Location : Uttaranchal
Major Attractions : Badrinath Temple
Best time to Visit : May to October
About Badrinath
Situated
at an altitude of 6597 mts in the lap of the mammoth Nar-Narayan mountains,
Badrinath is one of the four holy Hindu pilgrimages with Gangotri, Yamunotri
and Kedarnath completing the quartet. Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the
Badrinath temple stands on the banks of river Alaknanda, guarded by the
mighty Neelkanth mountains. According to Legend, when Ganga descended from
the heavens with great force it split into twelve channels with Alaknanda
being one of them. In subsequent years, the place became famous as
Badrinath, the abode of Lord Vishnu.
Badrinath can be visited all round the year, however, the months from May
to October is the time when the weather remains at its favourable best and
the place is thronged by visitors and devotees from all around the globe. It
is also the time for celebrations and festivities at Badrinath.
Religious Attractions in Badrinath
Badrinath Temple
Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the Badrinath temple is located on the banks of
river Alaknanda. The history of the temple dates back thousands of years to
the vedic period, however, the present structure was built by Adi Guru
Shankracharya during the 8th century. The entire temple complex is divided
into three parts namely the garbha griha or sanctum sanctorum, darshan
mandap and the sabha mandap for offering prayers. The temple houses 15 idols
including a beautiful one metre high black image of Lord Badrinath.
Pacha Badri
A series of five small Badrinath temples are spread across Badrinath, known
as the Panch Badri. The Yogdhyana Badri located close to the Badrinath
temple is the winter home to the idol of lord Badrinath and therefore
visited by numerous devotees. Other temples are the Bhavishya Badri located
at Tapovan, Bridhar Badri located close to Joshimath and the Adi Badri
having 16 small temples adorned with intricate carvings.
Tapt Kund
The water of this natural spring is believed to have medicinal powers to
cure chronic diseases. Numerous devotees throng the place everyday and wait
patiently to have a dip in the sacred waters.
Hemkund Sahib
The sacred Sikh pilgrimage lies in the valley of flowers on the way to
Badrinath. It is believed to be the place where the tenth Sikh leader Guru
Govind Singh left for
his heavenly abode. A temple and lake situated at the site is visited by
numerous devotees, both Hindu and Sikh. The Lakshmana temple located nearby
is dedicated to Lakshmana, the brother of Lord Rama.
Stay At
Hotel Narayana Palace located at Badrinath is a preffered staying option
while on a tour to Badrinath. The hotel offers comfortable accommodation
facilities along with all the other required amenities including attached
bath with hot water and a restaurant serving delicious food. The 40 rooms of
the hotel are all positioned such as to offer a magnificent view of the
surroundings.
Getting There
By Air : Jolly Grant Airport situated at Rishikesh is the
nearest airport, connected with Delhi through regular flights. The 317 km
distance from Rishikesh to Badrinath can be covered on state transport buses
or in a private taxi.
By Rail : Rishikesh is again the nearest railhead which
is connected to all the major Indian cities through regular trains.
By Road : State transport buses ply regularly between
Badrinath and other major cities in and around the state including Delhi,
Dehradun, Agra, Mussoorie, Chandigarh, Rishikesh and others.
