One of the holiest temples in the country, Badrinath is counted among the four holy of God (Char Dham seats) and also one in the list of Char dham of Uttarakhand, which is also called ‘Chota Char Dham’.
The Badrinath temple is also known as the Badrinarayan temple, because it is dedicated to the Badrinaryan form of Lord Vishnu. Located in the village of Badrinath in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, India, the temple is among the most easily accessible religious sites.
The temple:
The temple is supposed to have been built in the 8th century AD by Adi Shankaracharya, the great scholar and philosopher. However, the original temple was destroyed by an avalanche. The present temple is supposed to have been built by the Garhwal kings in the 17th century.
The temple that stands today is a beautiful structure done in typical mountain architecture. With the brightly colored ‘Singh Dwar’, which is the main entrance to the temple, the temple takes on a modern appeal, not to mention aesthetic beauty.
The temple compound consists of around 15 idols of various Hindu deities, with the main deity being Lord Vishnu, or Narayan, who is depicted sitting in a meditative position, quite unusual for the god who prefers to recline. A badri tree covers the meditating god.
Mythology behind the Badrinath temple:
There are many stories related to the famous Badrinath temple, the most famous of which is that Lord Vishnu did penance here, sitting on the mountain in very harsh weather. As he meditated, the weather got even worse. Her wife, Goddess Lakshmi, seeing her husband in such discomfort, transformed into a Badri (berry) tree and protected him from above. The place thus got the name of Badrinarayan.
There is a second story that is connected with the Sacred River Ganga. The divine river is supposed to have descended from heaven at this very spot, giving importance to Badrinath.
Places to see around Badrinath:
During a visit to the holy city of Badrinath, there are many other interesting and important places that can be visited. Some of them include:
Bhim Pul: This natural bridge, made of rock over the Saraswati River, attracts a large number of people due to the mythology associated with it. It is said that when the Pandavas and his wife Draupadi arrived here, there was no way to cross the river. Bhim, the mightiest of the five, picked up a large rock and placed it on the other side of the river so that Draupadi could cross it.
manna: The last town on the Indian frontier, Mana is a beautiful place occupied by the Bhotia tribes. The distance from the village to the temple is about 3 kilometers.
Mata Murti Temple: This temple is dedicated to the incarnation of the twins, Nar and Narayan, of the mother of Lord Vishnu. She was a woman who fervently prayed to the Lord, asking him to be her son as an incarnation. Vishnu agreed and came out of his womb as the twins. Later, Nar and Narayan killed a monster.
Vyas Cave: The famous cave is believed to be the place where Vyas Muni, a saint, dictated the entire Mahabharata epic to Lord Ganesh, who wrote it down. A specialty of the cave is that no external sound, no matter how loud, can reach the interior. For this reason, it is considered one of the ideal places to meditate.
Arriving at Badrinath:
Badrinath is one of the most easily accessible religious places in Uttarakhand. Road: Buses and taxis are available to Badrinath from all major cities in the country, including the national capital, Delhi. Air: The nearest airport to Badrinath is Jolly Grant Airport, near Dehradun, at a distance of about 314 km. Train: The nearest railway station is in Rishikesh at a distance of 297 km.
