Badrinath Temple Uttarakhand

Badrinath Temple Uttarakhand

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One of the holiest temples in the country, Badrinath is counted amongst the four holy seats of god (Char Dham and also one in the list of the Char dham of Uttarakhand, which is also called the Chota Chardham.

Badrinath temple is also known as the Badrinarayan temple, because it is dedicated to lord Vishnus form of Badrinaryan. Located in Badrinath village in the Chamoli district of the Uttarakhand, India, the temple is amongst the most easily accessible of the religious places.

The Temple:

The temple is supposed to have been built in the 8th Century AD by Adi Shankaracharya, the great Scholar and philosopher. The original temple was however, destroyed by an avalanche. The present temple is supposed to have been built by the Garhwal Kings in the 17th century.

The temple that stands today is a beautiful structure made in the typical mountain architecture. With the brightly coloured Singh Dwar, which is the main entrance of the temple, the temple gets a modern appeal, not to mention an aesthetic beauty.

The temple compound consists of around 15 idols of various Hindu deities, the primary deity being lord Vishnu, or Narayan, who is depicted being sitting in a meditative position, quite uncommon for the god who prefers reclining. A badri tree covers the meditating god.

Mythology behind Badrinath Temple:

There are many stories linked to the famous temple of Badrinath, the most famous being that lord Vishnu did penance here, sitting out on the mountain in a very harsh weather. As he meditated, the weather got even worse. His wife, goddess Lakshmi, on seeing her husband in such discomfort, transformed herself into a Badri (berry) tree, and sheltered him from above. The place thus attained the name- Badrinarayan.

There is a second story which is connected with the Holy River Ganga. It is assumed that the divine river descended from heaven at this very place, rendering significance to Badrinath.

Places to see around Badrinath:

While on a visit to the holy town of Badrinath, there are many other interesting and important places that can be visited. Some of them include:

Bhim Pul: This natural bridge, made of a rock over the river Saraswati, attracts a huge number of people because of the mythology connected to it. It is said that when the Pandavas and their wife Draupadi came here, there was no means to cross the river. Bhim, the mightiest of the five then lifted a large rock and put it across the river, so that Draupadi could cross it.

Mana: The last village on the Indian border, Mana is a beautiful place occupied by the Bhotia tribes. The distance of the village from the temple is around 3 kilometres.

Mata Murti Temple: This temple is dedicated to the mother of lord Vishnus incarnation of the twins, Nar and Narayan. She was a woman who prayed with fervour to the lord, asking that he be his child as an incarnation. Vishnu agreed and came from her womb as the twins. Later, Nar and Narayan killed a monster.

Vyas Cave: The celebrated cave is believed to be the place where Vyas Muni, a saint dictated the whole epic of Mahabharata to lord Ganesh, who noted it down. One speciality of the cave is that no outside sound, however loud, can reach inside. Thus it is considered to be one of the ideal places to meditate.

Reaching Badrinath:

Badrinath is one of the most easily reachable religious places in Uttarakhand.

Road: There are buses as well as taxis available to Badrinath from all the major cities of the country, including the national capital Delhi.

Air: The nearest airport from Badrinath is Jolly Grant airport near Dehradun at a distance of around 314 kilometres.

Rail: The nearest railway station is at Rishikesh at a distance of 297 kilometres.


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About the Author:
Badrinath Temple | Best Uttarakhand : Uttarakhand, also known as the abode of gods has a long and rich past. Best Uttarakhand explores the majestic beauty of Uttarakhand State in India.



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