INFORMATION ABOUT BADRINATH

Badrinath is a Hindu holy town in Uttaranchal and is the most important of the four sites in India's Char Dham pilgrimage. Badrinath is situated in the Garhwal hills Chamoli district tracks on the banks of river Alaknanda at a height of 3133 m above sea level in the middle of a beautiful valley exactly between the two mountains Nara and Narayan.

Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the temple of Shri Badrinathji is 15 mt. in height, built in the form of a cone with a small cupola of a gilt bull and spire. There are 15 idols in the temple complex, each sculpted in black stone. The principal idol represents Vishnu in a meditative posture and is flanked by Nara-Narayan.The temple has been renovated several times due to damages by avalanches. It looks fairly modern now due to the colourful "Singh Dwara" or the main entrance gate. It has three parts- Garbha Griha (the sanctum sanctorum), Darshan Mandap (for pujas) and Shobha Mandap (for devotees to assemble).

BADRINATH HISTORY

Legend dates it prior to the Vedic age though it is believed to have been re-established by Adi Shankaracharya, an important Hindu saint in 8th century A.D. Some of the other images include Laxmi (Vishnu's consort), Garud (Vishnu's mount), Shiva & Parvati and Ganesha. It is believed that the image of Badrinath had been thrown into the Alaknanda river during the time of the Buddhist era and later retrieved and reinstalled by Shankaracharya during the following Hindu revival.

BADRINATH TOURISM

The Places of Interest and Sight Seeing



• Badrinath Temple:This temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu located at an altitude 3133 m above sea level
• Tapt Kund:The natural thermal springs on the banks of the river Alaknanda.
• Hemkund Sahib (43 kms.)Near the Valley of Flowers is the holy lake Hemkund- an important pilgrimage of the Sikhs and Hindus.
• Brahma Kapal:A flat platform on the bank of river Alaknanda where Hindus perform propitiating rites for their deceased ancestors.
• Neelkanth:A Pyramidical-shaped snowy peak towering above Badrinath, popularly known as the 'Garhwal Queen'.
• Mana Village (4 kms.) Inhabited by Indo-Mangolian tribe, it is considered to be the last Indian village before Tibet on this route.
• Mata Murti Temple (3 kms.)The temple dedicated to the mother of Sri Badrinathji at the banks of Alaknanda.
• Alka Puri (15 kms.)The source of Alaknanda river from the glacier snouts of Bhagirath- Kharak and Satopanth glaciers
• Satopanth (25 kms)A three cornered lake with a circumference of about 1 km., situated at an elevation of 4,402 mts. above sea level. It has an imposing Gurudwara named after Guru Gobind Singh.
• Joshimath (44 kms)It is one of the four 'maths' established by Adi Guru Shankaracharya.
• Panch Prayag-The five important confluences- Deoprayag, Nandprayag, Rudraprayag, Karnaprayag and Vishuprayag, form the Panch Prayag.
• Deoprayag:The confluence of Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers. Ancient stone scriptures are found here. Important pilgrim spots are Shiv Temple and Raghunath Temple.
• Rudraprayag:The confluence of Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers. The temples of Rudranath and Chamunda Devi are noteworthy.
• Nandprayag:The confluence of Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers. The Gopalji Temple is worth a visit
• Karnaprayag:The confluence of Alaknanda and Pindar rivers with temples of Uma and Karna.
• Vishnuprayag :The confluence of Alaknanda and Dhauliganga rivers. An ancient temple of Lord Vishnu stands here by a pool called Vishnu Kund.
• Srinagar :The old capital of Garhwal, it is an important cultural and educational centre. Places to visit include Kamleshwar and Kilkeshwar temples and the Shankar Math.

ACCOMODATION/STAY OPTIONS IN BADRINATH

• HOTEL NARAYAN PALACE


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