Badrinath, Uttarakhand India
Badrinath is situated in the lap of Nar-Narayan Parvat, with the towering Neelkanth peak (6,597mts.) in the background. Also known as the Vishal Badri, the largest among the five Badris, it is revered by all as the apt tribute to Lord Vishnu.
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 (Badrinath) in the north, Rameshwaram in the south, Dwarkapuri in the west and Jagannath Puri in the east. Badrinath situated at an elevation of 3,133 mts. is considered to be amongst the most pious.
The revered spot was once carpeted with wild berries which gave it the name 'Badri Van' meaning 'forest of berries.' Built by Adi Shankaracharaya, the philosopher-saint of the 8th century, the temple has been renovated several times due to damage by avalanches and restored in the 19th century by the royal houses of Scindia & Holkar. The main entrance gate is colourful & imposing popularly known as Singhdwar.
Inside Badrinath Temple
A flight of steps takes pilgrims to the main gate & then into the temple. The temple is divided into three parts - the 'Garbha Griha' or the sanctum sanctorum, the 'Darshan Mandap' where the rituals are conducted and the 'Sabha Mandap' where devotees assemble. The Garbha Griha portion has its canopy covered with a sheet of gold offered by Queen Ahilyabai Holkar. The complex has 15 idols especially attractive is the one-metre high image of lord Badrinath, finely sculpted in black stone. It represents Lord Vishnu seated in a meditative pose called padmasan.
Darshan Mandap: Lord Badrinath is sitting meditating in the padmasana (lotus yogic posture). As you look at the Deities, standing to the right side of Badrinarayana is Uddhava. To the far right side are Nara and Narayana. Narada Muni is kneeling in front on the right side and is difficult to see. On the left side are Kubera, the god of wealth, and a silver Ganesh. Garuda is kneeling in front, to the left of Badrinarayana.
Special pujas are also performed on behalf of individuals. Every puja must be preceded by a holy dip in the Tapta Kund. Some of the special morning pujas are Abhishek, Mahaabhishek, Geeta Path. Some special evening pujas are Aarti & Geet Govind. Such pujas are to be booked in advance. The temple opens at 0430 hrs & closes at 1300 hrs. Once again it opens at 1600 hrs & closes at 2100 hrs after the divine song Geet Govind. Rawal is the administrator-Pujari of the temple well versed in puja ceremonials & Sanskrit language and is expected to be celibate..
Badri refers to a berry that was said to grow abundantly in the area, and nath refers to Vishnu. Badri is the Sanskrit name for the Indian Jujube trees, which has an edible berry. Some scriptural references also refer to Jujube trees being abundant in Badrinath. Legend has it that Goddess Lakshmi took the form of the berries to protect Lord Vishnu from the harsh climate during his long penance.
The opening of Badrinath Temple shrine
The opening date of Badrinath Temple is fixed on Basant Panchami by Raj Purohit and closure date is fixed on Vijaydashmi by Mandir Committee. The temple opens every year in the month of April-May & closes for winters in the third week of November. Joshimath is the winter deity of Badrinath.
Special booking of pujas can be done at Badrinath Mandir Committee by paying some fees. The pooja is organized before the temple is open for general public.
Some festivals celebrated in Badrinath are: Mata Murti ka mela, Krishna Janamashtami and Badri-Kedar utsav.
Badrinath's four subsidiary Badris populary known as Panch Badri include Bhavishya Badri, Yogdhyan Badri, Bridha Badri and Adi Badri. It is popularly believed that with spread of Buddhism, the Buddhists enshrined the statue of Lord Buddha there and during the Hindu renaissance, the statue of Buddha was later restored by Adi Guru as the idol of Vishnu. This possibly explains the deity sitting in Padmasan posture, typical of Buddha icons. However, also according to Hindu mythology, Buddha was considered to be the ninth incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
Panch Badri Information
lso known as Vishal Badri, this temple located at the height of 3,133 mts. is the largest himalayas and most popular of Vishnu pilgrimages among the five Badries. The original temple here is believed to be built by King Pururava and the icon of the lord carved by Vishwakarma, the creator of the gods. The idol was recovered by Adi Shankaracharya from the waters of the nearby Naradkund and consecrated once more in the temple, restored in the 19th century by the royal houses of Scindia & Holker.
So holy in this shrines that it forms one of the four prominent places of Hindu worship. The epic Mahabharata, it is believed, was composed in the Vyas and Ganesh caves close by. The Vishnu Ganga which later becomes Alaknanda flows below the while Neelkanth keeps vigil over all devotees.
General Information for Badrinath
Nearest Airport : Jolly Grant 316 Km.
Nearest Rail : Rishikesh 299 Km.
Accommodation : Tourist Rest House, Temple Committee Guest, Private Hotels, lodges and DharamShalas are available.
