 Cradled
in the twin montain ranges of nar and narayan is the holiest of
the four main shrines , badrinath along the lift bank of the river
alaknanda . With the backdrop, it is an important destination on
the sacred itinerary of every devout hindu . Once the spot was carpeted
with 'badris ' or wild berries and hence was famous as 'badri van
'
The revered shrine is still alive with myriad legends from mythology
. its sanctity is emphasised in the ancient scriptures 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 " Legend has it when the ganga was requested
to descend to earth to help the suffering humanity ,
the earth was unable to withstand the force of its descent .
therefore the mighty ganga was split into twelve holy channesl
. alanknanda was one of lord vishnu or badrinath .
The temple of shri badrinathji on the bank of the alaknanda river
, dates back to the alaknanda river , dates back to the vedic
times , situated at an altitude of 3,133 mts . , the present temple
is believed to have been built by adi guru shankaracharya - an
8th century 's philosopher -saint , who also established a math
here . also known as vishal badri , badrinath is one of the panch
badris .
The temple remains closed duriing the winter season and is open
from april - may to octobr - november .
Genral Information :
Area : 3 sq . km .
Rainfall : 1460 mm
Clothing : Till May -heavy woollens,
June -Sept -light woolens & Oct. -Nov . -heavy woollens
Languages : Hindi, English and Garhwali.
How to get there:
Airport : Jolly Grant, (317kms.)
Railhead : Rishikesh, (300kms .) Kotdwar
,(327 kms.)
Road : Well connected to rishikesh ,
Haridwar , dehradun , kotdwar And other hill stations of Garhwal
and kumaon region .
Places of Interest :
Badrinath Temple :
On the right bank of alaknanda liesl the sacred spotl perched
at an altitude of 3,133 meters above the sea level. Encircled
by a beautiful valley, the 15 mts. high temple is dedicated to
lord vishni. It is built in the form of a cone with a small cupola
of a ilt bull and spire.
Built by adi guru shankaracharya the philosopher-saint of the
8th centurty, the temple has been renovated several times due
to damage by avalanches. Its colourful 'singh dwara' or the mainentrance
gate give it a new, modern look.
The temple is divided into three parts the 'garbha griha' or
sanctum sanctorum, the' darshan mandap' where the rituals are
conducted and the 'sabha mandap' Where devotees assemble. The
complex has 15 idols. Specially attractive is the one metre high
image of Badrinath, finely sculpted in black stone. It represents
lord Vishnu seated in a meditative pose.
Tapt Kund :
Devotees take a holy dip in the natural thermal springs on the
banks of the river Alaknanda , before entering the Badrinath Temple.
The water of the Kund is believed to have medicinal properties.
Neelkanth :
A pyramidal-shaped snowy peak towering above Badrinath, Popularly
known as the `Garhwal Queen`.
Charanpaduka :
The footprints of Lord Vishnu can be seen on a boulder in this
beautiful meadow.
Brahma Kapil :
A flat platform on the bank of river Alaknanda where Hindus perform
Sheshnetra :
A boulder having an impression of the legendary serpant- known
as Sheshnag's eye.
Excursions :
Hemkund Sahib (43 kms.)
Near the Valley of flowers is the holy lake Hemkund- an important
pilgrimage of theSikhs and Hindus. Along its shores is the sacred
Sikh shrine where Guru Gobind singh, the tenth Guru unified with
god after Prolonged meditation in his previous birth. Nearby is
the Lakshman Temple where Lakshman - the brother of Lord Rama
performed his penance. The reflection of surrounding snow- clad
peaks in its placid waters offers a scenic sight.
Mata Murti Temple (3 Kms.)
On the right bank of alaknana stands the temple dedicated to the
mother of sri Badrinathji.
Mana Village (4 Kms.)
Inhabited by Indo-Mangolian tribe, it is considered to be the
last indian village before Tibet. On this route, nearby are Vyas
Gufa-the rock cave of saint Ved Vyas, the writer of Mahabharata.
Bhim Pul- a natural bridge over the Saraswati river and Vasundhara
Falls- a 122 mts. high waterfall - forming an important part of
the pilgrimage to Badrinath.
Alka Puri (15 kms.)
The source of alaknanda river from the glacier snouts of Bhagirath-kharak
and satopanth glaciers.
Satopanth (25 Kms.)
A three cornered lake with a circumference of about 1 km., is
situated at an elevation of 4,402 mts. above sea level. It is
named after the Hindu triad - Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh, who are
blieved to occupy one corner each of the lake. The trek is hazardous
with dramatic lanscapes. An experienced guide is advisable.
Govindghat (25 Kms.)
The confluence of alaknanda and Lakshman Ganga rivers. It has
an imposing Gurudwara named after Guru Gobind singh.
Joshimath (44Kms.)
The winter home of Shri Badrinathji is situated on the slopes
above the confluence of alaknanda and dhauliganga. It is one of
the four 'maths's established by adi guru shankaracharya.
Auli (57 Kms.)
An ideal shi resort in theGarhwal Himalayas with its slopes comparable
to the best in the world. Perched at an elevation of 2,500 mts,
auli not only offers a magnificent view of the Himalaya rqnges
but is a delight for winter sports enthusiasts.
VALLEY OF Flowers (42 kms.) An exotice
valley in a conical shape lies to the east of Badrinath with river
pushpawati flowing through it. The valley that is presently a
national park, is 19 kms. trek from govindghat. A must- see for
all natural lovers.
Pipalkoti (80 Kms.) :
A scenic spot amidst snow- clad peaks.
Chamoli (10 Kms.)
From Gopeshwar to Badrinath highway is the tiny mountain retreat
that attracts visitors for its verdant landscap3s and fresh mountain
air.
Srinagar (192 Kms.)
The old capital of Garhwal, it is an important cultural and educational
centre. Places to visit include Kamleshwar and Kilkileshwar temples
and the shankar math.
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