Badrinath is one of the most sacred hindu pilgrimage in Uttaranchal. This is one of the prominent shrines among India's Char Dham pilgrimages. Badrinath is located in the Garhwal hills and by the banks of the river Alaknanda. The term ‘Badri’ refers to a special kind of berry fruit which abundantly grows in this region. The other term ‘nath’ refers to Lord Vishnu. It’s depicted in one of the ancient Indian scripture that Goddess Lakshmi had transformed her to these berry fruits for saving lord Vishnu during his year’s long penance in the tough weather in the land of Uttarnchal.The holy town of Badrinath is situated at nn altitude of 3,133 m from the sea level. The Garwal Kings built the present Badrinath shrine approximately two centuries before. The main idol represents Lord Vishnu in a calm and meditative state concentrating in Padma Asana. There is contradiction about the age of this Vishno idol. A section of the legends believes it to be established in the Vedic age. On the other hand, Adiguru Shankaracharya (a lengendary Hindu saint) in the early ninth century AD re-established this holy shrine of Badrinath. The other idol includes Laxmi, Shiva and Parvati, and Garud.
The temple of Bardinath has been renovated many times due to several natural calamities and affects of avalanches. The renovation work has given has given the shrine to its new look including it’s the colourful main entrance gate ‘Singh Dwara’. The Badrinath shrine is divided into three main parts as (1) the Garva Griha (where the Vishnu idol is located); (2) Darshan Mandap (the place for worshipping to the god); and (3) Shobha Mandap (place for assembling of the devotees). The sanctity of Lord Bardinath and his powerful existence in this place is strongly believed. Even the ancient scriptures supports this belief quoting 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".
Before entering the Bardinath Shrine, the pilgrims take a holy dip in the nearby Tapt Kund which is a source of thermal springs with natural healing properties. The Tapt Kund is believed to the adobe to lord Agni—the Hindu god of fire. There are two more natural springs named as Surya Kund and Narad Kund.
Reaching at Badrinath, the pilgrims perform the rites of remembrance and reverence for the departed souls of their near ones in the Brahma Kapal which is a flat stone-made place by banks of the river Alakananda. The impression of Sheshnetra, is also one of the place to visit here. The footprints of Lord Vishnu are preserved on one of the boulder is named after ‘Charanpaduka’ which has highest level of religious importance. Another significant shrine is the Mata Murti temple, the temple to the mother of Lord Badrinath.
The significance of the lofty mountains encompassing the Badrinath shrine is mentioned in the Mahabharata. It is believed that the Pandavas were supposed to end their lives by ascending the slopes of a peak ‘Swargarohin’ in western Garhwal--the 'Ascent to Heaven'. Local legend considers the belief that the Pandavas passed through Badrinath and the region of Mana which is 5 km away from Badrinath, on their way to Swargarohin. And another legend is about the cave of Mana where Vyas wrote the Mahabharata.
Attractive Places around Badrinath
Established by Adiguru Shankaracharya the place of Joshimath is other important place to visit nearby Bardrinath. Other important places to visit here are the temples of goddess Durga and lord Narasingh. The valley of flowers has great attractions to the tourists and equally important is Gobindghat which as an ideal place for trekking. Another important pilgrimage is the Gurdwara Hemkund Sahib and the beautiful lake nearby this place.
The Mana village—the last village in the Indo-Tibetan border is about 5 km away from Badrinath. Other places of interest include Vyas Gufa, dedicated to Sage Ved Vyas; Bhim Pul, the natural bridge over the legendary Saraswati River; the 122-meter-high Vasundhara Falls; Pipalkoti, a place of natural beauty; and Chamoli, the ultimate experience of the land of the gods.
How to Reach at Badrinath
By Rail: The nearest rail station is Rishikesh (297 km) and Kotdwar (327 km). Badrinath is well connected to all the main tourist attractions and famous places like Hardwar, Rishikesh, Dehradun, Kotdwar as well the hills of Kumaon and Garhwal. Bus and cab services are very frequent and affordable. If you are a self starter its advised to make your journey from New Delhi railway station and to rich Rishikesh (Delhi to Rishikesh 238 km) and later find any convenient mode of transportation to Badrinath.
By Air: A small airport named Jolly Grant is located at a distance of 317 km from Badrinath. Mainly small airplane and helicopter are permitted to land in this airport.
Best Time to Visit: May to September
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