Badrinath

Badrinath Darshan :-
Badrinath Temple, also called Badrinarayan Temple, situated along the Alaknanda river, in the hill town of Badrinath in Uttarakhand state in India, is a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu. The temple and town are one of the four Char Dham and Chota Char Dham pilgrimage sites. It is also one of the 108 Divya Desams, holy shrines for Vaishnavites. The temple is open only six months every year (between the end of April and the beginning of November), due to extreme weather conditions in the Himalayan region. The temple is located in Garhwal hill tracks, along the banks of Alakanda river at an elevation of 3,135 m (10,279 ft) above the mean sea level. The temple is one of the most visited pilgrimage centres of India, with a recorded number of visitors of 1,070,000.

Badrintah Dham: -
"Badrinath Dham” Guarded on either side by the two mountains Nar and Narayan, the Neelkanth Peak provides a splendid backdrop to Badrinath, one of the ‘Char Dham Tour’. One of the most celebrated pilgrim spots in the country, it plays host to the famous Badrinath Temple. Legend has it that Lord Vishnu came to the area, called ‘Badri Van’, or the berry garden, to meditate after Narad rebuked the Lord for being immersed in worldly pleasures. The main deity is a meditating Lord Vishnu. Badrinath dham is considered as one of the most sacred centres of pilgrimage situated in the lofty Himalayan heights in the Tehri-Garhwal hill tracks (Uttarakhand) at the height of 10,248 feet above sea level. The route to Badrinath Dham is one of the most arduous one due to the lofty hilly terrain, curves and cliffs amidst the most scenically beautiful place on the earth.
History:-
The Badrinath temple history is amazing such as it was basically set up as a place of Pilgrimage by Saint Adi Shankara in 9th centaury. Adi Shankara found the Badrinarayan image in river Alaknanda and after that enshrined the image in the cave close to Tapt Kund. During the 16th century, the Garhwal king moved the statue to today’s temple.
This holy temple underwent many big renovations, because of time and destruction by avalanche. During the 17th century, this holy temple was extended by Garhwal King. After great spoil during the 1803 earthquake of Himalayan, it was reconstructed by Jaipur King. It is among the five holy Places (Punyakshethras) where all the Hindus offer oblations (Shradhakarmas) to their ancestors (42 lines) both from father’s and mother’s side. The other four Punyakshethras are Gaya, Kahsi at Varanasi, Rameswaram, and Prayag at Allahabad. It is said that once the oblation or the Shradhkarma is performed this place, successors need not to perform the annually ritual.
FESTIVALS
Mata Murti Ka Mela:-

Mata Murti Ka Mela is the most prominent festival celebrated in Badrinath Temple to commemorate the descent of river Ganga on mother earth. Although Badrinath is located in North India, the head priest, or Rawal, is traditionally a Namboodri Brahmin chosen from the South Indian state of Kerala. The temple was included in the Uttar Pradesh state government Act No. 30/1948 as Act no. 16,1939, which later came to be known as Shri Badarinath and Shri Kedarnath Mandir Act. The committee nominated by the state government administers both the temples that has a total of seventeen members in the board.
Badari Kedar Festival:-
Held in the month of June, nothing could be a perfect manifestation of Hindu religion and culture. The Badari Kedar festival is held in the sacred shrines of Badarinath and Kedarnath in the month of June. The festivities go on for a stretch of eight days. The festival makes an attempt to bring under one platform, the greatest artists of the country. What could be a more apt tribute to the rich Indian culture?
Place to Visit in Badrinath /Sightseeing/Excursions
Badri Vishal: Main shrine of Lord Badrinath ji is known as 'Badrinath'.
Bhavishya Badri: The temple of Bhavishya Badri is at an elevation 3641 m, and is surrounded by dense forests. It is located at Subain near Tapovan, about 17 km east of Joshimath on Joshimath-Lata Malari route. Pilgrims have to trek beyond Tapovan, up the Dhauliganga river.

