Badrinath -Welcome Bhakts !!!

Badrinath is one of the most significant and holiest of the four main shrines in India's char dham pilgrimage. It is considered to be the prime seat of Lord Vishnu. The town is located at an altitude of 3,133 m. above sea level and situated on the left bank of the river Alaknanda, and is cradled between the two mountains Nara and Narayan. Badrinath is an universal attraction with some scintillating beauty. The strong spiritual hold of the place draws people from every nook and corner of the world.

Mythological Legend
Legend has it, when the Ganga was requested to descend to earth to help suffering humanity, the earth was unable to withstand the force of its descent. Therefore the mighty Ganaga was split into twelve holy channels. Alaknanda was one of them that later became the abode of Lord Vishnu or Badrinath.

Attractions In Badrinath
Badrinath Temple : The famous Badrinath temple lies on the right bank of river Alaknanda and is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The structure of the temple is of 15 metres in height and has a gilded cupola. The rawal or chief priest of the temple is a Namboodripad Brahmin from Kerala. The temple is divided into three parts - the garbha griha or sanctum sanctorum, the darshan mandap where the rituals are conducted and the sabha mandap where devotees assemble. The complex is enriched with 15 idols. Panch Badris : Besides the main temple of Badrinath there are other four badri temples-
Vishal Badri : The main Shri Badri Narayan Temple, considered very sacred.
Yogathyan Badri: Located at a distance of 24 km from Badri Nath and 20 km from Joshimath, this is the place where Maharaj Pandu (father of the Pandava princes) prayed to Pandukeshwar.
Bhavishya Badri : This is 17 km from Joshimath and is a small village.
Preetha Badri : It is 17 km from Joshimath at a place called Animath. Adi Shankar is believed to have worshipped Lord Badrinath here.
Adi Badri : This is located at a distance of 16 km from Karnaprayag. Several temples constructed during the Gupt Dynasty are here, of which Mana Narayanan temple is considered to be the most popular one.
Village Manam : Vyas Guha. Vyas Maharishi, considered, by some as the reincarnation of Vishnu, composed the Mahabharata in the caves in this village. Hence the caves are named after him as Vyas Caves.

Hot Water Springs
Tapt Kund- Tapt Kund is a natural spring believed to possess curative properties. It is believed to be the abode of Agni (the Hindu God of fire). The temperature of the water is around 45°C. Pilgrims take a holy dip in the Tapt Kund before entering the Badrinath temple.

Surya Kund & Narad Kund - Located on the banks of the river Alaknanda, these are the hot water springs where devotees take a cleansing dip before entering the premises of the temple.

Neelkanth- Popularly known as the 'Garhwal Queen', Neelkanth is a pyramidical shaped snowy peak located above Badrinath.

Hemkund Sahib - The Hemkund Sahib is an important pilgrimage centre of the Sikhs and Hindus. The shrine of the tenth guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh is also present here. Near to it the Lakshman temple is also placed.

Scoop
Place - Uttaranchal
Area - 3 sq .km
Population - 978
Altitude - 3,133 metres
Best Season To Visit -June to October
Languages Spoken - English, Hindi and Garhwali
Local Transport - Taxis, dandis and ponies
STD Code - 01381

Climate
During Summers( May - August ) it is cool in the day time and cold at night with the maximum temperature of 17.9 degree C. During winters( September - November ), it is cool in the day and chilly at night with a minimum temperature of 5.6 degree C.
Accommodation Options

• Andhra Bhawan
• Jhun Jhunwala Cottege
• Modi Bhavan II
• Mittal Cottege
• Shankaracharya Sadan
• Gujrat Bhavan
• Kali Kamli Dharamshala
• Punjab Sindh Dharamshala
• Maharastra Bhawan
• Forest Rest House
• DGBR Rest House
• Hotel Devlok

Dinning Options
There is a group of good restaurants at the main intersection in town, near the bridge to cross the river to the temple. A wide menu of vegetarian food is available in the restaurants.
Restaurants

• Vijaya - Laxmi Restaurant
• Saket Restaurant
• Urvashi Restaurant
• Several other restaurants, Liquor and non-vegetarian food are prohibited
• Quality Restaurant

Go Shopping
Badrinath is a worship land and thus does not possess rich tradition of arts and crafts. But the coming of a large number of tourist has made it grow as a shopping spot. One can check out the local artefacts. One can also buy a large variety of articles used for worshipping, antiques and knick-knacks.

Major Highlights
Badri Kedar Festival
The Badri-Kedar festival, held at the sacred shrines of Badrinath and Kedarnath is held in the month of June.

Mata Murti Mela
On the day of Mata Murti Ka Mela, the mother of Shri Badrinathji is worshipped, and a large fair held at the Badrinath Temple in the month of September.

Badrinath Times
http://www.euttaranchal.com/news/2006/11/badrinath-temple-closes-for-winter

Map Of Badrinath
http://encarta.msn.com/mapof_42201/Badrinath.html
Getting There
How to Reach Badrinath by Air: There is no airport in Badrinath. The nearest airport from Badrinath is Jolly Grant in Dehradun. A number of airlines operate regular flights to Dehradun connecting it to cities in northern India.
How to Reach Badrinath by Road: Despite the fact that Badrinath is located in the remote Garhwal Himalayas, there is good road connection for the place. There is excellent metal road network between Rishikesh and Badrinath. Rishikesh in turn is well connected by roads to Dehradun, Delhi.
How to Reach Badrinath by Rail: Badrinath does not have any rail station. But the Rishikesh, the nearest rail station is only 300kms (approx) away. Several good trains link Rishikesh to cities like Kolkata (Howrah), Mumbai, Delhi and Lucknow.