Badrinath Tour

Badrinath is regarded as the holiest of all four Chardham shrines, and is located between the twin mountain ranges of Nar and Narayan with scenic Neelkanth Mountain at its backdrop. Visited by millions of devotees each year, the place is called the abode of Lord Vishnu.

Located in Uttarakhand state on the left bank of River Alaknanda, the shrine was built by Adi Guru Shankaracharya along with three other shrines namely Rameshwaram, Dwarkapuri and Jagannathpuri to resurrect the lost prestige of Hindus. An important cultural place, Badrinath finds mention in the epic "Mahabharata” as the place from where the Panch Pandavas ascended to heaven-known as Swargarohini. There is also a cave at Mana where Saint Vyas is believed to have written the Mahabharata.

The badrinath temple is divided into three parts:

• Garbha Griha: The Sanctum Sanctorum whose canopy is covered with pure gold offered by a devotee. There are a total of 15 idols in the complex including that of Lord Vishnu seated in meditative pose sculpted in black stone.

• Darshan Mandap: The place for performing rituals and Puja offering, where every prayer conducted on behalf of individuals must be preceded by a dip in the Tapka Kund.

• Sabha Mandap: The place where devotees assemble for offering prayers.

• Tapt kund: It is a thermal spring with a temperature of 130 degrees, and is said to be the abode of Hindu god of fire- Agni. Believed to possess medicinal properties, it is customary to take a holy dip here before entering the temple.

• Panch Shilas: This constitutes 5 blocks of historical importance including Narad sila-where Sage Narad meditated, Narsimha-a stone sculpture shaped as lion believed to be Lord Narshimha, Barah- shaped as a Boar, one of the incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Garur- where garur, the carrier of Lord Vishnu meditated and Markandeya- the site where Sage Markendeya meditated to obtain eternal peace.

• Narad Kund: Adi Sankaracharya recovered the idol of Lord Badrinath from Narad kund. It is a recess in the river sheltered by a rock which breaks the flow of the river enabling devotees to take a holy dip in the water.

• Brahma Kapal: Another sacred place at Badri, it is believed that as a result of blessing of Lord Vishnu, the fifth head of Brahma fell at this place after it was sliced by Lord Shiva. Hence, the name is derived as Brahama Kapal (head of Brahma). A sacred place for conducting Shradh ceremonies as Lord Vishnu is believed to abode at the site, hence performing the ceremonies for departed souls here will result in them being permanently enshrined in heaven.

• Neelkanth: Also known as "Queen of Garhwal”, it is a snow covered peak 6,598 meters above sea-level, providing a majestic view of the valley. This pyramid shaped peak is a popular tourist spot.

The temple remains open to the visitors from 1st week of May to 2nd week of November. Summers are cold during the day and cooler in the night. Summer season is snowbound with sub-zero temperature. The area witnesses rough monsoon season during late June to August. The best time to visit the shrine is considered from the months of May-June and September-November.

• By Air: The Jolly grant airport at Dehradun is located at a distance of 317 km.

• By Rail: The two nearest railheads are Rishikesh (297km.) and Kotdwara (327km.) which are well connected with all major cities of Northern India.

• By Road: The two routes from Delhi are Delhi-Rishikesh and Delhi-Kotdwara. Badrinath is well connected to all nearby regions of Garhwal & Kumaon regions including Rishikesh, Haridwar and Dehradun.