Badrinath Temple - The Lord Vishnu's Abode on Earth

Badrinath, one of the most sought destinations for Vishnu worshippers is an important Hindu pilgrimage tucked at a huge elevation of almost 3200 meters above sea level. Being a part of both Char Dham in India (Rameshwaram, Puri, and Dwarka are the other holy pedestals) and also the Chhota Char Dham in Uttarakhand, Badrinath attracts millions of tourists towards itself with its undefined religious values and also with its unrivaled serenity and tranquility. Tucked beautifully between Nar and Narayan mountain peaks Badrinath Dham is easily and conveniently accessible by motorable roads and can be reached by covering a small and easy trekking trail. Around 3 km away from Badrinath, you can visit Mana Village, the last Indian village established on the border of India and Tibet, and witnessing the eye-catching beauty of the Neelkantha Peak is another striking feature of this pilgrimage.

Mythology Behind the Badrinath Dham

Badrinath Temple

Reckoned as one of the most legendary temples in the country, Badrinath holds numerous mythological tales associated with its origin. As per an interesting Hindu mythology, Lord Vishnu has rigorous meditation at this place and when he started his meditation, he was completely unaware of the unstable climatic conditions and then to protect him from the scorching heat coming out of the sun's rays, Goddess Lakshmi, his spouse transformed herself into a Badri tree and spread over him in order to relax him from the extreme climatic conditions. On seeing this, Lord Vishnu was very much pleased by her devotion and he named the place as Badri Ka Ashram.

Another exciting legend states that once Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva were performing meditation in Badrinath and then Lord Vishnu came as a small boy and disrupted them by crying loudly. Goddess Parvati on hearing this asked him for the reason behind this mournful behavior then he replied that it was all done because he wanted to meditate there. On recognizing Lord Vishnu as a small boy, both the deities left Badrinath and moved towards Kedarnath.

Nar And Narayana Tales

Badrinath Dham is also associated with the tales of the two sons of Dharma named Nar and Narayan who wished to expand their religious base amidst the divine Himalayas or who wished to set up their hermitage. If we go by the legends then both the Dharma sons Nar and Narayan's quest to find a suitable place for their hermitage led to a chance discovery of the four holy pedestals of Panch Badri namely Bhavishya Badri, Bridha Badri, Yog Badri, and Dhyan Badri and finally they came across a site that was blessed with two captivating cold and hot springs behind River Alaknanda. Finally, on spotting this place they were extremely overjoyed and thus they named the place Badri Vishal and this is how Badrinath came into existence.

Other Mythologies

It is believed that the Pandavas of Mahabharata (one of the holiest Hindu epics) climbed to Swargarohini via Badrinath. Swargarohini popularly called the ascent to heaven and Mana town that is established to the north of Badrinath when they were on their route to heaven.

How to Reach Badrinath Dham

As mentioned above that this holy pedestal in Uttarakhand is easily accessible and this holy site can be reached via all modes of transport i.e. by airways, railways, and roadways.

By Airways: Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun is the nearest airport to Badrinath that is situated at a distance of almost 317 km and is established amidst the panoramic landscapes the best thing is that this airport has good connectivity with several major cities including Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore.

By Roadways: Badrinath is well connected to several major cities in Uttarakhand and other nearby states as the roads are well-maintained and properly motorable. NH 58 is the main highway that links Badrinath to the rest of the cities of the country and to reach here one needs to change buses more than twice. So this can be a little hectic for a few people so if budget is not your concern then don’t opt for this mode of transport.

By Railways: Badrinath doesn’t have its own railway station and the destination is connected to different railheads including Kotdwar, Haridwar, and Rishikesh. However, Haridwar is considered to be the best-connected railway station as there are very few trains that stop at Kotdwar and Rishikesh has no express train by now.

By Helicopter: If you want to complete your journey in the most convenient and the fastest manner then opting for Badrinath helicopter services is the fastest and the most convenient way to reach this hugely elevated shrine.

