Chamoli, Garhwal
May, Jun, Sep, Oct,
2 days
Badrinath Temple, Char Dham Yatra, Pilgrimage, Temple, Char Dham Temple
Badri Vishal, by its name, means the greatest Badri. Badri, another name for Lord Vishnu, is the name given to a berry Bayar whose legend is connected with the Bayar tree.
Badri Vishal- One of the five Panch Badri, is also known as Badrinath Dham because it is one the chhota Char Dhams and one of four Pilgrimages of India. Aadi Shankaracharya established Badri Vihal temple.
Guru Adi Shankaracharya established Badrinath as a major pilgrimage site in the 9th century. Pilgrims used to travel hundreds of miles to make obeisance to the holy Badrinath temple in the beginning. Badrinath was home to only 20 dwarf huts during the First World War. This is where the temple staff lived.
Architecture of Badrinath Temple
Badrinath temple architecture bears striking similarities to the Buddhist Vihara (temple). The temple’s facade is made of stone with arched windows. The intricate carvings can be seen on the walls and pillars at the mandapa. You will need to go up the wide staircase to reach the arched gateway. This is the main entrance to the temple.
The temple stands 50 feet high and has a small cupola at the top that is covered with an agold-gilt roof. The temple is home to Lord Vishnu’s calm, meditative pose, flanked with Nar and Narayan. The temple is carved from black stone and contains around 15 idols.
Badrinath has two mythological stories. The first is that Bhakt Narada, according to the Vamana Purana (the fifth incarnation Lord Vishnu), performed his penance here.
According to another legend, Lord Vishnu, in his child avatar, appeared near the Neelkanth Paravat to seek a place for meditation. He fell in love with the area near Alaknanda River. Lord Vishnu then appeared as a child in the vicinity Alaknanda and Rishi Ganga rivers and began crying. Goddess Parvati was instantly moved by his crying. Parvati wanted to help the child, so she went with Lord Shiva, her consort. Parvati asked the child “What do you want?” The child wanted a place to meditate. Parvati granted the child his wish, and now that same spot is revered as BadriVishal.
By Air – Jolly Grant Airport, located at 314kms from Badrinath is the closest Airport. Jolly Grant Airport has daily flights to Delhi and Badrinath can be reached by motorable roads via Jolly Grant Airport. Taxis can be arranged from Jolly Grant Airport to Badrinath.
Rail: Rishikesh is the nearest railway station to Badrinath. Rishikesh railway station, located 295 kms from Badrinath via NH58, is well connected to Indian railway networks and major Indian destinations. Regular trains to Rishikesh run frequently. Badrinath has good connections via motorable roads that connect with Rishikesh. Taxis and buses can be arranged from Rishikesh and other locations to Badrinath such as Chamoli, Rudraprayag and Chamoli.
By Road Badrinath has good connections by road to major destinations in Uttarakhand state. ISBT Kashmiri Gate offers bus services to Srinagar, Rishikesh, Haridwar and Rishikesh. You can easily get buses and taxis to Badrinath from most major locations in Uttarakhand state, such as Dehradun (Haridwar), Rishikesh, Pauri Rudraprayag Karnaprayag Ukhimath Srinagar, Chamoli, Chamoli, etc. Badrinath can be connected to Ghaziabad via National Highway 58.
