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| Badrinath is a town and a nagar
panchayat in Chamoli district in the state of Uttarakhand in
north-west India. Badrinath is the most important of the four
sites in India�s Char Dham (chhota) yatra. It is located in
the Garhwal hills, on the banks of the Alaknanda River. The
town lies between the Nar and Narayana mountain ranges and in
the shadow of Nilkantha peak (6,560m). Badrinath is located
301 kms. north of Rishikesh. From Gaurikund (near Kedarnath)
to Badrinath by road is 233 kms. |
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Entrance
Gate And Compound Development :
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| Badrinath was established as a
major pilgrimage site by Adi Shankara in the ninth century.
In recent years its popularity has increased significantly,
with an estimated 600,000 pilgrims visiting during the 2006
season,compared to 90,676 in 1961.The temple in Badrinath is
also a sacred pilgrimage site for Vaishnavites. |
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| Badrinath has been mentioned as
a holy place in scriptures and legends for thousands of years.
According to the Srimad Bhagavatam, “There in Badrikashram
the Personality of Godhead (Vishnu), in his incarnation as the
sages Nara and Narayana, had been undergoing great penance since
time immemorial for the welfare of all living entities.”
(Srimad Bhagavatam 3.4.22). |
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| Badri refers to a berry that was
said to grow abundantly in the area, and nath means “Lord
of”. Badri is also the Sanskrit name for the IndianJujube
tree, which has an edible berry. Some scriptural references
refer to Jujube trees being abundant in Badrinath. Legend has
it that the Goddess Lakshmi took the form of the berries to
provide sustenance to Lord Vishnu during his long penance in
the harsh Himalayan climate. |
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Badrinath
Temple :
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| The Badrinath temple is the main
attraction in the town. According to legend Shankara discovered
a black stone image of Lord Badrinarayan made of Saligram stone
in the Alaknanda River. He originally enshrined it in a cave
near the Tapt Kund hot springs. In the sixteenth century, the
King of Garhwal moved the murti (Statue) to the present temple. |
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| The temple has undergone several
major renovations because of age and damage by avalanche.In
the 17th century, the temple was expanded by the kings of Garhwal.
After significant damage in the great 1803 Himalayan earthquake,
it was rebuilt by the King of Jaipur. |
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| The temple is approximately 50
ft (15 m) tall with a small cupola on top. The facade is built
of stone, with arched windows. A broad stairway leads up to
a tall arched gateway, which is the main entrance. The architecture
resembles a Buddhist vihara (temple), with the brightly painted
facade also more typical of Buddhist temples. Just inside is
the Mandapa, a large pillared hall that leads to the Garbhagriha,
or main shrine area. |
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GARUDA
AT ENTRANCE TOP VIEW OF THE TEMPLE
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GARUDA
AT REAR SIDE VIEW OF THE TEMPLE
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BRACKET
DETAILS
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BRACKET
DETAILS
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| CANOPY OVER ENTRANCE GATE |
DETAILS IN FRONT ELEVATION
HISTORY AND LEGEND
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DEITIES
ARRANGEMENT IN ALTAR
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Deities
Arrangement In Altar :
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| The Badrinath area is referred
to as Badari or Badarikaashram in Hindu scriptures. It is a
place sacred to Vishnu, particularly in Vishnu’s dual
form of Nara-Narayana. Thus, in the Mahabharata, Siva, addressing
Arjuna, says, “Thou wast Nara in a former body, and, with
Narayana for thy companion, didst perform dreadful austerity
at Badari for many myriads of years.” |
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| One legend has it that when the
goddess Ganga was requested to descend to earth to help suffering
humanity, the earth was unable to withstand the force of her
descent. Therefore the mighty Ganga was split into twelve holy
channels, with Alaknanda one of them. It later became the abode
of Lord Vishnu or Badrinath. |
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| The mountains around Badrinath
are mentioned in the Mahabharata, when the Pandavas are said
to have ended their life by ascending the slopes of a peak in
western Garhwal called Swargarohini – literally, the ‘Ascent
to Heaven’. Local legend has it that the Pandavas passed
through Badrinath and the town of Mana, 4 km north of Badrinath,
on their way to Swargarohini. There is also a cave in Mana where
Vyas, according to legend, wrote the Mahabharata. |
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| According to the Skanda Purana:
“There are several sacred shrines in heaven, on earth,
and in hell; but there is no shrine like Badrinath.” |
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| The area around Badrinath was
celebrated in Padma Purana as abounding in spiritual treasures. |
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| Badrinath has also been eulogised
as Bhu Vaikunta or earthly abode of Lord Vishnu. Many religious
scholars such as Ramanujacharya, Madhawacharya and Vedanta Desika
visited Badrinath and wrote sacred texts, such as commentaries
on Brahma Sutras and other Upanishads. |
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Pilgrimage
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| Located only a few kilometers
from the Indo-China (Tibet) border, Badrinath is generally a
two-day-long road journey from either Kedarnath, the site that
precedes it in the Char Dham circuit, or one of the main disembarkation
points on the plains. Hemkund Sahib, an important Sikh pilgrimage
site, is on the way to Badrinath, so the road is especially
crowded during the summer pilgrimage season. The temple and
its substantial surrounding village are accessible by road.
The best time to visit Badrinath is between June and September.
Warm clothes are recommended all year. |
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| The northern math established
by Adi Sankara is nearby at Jyotirmath. Other places in the
area are Haridwar and Rishikesh. |
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Transport
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| The nearest airport is the Jolly
Grant Airport near Dehradun, (317 km). The nearest railway stations
are at Haridwar (310 km) and Rishikesh(297 km) and Kotdwar,
(327 km) respectively. There are regular buses operating to
Badrinath, from New Delhi, Haridwar and Rishikesh. As the roads
are very narrow, for your safety it is recommended to travel
by all terrain vehicles. Until recently you could not drive
here, but now you can drive right up next to the temple. |
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