Best Time to Visit Badrinath Dham

Badrinath witnesses chilly cold weather throughout the year and the peak season to visit this holy site is between May and June and then September and October. During the monsoon months, the pilgrimage witnesses a huge amount of rainfall that makes the area slippery and also prone to landslides, and the temperature also starts dropping. Similarly, with the onset of the winter season, Badrinath witnesses heavy snowfall, and simultaneously the temperature starts lowering down at a fast pace, and even most of the time it touches the sub-zero level which makes the climate too frosty. Hence, it is recommended to visit the holy shrine of Lord Badri in the summer months as the weather is quite pleasant and favorable in these months.

Trip Essentials

As you are covering the pilgrimage established at an extreme location, so you need to keep certain things in mind before you embark on this religious journey.

• As the shrine is nestled at a good elevation so the weather remains slightly cold even during the summer season, so it is advised to carry light woolens that would surely prevent you from falling ill.
• As the pilgrimage is established amidst the Himalayas and one needs to walk on steep slopes, it is better to pack good quality trekking or sports shoes in your baggage.
• A windproof jacket, sunglasses, lip balm, sunscreen lotion, a good pair of shoes, a good fitting track pants, personal toiletries, a walking stick, and torchlight/flashlight, etc. are a few of the must-packed essentials.
• To save oneself from dehydration, it is advised to carry some dry fruits, a water bottle, and a few energy bars too. In order to avoid dehydration, one can also carry ORS (electoral)/ Gatorade are also vital to carry.

Some Interesting and Captivating Facts About Badrinath Dham

• Badrinath Dham is the only holy pedestal among four magnificent Char Dham sites established in the Himalayas and encircled by snow-peaked mountains and is nestled between the gorgeous Nar and Narayan Himalayan mountain ranges.
• It is an annual pilgrimage that is open only for 6 months in a year as with the onset of the winter season, the temperature starts dropping down and also gets covered with thick sheets of snow.
• The religious values and their importance has been mentioned in several holy epics of Hindus including Skanda Purana, Bhagavata Purana, and Mahabharata and it has also been mentioned in Padma Purana as a religious site.
• There are some historical tales stating that Badrinath Dham used to be a Buddhist site till the 8th century but later on in the same century, Adi Shankaracharya, the great Hindu philosopher declared it a Hindu site. However, the architecture of the temple resembles one of the Buddhist temples and even its brightly painted exterior is similar to the Buddhist sites.
• There is a beautiful 3.3 feet tall statue idolized at the entrance of the temple makes it look more stunning and eye-catching.

Places to visit in and around Badrinath

Badrinath, an amazing pilgrimage site established in North India is encircled by a plethora of travel destinations, and a few of those interesting sites are enlisted below in the article.

Badrinath Temple

Nestled beautifully on the Garhwal Hill tracks, Badrinath Temple is one of the most eminent destinations of Vishnu worshippers where devotees from all across the globe flock to seek the blessings of the deity. Tucked between the gorgeous mountain ranges of Nar and Narayan, Badrinath Temple is established in the backdrop of the majestic Neelkanth mountain and is reckoned for its captivating and stunning scenic vistas.

Vasudhara Falls

Falling from a huge height of 400 feet and originating from Nar Narayan mountain peaks, Vasudhara Falls is established in Mana Village i.e. 9 km away from Badrinath and the fall meets with River Alaknanda at an elevation of 12,000 feet above sea level. There is a belief among locals and travelers that the falls turn away from those who are not pure in heart and thoughts. If you are an adventure enthusiast then exploring Vasudhara Falls is one of the great ideas as here you will be covering a total of 6 km long trekking trail including a difficult trekking trail near Saraswati Mandir. 

Charanpaduka, Neelkanth, Bheem Pul, Tapt Kund, etc. are some of the other exciting places that you can visit on your trip to Badrinath. However, it is not possible to detail them all together in a single article as it becomes boring to read such a long article, so if you want to gather some more knowledge about the places then do write it down in the comment box below and also like and share this post with your known ones.