to the legends, Lakshman was brought here
after he fell unconscious in the war with Ravana.
Govindghat
Situated at the confluence of Alaknanda and Lakshman Ganga rivers. The
road here diverts to Valley of Flowers National Park (26 km) and Hemkund
Sahib (28 km).
Joshimath
42 km from Badrinath. The winter home of Shri Badrinathji, Joshimath is
situated on the slopes above the confluence of Alaknanda and Dhauliganga.
Of the four "Maths" established by Adi Guru Shankaracharya,
Joshimath is in the north.
Auli
Auli is 15 km from Joshimath at an elevation of about 2,500 - 3050 mt. In
summers, Auli Bugyal (meadow) is inviting. The cable car from Joshimath to
Gorson via Auli , not only offers a picturesque view of the Himalayan
ranges but also makes Auli ideal for winter sports. Regular skiing courses
of varying durations are organised by trained coaches. Skiing equipment,
as well as boarding, lodging and transport are provided by the Garhwal
Mandal Vikas Nigam.
Pipalkoti
83 km from Badrinath. It is an extremely beautiful scenic spot.
Chamoli
A scenic spot 10 km from Gopeshwar on Badrinath Highway.
Nandprayag
S ituated at the confluence of Alaknanda and nandakini rivers. Temple :
Gopayi.
Karnaprayag
Situated at the confluence of the Pindar and Alaknanda rivers. The road
from here diverts to Ranikhet, Almora and Kausani and Gwaldam and Kund.
Temples : Uma and Karn.
Rudraprayag
Situated at the confluence of the Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers. The
road diverts to Kedamath from here. Temples : Rudranath and Chamunda Devi.
Srinagar
The old capital of Garhwal, it is also a cultural and educational centre.
Important sites - Kamleshwar Temple, Kalyaneshwar Temple and Shankar Math.
Deoprayag
Situated at the confluence of Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers, it is
commonly believed to be the birth place of Ganga. Important pilgrim spots
are Shiv Temple and Raghunath Temple. 
Situated in the lap of Nar-Narayan Parvat, with the towering Neelkanth
peak (6,597mt) in the background, Badrinath is one of the most revered
Hindu shrines of India.
It has been said that "there were many sacred spots of pilgrimage in
the heaven, earth and the other world but neither is there any equal to
Badrinath nor shall there be one."
It is believed that to revive the lost prestige of Hinduism and to unite
the country in one bond, Adi Guru Sri Shankaracharya built four pilgrimage
centres in four corners of India. Among them were Badrikashram in the
north, Rameshwaram in the south, Dwarkapuri in the west and Jagannath purl
in the east. Badrinath situated at an elevation of 3,133 mt. is considered
to be amongst the most pious.
Mata Murti Mela (September)
During this fair, Mother of Sri Badrinathji is worshipped by the priests
of Badrinath Temple.
Janamashtami (July/August)
Special prayers and festivities are held at the temple on the occasion of
the birth of Lord Krishna.
| Area | : | 3sq.km |
| Climate | ||
| Month | Max Temp. | Min Temp |
| April | 3°c | 0°c |
| May | 5°c | 0°c |
| June | 14.5°c | 5.9°c |
| July | 18.2°c | 10°c |
| August | 18°c | 10.5° |
| Sept. | 16°c | 8.5°c |
| October | 12.5°c | 5.6°c |
| Nov. | 5°c | 0°c |
| Dec.-Mar. | Sound Bound | Snow Bound |
| Rainfall | : | 1460mm |
Best Season : May to October every year the temple usually remains open from first week of May to 2nd week of November.
| Clothing | : | |
| May | - | Heavywoollens |
| June-Sept. | - | Lightwoollens |
| Oct.-Nov. | - | Heavywoollens |
| Languages | : | Hindi, English and Garhwali |
Air - Nearest airport ii at Jolly Grant (315 km
away), Dehradun
.
Rail - Nearest railheads are at
Rishikesh
297 km away and Kotdwara 327 km away, which are connected with major
cities of North India. Rishikesh is directly connected by rail with
Howrah, Mumbai,
Delhi &
Lucknow. There
are two routes to Badrinath from Delhi:
Route 1 :Delhi-Rishikesh : 287 km by rail, Rishikesh-Badrinath :
297 km by road.
Route 2: Delhi- Kotdwara- 300 km by rail, Kotdwara- Badrinath- 327
km by road.
Road Badrinath is connected by a motorable road with Rishikesh, Kotdwara,
Dehradun, Haridwar and other hill stations of Garhwal and Kumaon Hills.
Delhi-Rishikesh : 238 km via Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Roorkee,
Haridwar. Rishikesh-Badrinath : 297 km via Devprayag, Srinagar (Garhwal),
Rudra-prayag, Gauchar, Karnaprayag, Nandprayag,
Chamoli
, Pipalkoti, Helong, Joshimath, Vishnuprayag, Govindgaht, Hanumanchatti
and Badrinath. Road Condition : Metalled with some unmetalled patches.
Taxi - Private taxies and other vehicles are also available
between Rishikesh and Badrinath on hire. Rates are not fixed.
Bus - State Transport Corporation operates regular bus services
from Delhi to Rishikesh daily with intervals of half an hour.
Transport Companies operating regular bus services from Rishikesh to
Badrinath during season are :
| (1) Andhra Bhawan | 08 | Beds | (21) Maharastra Bhawan | 378 | Beds |
| (2) Jhun Jhunwala Cottage | 04 | " | (22) Raghunath Ashram | 225 | " |
| (3) Modi Bhawan I | 12 | " | (23) Manavakalyan Dharamshala | 360 | " |
| (4) Modi Bhawan II | 12 | " | (24) Parmarth Lok | 200 | " |
| (5) Modi Bhawan III | 24 | " | (25) Halwasia Dharamshala | 50 | " |
| (6) Mittal Cottage | 06 | " | (26) Birla Dharamshala | 50 | " |
| (7) Chand Cottage | 24 | " | (27) Dhodwa Dharamshala | 40 | " |
| (8) Shankaracharya Sadan | 20 | " | (28) Cadiya Dharamshala | 20 | " |
| (9) Badrish Sadan | 22 | " | (29) Tantiya Dharamshala | 150 | " |
| (10) 11) PiloGujarat Bhawan | 04 | " | (30) Bangar Dharamshala | 100 | " |
| (11) Pilo Dharamshala | 80 | " | (31) Swaminarayan Dharmshala | 50 | " |
| (12) Kali Kamli Dharamshala | 150 | " | (32) Bholagiri Dharamshala | 30 | " |
| (13)Bejoria Dharamshala | 18 | " | (33) Jan Dharamshala | 60 | " |
| (14) Mansingh Dharamshala | 160 | " | (34) Jalaram Dharamshala | 60 | " |
| (15) Rishiganga Dharamshala | 140 | " | (35) Roopali Dharamshala | 08 | " |
| (16) Sadhu Bhawan | 50 | " | (36) PWD Inspection House | 08 | " |
| (17) Punjab Sindh Dharamshala | 300 | " | (37) Jal Nigam Rest House | 04 | " |
| (18) Atachi | 48 | " | (38) Jal Sansthan Rest House | 04 | " |
| (19) Geeta Bhawan | 216 | " | (39) Forest Rest House | 04 | " |
| (20) Balanand Ashram | 84 | " | (40) DGBR Rest House | 08 | " |
| (41) Hotel Devlok | 70 | " |
Restaurants In Badrinath
|