Nearby Places : Pachshila, Ardhkedareshwar, Sheshnetra, Charanpaduka, Atri Ansuya Asharam, Ganesh Gupha, Bhirgu Gupha, Basudhara, Panch Dhara, Vyas Gupha, Satopanth
Bhavishya Badri » Panch Badri Information Guide
The Bhavishya Badri is located at 2,744 mts. amidst the thick forests surrounding Tapovan. According to a divination, it is here that all devotees will throng once Badrinath is no more. While there can be no conceivable reason why this should happen, scientists agree that Joshimath, the entry point into the area before the final, most strenuous climb, is sited on an ancient landslide and has been sinking, and with a barrage coming up close by, may actually see the fulfillment of the divine prophecy.
But whatever happens, Bhavishya Badri is popular even now. Enshrined here is the lion headed image of Narsingh. Visitors pass the serene the Tapovan a place known for its hot water springs en route to the banks of the Dhauliganga, and on to shrine.
General Information for Bhavishya Badri
Nearest Airport : Jolly Grant 297 Km.
Nearest Rail : Rishikesh 280 Km.
Accommodation : The accommodation is available at Joshimath and Tapovan.
Yogdhyan Badri » Panch Badri Information Guide
Every so often in the Garhwal Himalayan, tales from the Mahabharatha spring magically to life. Yogdhyan Badri, 1,920 mts. is located at Pandkeshawar, named after the Pandavas King. It is said that the Pandavas, victorious after their battle against the Kauravas, but emotionally scarred, came to the himalaya. And it was here that they handed over their capital, Hastinapur, to Raja Prikshit and took up penance before seeking out the highway to heaven. The importance of the badri is immence and the sanctum has an image of the lord in a meditative postures.
General Information Yagdhyam Badri
Nearest Airport : Jolly Grant 294 Km.
Nearest Rail : Rishikesh 277 Km.
Accommodation : Private hotels and Gurudwaras are available at Govind Ghat just 3 km. from here.
Vridh Badri » Panch Badri Information Guide
Before Badrinath was designated one of the four Char Dhams of Hindu worship by Adi Shankaracharya, the idol of Badrinah carved by divine Vishwakarma was enshrined and worshipped here. It is said that when mankind entered the age of Kali, Vishnu chose to remove himself from the temple. Interestingly the image was found by Adi Shankaracharya at NaradKund, and restored, through part of it remains damaged. This, the first Badri, is located at the height of 1,380 mts. at Animath. While Badrinath closes during winter, the idol and priests hibernating at Joshimath, Virdha Badri remains opens throughout the years.
General Information Vridh Badri
Nearest Airport : Jolly Grant 264 Km.
Nearest Rail : Rishikesh 247 Km.
Accommodation : Tourist Rest House and Private hotels are available at Joshimath just 8 km. from here.
Adi Badri » Panch Badri Information Guide
Another pilgrimage centre of local importance is this group of 16 temples en route to Ranikhet and closes to the confluences at Karan Prayag. The main temple is dedicated to Narayan and has a raised platform in the pyramidal form. Within the temple, a black stone idolis installed. It is believed that thease temples, dating to the Gupta age , was sanctioned by Adi Sankaracharya who wanted to spread the tenents of Hinduism to every remote corner of the country.
General Information Adi Badri
Nearest Airport : Jolly Grant 209 Km.
Nearest Rail : Rishikesh 192 Km.
Accommodation : Tourist Rest House and Private hotels are available at Karan Prayag 19 km. from here.
Badrinath is well connected through road. The National Highway (NH 58, total length 538 km) from Delhi to Mana is accessible throughout the year.
Road Connectivity: Well connected to Rishikesh , Haridwar , Dehradun , Kotdwar And other hill stations of Garhwal and Kumaon region .
There are two routes to Badrinath from Delhi:
• Route 1 : Delhi - Rishikesh : 243 km by rail/road, Rishikesh-Badrinath :297 km by road.
• Route 2 : Delhi - Kotdwara: 300 km by rail/road, Kotdwara-Badrinath-327 km by road.
• Travel Tip to Badrinath: There is a gate in Joshimath enroute Badrinath to manage the traffic. This gate opens at a interval of 2 hours from 6 am to 4 pm. Pilgrims who reach Joshimath after 4 pm have to stay in Joshimath and continue their journey next day.
Rail Connectivity : 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, Bombay, Delhi & Lucknow.
Airways: Nearest airport is Jolly Grant, Dehradun (317kms.)
Distance To Badrinath from:
Delhi - 518 km,
Haridwar - 321 km
Dehradun 343 km
Rishikesh - 297 km
Deoprayag - 225 km
Rudraprayag - 155 km
Karnprayag - 123 km
Joshimath - 42 km (takes 2.30 – 3.00 hours)
STD Codes
Haridwar: 0133
Devprayag : 01378
Rudraprayag : 01364
Karanprayag : 01363
Nandaprayag : 01372
Joshimath: 01389
Badrinath: 01381
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