Badrinath – The Picturesque Earthly Abode of Lord Vishnu

Badrinath, Uttaranchal is the abode of God Vishnu, the prime God of Hindu Mythology. It is located at an altitude of 3,133 meters on the banks of the river Alaknanda. It is 15 meters in height. The temple at this place was developed by the Adi Guru Shankaracharya, one of the founders of Hindusim of the 8th Century. After that, this temple that is surrounded by icebergs was destroyed by avalanches and rebuilt many times. Especially its ‘singh dwara ‘or maintenance gate was renovated a lot of times.

The temple has a ‘garbha griha’ where the deity resides, the ‘darshan mandap’ from where devotees get to see the Lord, and the ‘sabha griha’ where devotes assemble for religious purposes. The Badrinath idol is 1 meter high and is made of black stone and depicts Lord Vishnu in a meditative posture. This temple has 15 idols in all.

The devotees purify themselves in the sacred waters of Tapt Kund springs around Alknanda before visiting the sacred shrine. This spring is said to have medicinal water. The Neelkanth, also known as the Garhwal Queen is a snow–capped mountain peak for you to feast your eyes on. The Charanpaduka is a lush green meadow that encloses a boulder on which the footprint of Lord Vishnu is believed to be imprinted. The Brahma Kapil on the banks of the Alaknanda is a sacred seat. The Seshnetra is said to have the imprint of the eye of Seshnag (the sacred serpent).

The best time to visit Badrinath is from March to September. You can reach Badrinath by air at the Jolly Grant Airpoirt, by rail from Rishikesh and Kotdwar and by road from Rishikesh, Haridwar, Dehradun, Kotdwar, and from Garhwal and Kumaon regions. You can ask your travel agency to book a travel pack with a cheap travel option.