Badrinath Temple
Badrinath is one of the four important Char Dham Sites, and the Chota Chardham of India. Lying on the banks of the River Alaknanda, it stands a modest average height of 3,300 meters or 10827 feet above sea level. The town derived its name from the Badrinath temple for Lord Vishnu popularly known as Badri Narayan, the preserver. Many Hindus visit this holy shrine quite often.
Char Dham has four shrines and among these four shrines, Badrinath is the only one that is part of Chota Char Dham as well. Badrinath Dham is one of four pilgrimage sites spread over India's four corners: In north Badrikashram (Badrinath Temple), in south Rameshwaram, in west Dwarkapuri, and east in Jagannathpuri.
Badrinath is located in Badrinath town and Lord Vishnu is the idol placed at the core of the temple. According to the Bhagvat Puran, since the creation of the world, there have been huge penances by the Supreme Being (Vishnu) in the shape of the two sages of Nar and Narayan for benefiting all the creatures on the earth and universal.
Structure Design and Layout of the Badri Vishal Temple
The Badrinath temple has exteriors built with stones. Its inner walls and ceilings are adorned with images carved from stone in the north-Indian style Badrinath Mandir is also very colorful, and very big and there is a big door which is known as Singhdwar. Badrinath temple consists of three halls, the sanctum sanctorum which has Lord Badari Narayan, Kuber, Nar & Narayan, Narad Rishi, and Udhava.
The chariot of Bird Garud is placed at Badrinath Mandir Gate right opposite the main deity Lord Badrinarayan. His hands are placed clasped and folded. The mandapa has a lot of sculpture effects carvings on the walls and pillars.
Statue of Lord Badri in the Temple
It is said that Shankara came across a black Saligram stone statue of Badrinarayan in River Alakananda. He first placed it in a cave near Tapt Kund’s hot spring. The murti was shifted from its earlier place to the present temple in the early sixteenth century by the King of Garhwal. This represents also Lord Vishnu in the posture known as padmasana which is associated with the posture of meditation.
In the Darshan Mandap, to be precise the Badari Narayan is shown standing with both his hands raised and making the Yogic Pose. The other two objects he is holding are conch and chakra. Under the Badari tree, Badarinarayan is found, accompanied by Kuber and Garuda, Narad, Narayan, and Nar.
Folk and Mythology Related to Badrinath Temple
There is a folklore that says that Lord Vishnu had done penance here. He was deeply engaged in his meditation and had no idea that the weather was so bad. His wife Goddess Lakshmi changed herself into a Badri tree above him to protect him from the scorching heat of the sun. One day Lord Vishnu was moved by her fidelity, faithfulness, sincere commitment and he wanted to show his reverence and bless her along with redesigning destination’s name to Badrikashram. Numerous devotees, saints and as well as other interested persons who come here for prayers, spirituality, and salvation are also accommodated.
As per another story, Dharma Nar and Narayana’s two sons wanted to seek more space to build an additional hermitage in the Himalayas for meditation. They came across Panch Badri locations of Yogdhyan Badri, Bridha Badri, Adi Badri, and Bhavishya Badri. They found this area even though it may be incomprehensible to most, and gave it the name of Badri Vishal.
Schedule of the Badrinath Temple
The Badrinath Temple, just like most other temples of the country opens and closes at different dates every year, which falls in the third week of November and April – May, respectively. That is why the temple remains closed for six months in a year and in its place Narasimha temple in Joshimath is used for conducting Badri Vishal prayers.
Seasonal Timings : On Basant Panchami, the priests generally announce the dates of opening the Badrinath Mandir. Badrinath can be visited by the pilgrims from April through May to October through November only, it remains closed in the winter season.
Daily Timings : After having a bath in the Tapt Kund, the devotees participate in all the poojas offered in this temple of Badrinath. The pooja samagri can be arranged well in advance but the special poojas in the Badrinath Mandir Committee can be planned in advance with prior booking.
Opens at 4:00 AM – 7:30 AM for the basic rites called the Abhishek, Alankar, and Aarti Darshan, and at 1:00 PM. In essence, after 3 PM the temple doors are closed, and then from 4 PM the Badrinath temple is again open until 9 PM at which they are closed again.
