Badrinath Dham - A Divine Shrine

Badrinath Dham 

We reached Badrinath Temple and offered our Puja to Lord Vishnu and were also fortunate to watch the evening "Aarti" there. There is a Hot Spring named Taptkund in the vicinity of Badrinath Temple. Local people say that skin diseases can be cured after bathing in the Taptkund. Pilgrims usually take a bath here before worshipping the Badrinath Bhagwan. The travellers can see the Saraswati Waterway, which begins from Himalaya and streaming through Badrinath and Kedarnath.

Badrinath Temple is on the bank of the Alaknanda River in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. A huge number of devotees visit Badrinath Narayan Temple consistently to worship Lord Vishnu every year. The sculpture is formed of black stone with one-meter height. There are three areas are inside the Badrinath Temple: The Darshan Griha, Sabha Griha and Garbha Griha. The glimpses of a number of idols are The God Badrinarayan, Rishi Narada, God Kuber, Garuda Vahan of Vishnu and Goddess Laxmi and so on. Which are in true sense eye-catching. Here the God Badrinaryan is keeping Shankh in one hand and Chakra is in another hand. The other two hands are in dhyana mudra style. The Mandir is one of the pavitra places of Chota Chardham.

Badrinath Temple History

The Temple is the most sanctified place according to the Hindu religion. Our Pandit Ji stated that Adi Shankaracharya found the Idol of Lord Badri in the Alaknanda River and thereafter he began to worship the Deva in a cave, later the ruler of Garhwal had constructed this temple. Due to extreme cold and snowfall in winter and incessant rain in monsoon, the Pilgrims come here to worship Lord Vishnu in between the months of May to June and September to October.

As learnt from our Pandit Ji that the temple was built by Raja Pandu, the father of Pandavas. After the victory of Kurukshetra Yudh, the Pandavas halted here and continued further toward Mana on their approach to heaven. Many hot springs emerge in and around the Badrinath Mandir.

Badrinath town is located amidst Garhwal Himalayan Mountains. The view of the Nara and Narayan mountain range on either side is a gift of nature to the travellers. Anyone will be captivated to see the mountains covered with snow and the Alaknanda river is flowing by the side. One of our team members has aptly said, we all talk about Paradise, I'm certain this is the Paradise on earth. Incomparable natural beauty with religious feeling had grabbed our emotions. While observing at this large beauty of the earth, we noticed how small our existence. And our small mindset, which rules our mind. Realised that our inner self, hatred, sorrow, furious everything was getting vanished and so for what motive have to should we keep our minds so low. Our life is more precious and can be focused on the welfare of mankind. In the event that an individual who has no religious attitude, will even progress toward becoming non-secular for that moment.

Any individual who will go to this place will definitely feel his sense of purity and self-actualization. We had a further journey, so we could no longer ride the trekking. But it is additionally exciting for trekkers as well. The Pilgrims can experience the places' beauty and sanctity, having the synergistic effect and a nature lover can comprehend this places' smell.

There are many Kunds and spots to see near Badrinath. Tapt Kund, Surya Kund, Mata Murti Temple, Vyas Cave, Ganesha Cave and so on.

Mana - The Last Indian Village

We set out toward Mana, the last Indian village on the Indo-Tibet Border. which is at a distance of approximately 2 km from Mana Village. 

Mana Village Entry

We had tea and a bit of snack in Mana. The trekkers can discover further and enjoy the scenic beauty while travelling from Mana to Vasudhara Glacier, which is at a distance of around 7 km. We did not proceed further and returned on our way.

Devprayag - The Sangam point of Alaknanda and Mandakini Rivers 

And at last, our set up was to back to the pavilion. We backed from Badrinath Dham to Hardwar by car through Joshimath, Devprayag (the confluence point of rivers Alaknanda and Mandakini) Rudraprayag and Rishikesh. The highway is very good and clean. While moving by car, we observed the sightseeing with the delightful perspective of valleys, lovely views of wilderness and unknown waterfalls. From Hardwar, we proceeded to Delhi. The Pilgrims can avail Bus services. Several Travel Agencies they also conduct tours for Do Dham Yatra. Minimum three to four days are required to cover those places. The travellers can design their trips for the distinctive tourist spots nearby with the visit of two sacred temples. The explorers can find it as a pilgrimage site and adventure trip also.

It is an exquisite place to have a look at our Indian Culture. How nature and its beauty capture the attention of travellers, Kedarnath and Badrinath have that eternal beauty. In addition to a gift of pleasant climatic condition could also be a nice feeling. Pujas and Rituals are taking place around here. An unforgettable historic visit.

Other Travelers' Spots

• Mata Murti Mandir: It is located by the side of Alaknanda River. Mother of Lord Badrinath is worshipped here. Mata Murti Mela takes place during the month of September. It is believed that the River Ganges descended from heaven to earth on this day.

• Vyas Guha: This historical cave is located in Mana Village. As per the legend, the Rishi Vyas made the sacred composition of the Epic Mahabharata here.

• Ganesha Cave: This ancient cave is also situated in Mana Village. In a Mythological story, the Lord Ganesha had recited and accordingly the Rishi Vyas had written down the Mahabharata here. 

• Pandukeshwar: King Pandu (father of Pandavas) who had built this Temple.

• Govindghat: The junction point is close to Joshimath. The travellers can go to the valley of flowers from here.

• Vasuki Tal: The crystal clear lake might be a brilliant traveller's spot. Which is enclosed by the chain of the Himalayan Mountains and offers a mind-blowing view? The spot is at a distance of 7 to 8 km from Kedarnath.

• Devaprayag: The Sangam point of Bhagirathi and Alaknanda Rivers.

• Valley of Flowers: It is a National Park, the range of colourful flowers with greenery will definitely feel the travellers a heaven on earth.

Badrinath Climate ➤ In summer (May to July) max.18 deg. c and min. 12 deg. c. July to October infrequent rains with the average temperature 15 deg.c. In winter - cold weather with snowfalls. The average temperature is 5 deg. c to sub-zero.

Best Time To Visit Badrinath And Kedarnath ➤ During summer and about prior to winter (3rd week of September to 3rd week of October).

Where to Stay➤ A number of Hotels and Lodges are available in transit route between Kedarnath and Badrinath.

The Nearest Airport ➤ Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun approx. 318 km from Badrinath Town. Explorers can charter a helicopter from the Airport to cover the two Dham on the same day and two days require to cover the Char Dham Yatra. The trip timing is 7.30 am to 5.30 pm.

The Nearest Railway Stations ➤ Rishikesh and Hardwar which are approx. 300 km & 320 km respectively via National Highway VII. The Highway is clean and free of dirt.

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