It is believed that a day will come when the present route to Badrinath will become inaccessible and Lord Badrinath will then be worshipped here. Hence the name 'Bhavishya Badri', which literally means the "Future Badri".
Yogdhyan Badri: The temple of Yog Dhyan Badri, one of the five Badris is located at Pandukeshwar (1920 m), just 24 km short of Badrinath on Rishikesh-Badrinath highway. The image, depiciting a meditative posture of the Lord, is worshipped here. The Pandavas are said to have handed over Hastinapur to King Parikshit and retired here.
Vridha Badri: Situated at an altitude of 1380 m and at a distance of 7 km from Joshimath is Animath, the place where several centuries before the advent of Adi Guru Shankaracharya, the idol of Badrinath was enshrined and worshipped. The idol is known as Vriddha (old) or the first Badri and the temple remains open throughout the year
Adi-Badri: Adi-Badri is 19 km away trom Karanprayag on Chaukuthia Ranikhet road where a group of 16 temples dating back to Gupta age are in existance. These temples were made with the idol of lord Vishnu to spread Hinduism to every remote comer in the country by Adi-Shankaracharya
Panch Dharas: (a) Prahalad Dhara (b) Kurma Dhara (c) Urvashi Dhara (d) Bhrigu Dhara (e) Indra Dhara
Panch Shilas: (a) Narad Shila (b) varaha Shila (c) Garurh Shila (d) Markandeya Shila (e) Narshingh Shila
Tapt Kund: Tapt kund is a natural hot water pool fed by a sulphur spring which is said to be the abode of Agni, the god of fire. It is customary to bathe before entering Sri Badrinath temple. This water has a temperature of 130 degrees C. To the left of this pool is the Surya Kund fed by a branch of the same thermal spring. These waters are said to be very nourishing to the body. The Alakananda flows swiftly just below these kunds and the boiling water falls into the icy waters of the river giving rise to clouds of steam.
Narad Kund: A recess in the river, near Tapt Kund, forming a pool from where the Badrinath idol was recovered. It is sheltered by a projecting rock which breaks the force of the river and allows people to bathe in it. Adi Shankaracharya knew this by his great powers and retrieved the idol from this pool
Sheshnetra: 1.5 km away is a boulder having an impression of the legendary snake, better known as the Sheshnag’s eye (Shesh meaning Sheshnag and Netra meaning eye).
Mata Murty Temple: Devoted to the mother of Sri Badrinathji. Other important temples include Sesh Netra Temple, Urvashi Temple and Charanpaduka.
Vasundhara: As the name suggests, vasundhara is a magnificent water fall. This place is 5 kms. from Badrinath out of which 2 kms. is motorable upto Mana.
Bhim Pul: On the other side of Mana village, a massive rock forming a natural bridge, lies over the roaring Saraswati river. It presents a spectacular view of water thundering down through the narrow passage under the rock and is believed to have been placed there by Bhim, the second eldest among the five Pandava brothers.

Vyas Gufa (Cave): Near Mana Village, this is a rock-cave where Ved Vyas is believed to have composed the Mahabharata and the pauranic commentaries.

How to Reach Badrinath Temple
By Air – Jolly-grant airport is situated at Dehradun, which is about 315 kms away. The closest railway station is located at Rishikesh, which is only 292 kms from here. Chartered solutions available from Delhi (Capital of India) - Jolly grants or Saraswa to shri Badarinath.
By Train - Nearest railway station are at city Rishikesh about 297 km away and the Kotdwara around 327 km far away, which are linked with significant places of Northern India. City Rishikesh is straight linked by railway networks with Delhi, Lucknow, Howrah and Mumbai.
By Road - Delhi-Rishikesh about 287 km by rail, Rishikesh-Badarinath around 297 kilometers by street.
Delhi-Kotdwara- around 300 kilometers by rail and Kotdwara-Badarinath around 327 kilometers by street.

Road No. 1D – kedarnath-badarinath about 247 km
Kedarnath – only 14 kilometers, Sonprayag about 4 km, Gaurikund about 5 kilometer, Rampur around 9 km, Guptkashi about 7km, Phata only 14 km, Kund around 19 kilometers, Tilwara about 8 km, Agastyamuni around 8 km, Rudraprayag only 20km, Karnaprayag about 20 km, Gauchar about 12 km,  Chamoli about 8 km, Nandprayag around 11 km, Garur Ganga about 15 km, Joshimath around 13 km, Govidghat around 3 km, Vishnuprayag only 8 km, Shri Badrinath 11 km and Hanumanchatti only 10 km.
Route Number 2 D – kedarnath- badarinath about 229 kilometers through Guptakashi - Ukhimath - Chopta - Gopeshwar - Chamoli - Pipalkoti
From Kedarnath to holy  Kund  about 53 km path is similar as  in the way 1D chart) – only  (6km) Ukhimath – around  (22 km) the  Dogalbhitta – only  (7 km) Chopta - (about 27 km)and  Mandal - (only 8 km) Gopeshwar –around  (10 kilometers ) Chamoli city - from Chamoli city  to Shri Badarinathji about  (96 km) path is similar as  in way No. 1D Data.
Route No. 3D – from haridwar/rishikesh-badarinath (about 324 km), rishikesh to shri badarinath around 298 km
Haridwar –Only (24 km) Rishikeh – about (71 km) and Deoprayag - (only 30 km) Kirtinagar - (about 4 km) and  Shrinagar –about  (34 km) Rudraprayag - (only 20 km) and Gauchar –about  (12 km) Karnaprayag - (only 20 km) and Nandprayag - (around 11 km) Chamoli - (only 8 km) and  Birahi - (9 km) city Pipalkoti - (around 5 km) Garur Ganga – about  (15 km) and  Helang - (about 14 km) Joshinath –around  (13 km) and  Vishnuprayag - (only 8 km) and  Govindghat - ( only 3 km) Pandukeshwar –around (10 km), area  Hanumanchatti –and  (11 km) holy  Badarinathji.