The Badrinath Dham is in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand and occupies a significant position in Hindu mythology. The abode of Hindu gods at Badrinath is located on the right bank of the Alaknanda River at 11204 feet (3415 meters) in the background of Neelkanth Parvat.
The services of all main stations; airways, rail, and road, are readily available within the precincts of this town. There are no railway or road transport available for direct travelling to Badrinath.
By Air : Due to the proximity of the airport Jolly Grant at Dehradun at about 317 kilometers away from Badrinath, where you can hire a bus or taxi. Such helicopter service providers are available from Dehradun to Badrinath. A helicopter ride is nothing more than a distance of approximately 100 Kms.
By Train : The nearest railway stations to Badrinath are Rishikesh (297 km), Haridwar (324 km,) and Kotadwar. Kotadwar has very a small number of trains and Rishikesh is not well connected by rapid trams. So if you are planning for a train journey to Badrinath then the best to do it from the Haridwar station only. Several trains are available to give access to Haridwar with the other regions of India.
Road Accessibility : All these hill towns in the Garhwal and Kumaon regions- Kotdwar, Joshimath, Devprayag, Rishikesh, Haridwar, and Dehradun are very accessible.
By Bus : Badrinath is easily accessible by car. It is situated at 296 kilometres from Rishikesh and 525 kilometres far from Delhi. Many luxury and service buses ply from Delhi, Haridwar, and Rishikesh to Badrinath. Normal buses are also available from the bus stand at Rishikesh to Badrinath and they start their operation as early as morning.
Climate of Badrinath – Ideal Time To Go
The area is motorable all the time of the year while the best time to visit Badrinath is during the summer season May to November. May, June, and the beginning of July are the most hectic with a large number of pilgrims, and September and October are excellent for a quiet spiritual trip.
The Badrianth temple is so located that getting to the site can be a problem, especially during the monsoon period which is from late June to August. From March to June is more or less fine weather and the average temperature is around 18 degrees Celsius. Touring and pilgrimage activities can be done all summer. It rains occasionally from July until mid-September and the temperature drops to 15 degrees C. Because of the landslides which are common in the region, commuting in the area could be somewhat difficult.
The cold rainy season is between November and April, this stretch is very cold with an average temperature of about 5 0 Celsius. Winter is very cold, temperatures can be below freezing, and snow is possible and fairly common. The Badrinath Mandir remains closed for six months during the winter season.
For an even richer experience, you can go to the temple during these festivals
In June both the temples have their festival known as the Badri Kedar Festival which lasts for eight days. People of various art forms from all over India are welcome to participate in the fest. Mata Murti puja is observed in Bhavan Dwadashi. It also celebrates the festival Janmashtami wholeheartedly by dedicating it for the whole month. For any celebration of a birthday its celebration matters and thus in order to celebrate the birthday of Lord Krishna, devotees assemble.
Tour to Visit During the Tour of Badrinath
Badarinath temples are one of the sacred temples of Char Dham Yatra of India and are located between the Nar and Narayan Himalayan peaks of the Uttarakhand state and is one of the temples of Chota Char Dham Yatra.
Pandukeshwar : It is stated that this place was built by King Pandu, father of Pandavas, which is 4 km from Govind Ghat, 219 km from Kedarnath, and 24 km from Badrinath. Lord Yoga Badari Narayan and Lord Vasudev both have their temples.
Neelkanth Peak : North up with an awe-inspiring height of 6,597 meters (approx), Neelkanth Peak, or the queen of Garhwal extends her might to guard the Badrinath shrine. Existing in the Garhwal area of Uttarakhand, India, this peak is named after Lord Shiva the God of destruction this peak makes a visual feast as it turns into the first ray of the morning sun.
Charan Paduka : It is approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes trek of 3 kilometers from the village Badrinath to reach Charan Paduka which is circumscribed by stones and caves. It is a rock and according to legend Lord Vishnu was in habiting on this rock to move to the earth from his place, Vaikunth.
