Badrinath

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Badrinath Tourism - Badrinath Temple Travel Guide

Badrinath is one of the most popular and religious holy towns of the Hindus located at Chamoli district of Uttarakhand in India. It is the most important of all the four (Char) dhams in India. The town of Badrinath lies between Nar and Naryana mountain ranges and in the shadow of Nilkantha peak, 301 km north of Rishikesh. The town is located at an elevation of 3,133mts above sea level on the left bank of Alakananda River.

Kapat Opening: The kapat of Shri Badarinath Temple has been opened on 29th April 2012 at 4:00 AM.
Closing date: Badrinath 2012 closing date will be updated soon.

Badrinath History and Legend

According to legend, the temple was originally established by Adi Shankaracharya which was renovated several times after its establishment. Badrinath is also one of the Panch Badris. The other four badris are Yogadhyan Badri, Bhavishya Badri, Bridha Badri or the 'Old Badri' and Adi Badri.

The Badrinath area was known 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, Krishna, 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."

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 (Ganges) was split into twelve holy channels, with Alaknanda one of them.

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 Svarga (heaven). There is also a cave in Mana where Vyasa, according to legend, wrote the Mahabharata.

Badrinath Pilgrimage Travel Destination

The main attraction of Badrinath is the Badrinath temple also known as the Badrinarayan temple. It is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and is also one of the 108 Divya Desams or holy shrines of Vaishnavities. The present temple is conical in shape built two centuries ago by the Garhwal kings. 15 idols are present in the temple complex, each built in black stone. Lord Vishnu is represented here in a meditative posture and is flanked by Nar and Narayan.

Some of the other attractions of Badrinath include the Tapt Kund a natural thermal spring on the banks of the Alakananda. It is believed that the water of this kund has medicinal properties. Neelkanth is another prime attraction of Badrinath which is a snow-covered peak of Badrinath.

You can also visit the Panch Prayag i.e. Devprayag, Rudraprayag, Nandprayag, Karnaprayag, Vishnuprayag; from Badrinath. You can also visit the Mata Murthi temple which is dedicated to the mother of Sri Badrinathji. 3km from Badrinath is Mana village inhabited by an Indo-Mongolian tribe.

Badrinath Weather - Badrinath Seasons Best Time to Visit

• Badrianth Summers (March to June): are very pleasant with moderate climate, with average around 18°C. Summers is ideal for all sight seeing and pilgrimage.
• Badrianth Monsoons (July to October): are accompanied with scanty rains and also temperature drops down to 15°C.
• Badrianth Winters (November to February): are chilly days with average minimum touching near 5°C. Minimum can touch sub zero levels and snow falling seen very often during winters. These months are perfect for travelers liking chilly climates.

Best Time to visit: The ideal time or peak season to go for a Char Dham Yatra is from May to October, except monsoons.

Badrinath in Char Dham Road Route Map

Char Dham Yatra Route: Haridwar - Rishikesh - Dehradun - Mussoorie - Chamba - Tehri - Dharasu - Barkot - Sayana Chatti - Hanuman Chatti - Jankichatti - Yamunotri - Uttarkashi - Harsil - Gangotri (Gaumukh) - Srinagar - Rudraprayag - Augustmuni - Phata - Sitapur - Guptkashi - Gaurikund - Kedarnath - Ukhimath - Chopta - Gopeshwar - Chamoli - Pipalkoti - Joshimath (Auli) - Govindghat - Hanuman Chatti - Badrinath - Nandprayag - Karnprayag - Devprayag