There are four holy Dham in India. In south Rameshwaram, in east Jagan Nath puri, in west Dwaraka Dham and in North Badrinath Dham. It is also the part of Chota char dham of Uttarakhand. It is located in the Chamoli district of Garhwal. This Dham is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. During Satyug Lord Vishnu took the Avatar of Nar and Narayan. The main temple is surrounded by two mountains Nar and Narayan.
According to mythology Lord Vishnu was relaxing and Naradh muni taunted them that is always relaxing. Lord Vishnu got angry and came here and started meditating in anger. Goddess Lakshmi being his wife couldn’t see him in this condition so she became the Badri tree to protect her husband from storm and rain.
Detail Explanation of Badrinath Dham
Badrinath is the holy Dham which is not only the part of Chota Char Dham of Uttarakhand but also its one among the char Dham of India. Badrinath Dham is located in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand on the bank of River Alaknanda. If you are traveling from Delhi or any other state of India then you need to board a bus or train from Delhi or by flight you can reach directly to JollyGrant Airport.
Your first day stop will be in the “City of God” which is Haridwar. If you reach Haridwar by afternoon then after getting fresh you can visit the Har-ki-Pauri for the evening Ganga aarti.
After relaxing for the night the next morning your main day of Yatra will begin. You will be rived from Haridwar to Rishikesh via road and it is about 25 km which will take up to 1 hour to reach there. Rishikesh is also known as the world capital of Yoga.
As you will move forward by not entering the market side of Rishikesh else we will take you to the rafting point of Rishikesh. Shivpuri in Rishikesh is a famous stop for experiencing Rafting in its real sense. Loca tourists visit this place frequently on weekends for relaxation and peace of mind.
After crossing Rishikesh we will come across Devprayag. Devprayag is a point of confluence of two rivers Alaknanda and Bhagirathi river. Basically, it is the origin point of River Ganga, the point where the Bhagirathi river Changes into the Holy river Ganga. As we move forward we will come across Srinagar. Now, most people get confused that Srinagar is located in Jammu and Kashmir but there is one more Srinagar which is located in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand.
In Srinagar, devotees can visit a temple named Dhari Devi temple. This temple is dedicated to Goddess Kali, where she got accomplishments. After visiting the temple you will be driven to Rudraprayag. It is again the confluence point of two rivers Alaknanda and Mandakini river. Further, from Rudraprayag, the path divides into two. The road on the right hand will lead you to Badrinath Dham and the left one will lead you towards Kedarnath Dham. Now from Rudraprayag, we will move forward to another confluence point that is Karnaprayag, where the river Alakhnanda and River Pindar meets together.
On the way to Badrinath, you can visit five Sangam points which are also known as “Panch Prayag”. Moving forward from Karnaprayag we will come across Nandprayag where River Alakhnanda and River Mandakini meets.
Further will drive toward Joshimath. In Joshimath, you can visit the Shankaracharya temple. Adi Guru Sankaracharya was the one who established the four holy Dham of Uttarakhand. There is one more temple dedicated to Lord Narsingh as from the name we can make out that the half body of Human and the face is of a lion. Narsingh Temple is the place where the Doli of Lord Badri is brought down during the winter season.
After crossing Joshimath we will come across Vishnuprayag which is the confluence point of Dholi Ganga and Alaknanda. When we will cross this Sangam point we will reach Govindghat. In Govindghat, one can visit Hemkund Sahib, which is a gurdwara and also the Valley of Flower, which is a world heritage site.
Moving forward to Pandukeshwar where you can visit the Kuber temple and also Yog Dhyan Badri which is part of Panch Badri temple. Now as we move forward will reach the last stop before the Badrinath temple which is Hanuman Chatti, a place where the Vanity of Bhima was broken by Lord Hanuman. It is approx 9 km from Badrinath Dham. After reaching the Badrinath Dham, a halt will be taken from that day’s journey.
After getting refresh and relaxing one can attend the evening aarti in this Dham. The next day early in the morning you will be taken to Tap Kund which is a hot water spring, after taking a dip in tap Kund then will proceed to the Dham. You will offer prayers to Lord Badri. You can also do Pind Daan in Brahma Kapal.
According to mythology when Lord Shiva chopped the fifth neck of Lord Brahma, he was cursed for doing “Brahma Hatya” then lord Shiva came to Badrinath and did his Pind Daan in Brahma Kapal and atonement of his sins. After visiting the temple you can do the 2 km trek to visit a place named Charanpaduka where the Charanpaduka of Lord Vishnu is worshipped.
Now from Badrinath temple, you can drive to the last village of India that is Mana village on the Indo – Tibet border. This village is named after King Manibhadra who was a devotee of lord shiva. In Mana village, you can visit Ved Vyas Gufa, Ganesh Gufa. This is the place where saint Vyas was narrating the epic Mahabharata and in another cave, Lord Ganesha was writing it.
