The great Nilkantha peak (6,558 metres)
towers over the
temple set deep down in the Alaknanda valley. The rulers of
Garhwal built the present temple of Badrinarayan some two
hundred years ago.
The original Badrinath shrine, built by the 9th
century saint
Shankara, has been re-built several times over due to damage from avalanches
and snowfall. Made of wood, the temple stands 15 metres high,
topped with a gilded cupola. The exteriors are painted in bright colours every
year before the temple gates open. Standing in sharp contrast to the grey
concrete buildings around it and the stark mountain
slopes behind, the temple resembles a Tibetan
gompa from a distance. The head priest of
Badrinath is also that of Kedarnath, hailing from the Namboodiri Brahmin
caste of Kerala in southern India. Below
the temple are the Tapt Kund and Surya Kund, hot sulphur
springs where pilgrims take a ritual dip
before entering the temple. The ancient village of Badrinath is to the south
of the temple.
24 kms from Badrinath is the f amous site of Govindghat, the confluence of the Alaknanda with the Lakshmanganga. This is also the entry point for the mystical Valley of Flowers and the Sikh shrine of Hemkund Sahib. The Vasuki Tal at a height of 4,135 metres is 8 kms from Badrinath. Besides the main s hrine of Badrinath, there are four other shrines that together form the Panch Badri or five Badris. Bhavishya Badri is believed to be the future Badrinath shrine, which will be used once the present shrine site is blocked when the twin peaks of Jay and Vijay join together. The other Badris are Yoga Badri at Pandukeshwar where the idol resides in winter, Adi Badri with its ancient Gupta age temples near Karnaprayag and Vridha Badri at Animath near Joshimath where Badrinath was originally worshipped.
All tourists should be careful of cheats in the form
of seers and saints. They usually dupe the tourists with
both their money and other belongings. One should always keep an eye
out for the frauds, who also exploit the
religious and spiritual sentiments of the visitors for immoral motives.
When to go:- The Badrinath temple opens
only from May till October. It closes down for winter in November, when the
deity is carried to Pandukeshwar for worship.
Nearby Places of Interest
Kedarnath -
Gangotri - Gangotri is an important pilgrim and tourist place. Gangotri is located at 3,048 m above sea level. The Gangotri glacier is the original source of river Ganga. There is a temple dedicated to Goddess Ganga and the sacred stone where King Bhagirath is believed to have worshipped Lord Shiva. There is a natural Shivlinga submerged in the river (It is believed that Lord Shiva received the Ganges here).
Yamunotri -Yamunotri is also an important pilgrim as well as tourist place. The shrine of Yamunotri is located at a height of about 3,235 m and is dedicated to the river Goddess, Yamuna. The main pilgrim place at Yamunotri is the temple of Goddess Yamuna. There are many hot water springs in the vicinity of the temple.
Deva Prayag - is where the tranquil Alaknanda embraces the tempestuous Bhagirathi and it is here that the Ganga is truly born. Devout Hindus consider this prayag second only to the Triveni in Allahabad. The most ancient stone inscriptions found in Uttarakhand are located here. The famous Raghunatha Math, one of the many names for the Rama Temple, is also situated here and it is at Deva Prayag that the priests of Badrinath sojourn in winter. According to an old legend this spot is named after Deva Sharma, a poor Brahmin who performed rigorous austerities at this spot and obtained the favor of Vishnu_s incarnation Rama. The hero of the Ramayana had come here to expiate the sin of brahma hatya (Brahmin-slaughter) after killing the demo-king Ravana. King Dashratha, the father of Lord Rama, is also said to have undergone penance here.