As you will come down you can see Keshav Prayag the confluence point of the Alaknanda River and Saraswati River. This is the origin point of River Saraswati. You can also visit Bhim Shila when Pandavas were going to heaven Dropati got scared by seeing the flow of the Saraswati river. So, Bhim put a huge rock as a bridge which is now known as Bhim Shila. If we move slightly upward there is Mata Murti temple dedicated to the Mother of Lord Vishnu and this is the place where Dropati renounced her Pran.
Moving 5km upward from Mana village you will come across Vasudhara falls. Vasudhara fall is a Glacier waterfall. Moving forward you will come across Sahastradhara where Sehdev renounced his Pran. moving 3 km from there you will come across Lakshmi Van where Nakul renounced his Pran. moving forward in Chakratirth where Arjuna renounced his Pran. further about moving forward for 10 km will come across Satopanth where Bhim renounced his Pran.
Satopanth is the last point where a person can go. From this place, only Yudishtar was able to go to heaven. After visiting Badrinath yatra Dham will drive back to Srinagar for a night halt. The next morning will be dropped to Haridwar for further journey to respective destinations.
Places To Visit In Badrinath
1. Auli
Auli is located in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. It is the highest skiing point located at a height of 2505 meters. It’s a dream place for every tourist seeking adventure.
2 .Valley of flowers
Valley of flowers is a world Heritage declared by UNESCO in 2005, this site is located in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. The best time to visit this place is during July month when the flowers bloom at their best.
3. Hemkund Sahib
Hemkund Sahib the Sikh pilgrimage site located in Chamoli district. It is dedicated to Guru Govind Singh ji who was the 10th Sikh guru.
4. Badrinath Temple
Badrinath yatra temple is a part of Chota Char Dham of Uttarakhand as well as Char Dham of India. This temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and is surrounded by Nar and Narayan mountains on its side.
5. Charan Paduka
Charan Paduka is a place wherein a cave Charan Paduka of Lord Vishnu is worshipped. You can reach here by trekking for 2 km from Badrinath Yatra Dham.
6. Vasudhara Fall
Vasudhara Fall is a Glacier waterfall located in Chamoli district at an elevation of 400 ft. the total distance from Badrinath yatra Dham is 9km out of which 3 km is motorable till Mana village and 6 km is a trek from Mana Village.
7. Neelkanth
Neelkanth is the major peak that can be seen while going towards the Badrinath Dham. It is located behind Badrinath temple at the height of 6596 meters.
8. Tap Kund
Tap Kund is a hot water spring where the devotees take a dip before entering the main Badrinath Yatra Dham. It is known as the home of Lord Agni and whose temperature is about 45 degrees Celsius.
9. Narad Kund
Narad Kund is also located near Badrinath yatra Dham where devotees take a dip in its holy water. It is the place where Adi Guru Shankaracharya got the idol of Lord Vishnu.
10. Saraswati River
This river is named after Goddess Saraswati, who is the Goddess of Wisdom. In Badrinath, the Saraswati river is Originated which later merges with River Alaknanda.
11. Vyas Gufa
Vyas gufa is a cave from where Saint Ved Vyas narrated the whole Mahabharat epic to Lord Ganesha.
12. Yog Dhyan Badri Temple
Yog Dhyan Badri is one of the seven Badri temples. It is located in Pandukeshwar and the idol of Lord Vishnu is a meditative pose that was installed by Pandu, Father of Pandavas and this place is also named on his name.
13. Alka Puri
Alka puri is a glacier and also the prime source of River Alaknanda. The view of nature from this place is at its best.
14. Mata Murti Temple
This temple is located near Badrinath Yatra Dham in Uttarakhand. This temple is dedicated to the mother of twin brothers lord Nara and Lord Badrinath.
15. Mana Village
Mana village is the last village located on the Indo – Tibet Border. This village is about 3 km away from Badrinath Dham in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand.
16. Satopanth Lake
Satopanth Lake is surrounded by mountain peaks at an altitude of 15000 feet above sea level. It is said that there are some auspicious days when Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Mahesh take bath in this holy water.
Things to Carry
You need to take your woolens with you because it generally remains cold throughout the year and especially at the night. A raincoat is also very important because rainfall and snowfall can happen at any time.
Best time to visit Badrinath Dham
The door of the temple closes on the day of “Bhaiya Dooj” of and the dolly of Lord Badri is shifted in the temple in Pandukeshwar for few months then it is shifted to Narsingh temple in Joshimath for the whole winter season. From May to June and from till November start is the best time to visit. Akshay Tritiya of summer is the time when the door of the temple opens again for six months.
Where to Stay
If you are coming from Delhi or any other state then you need to have one day stay at Haridwar and further stay at Badrinath itself. While returning you can stay at Srinagar and again in Haridwar on the last day.
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