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Hemkund Sahib : Situated 43 Kms away
from Badrinath, Hemkund Sahib is an important pilgrimage centre of the
Sikhs and Hindus. The sacred shrine is located along the shores of
holy lake, Hemkund. It is the place where Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth
Sikh Guru unified with God after prolonged mediation in his previous
birth. Another attraction is the Lakshman Temple, where Laskhman
performed his penance.
Brahma Kapal : Brahma Kapal is a flat platform,
situated on the bank of Alaknanda river. Here the Hindus perform
propitiating rites for their deceased ancestors.
Neelkanth : Popularly known as the ‘Garhwal
Queen’, Neelkanth is a pyramid shape snow peak towering above
Badrinath.
Mata Murti Temple : The temple 3 Kms away from
Badrinath lies on the bank of Alaknanda river. The temple is dedicated
to the mother of Sri Badrinathji.
Mana Village : The village inhabited by an
Indo-Mongolian tribe is located at a distance of 4 Kms for Badrinath.
Mana is considered to be the last village before Tibet on this route.
Major pilgrimage attractions here are Vyas Gufa (cave), the rock cave
of saint Ved Vyas (the writer of the Mahabharata), Bhim Pul (bridge),
and Vasundhara Falls.
Alka Puri : Located 15 Kms from Badrinath, Alka
Puri is the source of the Alaknanda river. The glacier consists of
Bhagirath - Kharak and Satopanth glaciers.
Satopanth : Santopath is a three cornered lake,
which lies 25 kms away from Badrinath. The lake is situated at an
altitude of 4,402 mts. above sea level. Santopath is named after the
Hindu triad - Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh.
Govindghat : The ghat 25 Kms away from Badrinath,
is situated on the confluence of Alaknanda and Lakshman Ganga rivers.
A enchanting Gurudwara named after Guru Gobind Singh is major
attraction here.
Joshimath : Situated at a distance of 44 Kms from
Badrinath, this is the winter home of Shri Badrinathji. Joshimath is
one of the four ‘maths’ established by Adi Guru
Shankaracharya. Other sites of interest are the temples of Nav Durga
and Narsingh.
Panch Prayag : Panch Prayag is the confluence of
five important pilgrimage centres, namely Deoprayag, Nandprayag,
Rudraprayag, Karnaprayag and Vishuprayag.
How to Reach Badrinath
Air : Jolly Grant airport in Dehradun(317 Kms), is
the Nearest airport from Badrinath.
Rail : Rishikesh (297 Kms) and Kotdwar (327 Kms)
are the nearest railway stations from Badrinath.
Road : Badrinath is connected by good roads to
Rishikesh, Haridwar, Kotdwar, Dehradun and other hills the Garhwal and
Kumaon region.
Accommodation
Bardrinath has several hotels, which cater to the needs of the
tourists. Famous hotels include Modi Bhavan, Gujarat Bhavan and Kale
Kambli Wales Ashram. The religious organizations have many
Dharamsalas, which are cheap and good to stay.
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Barinath Temple, also known as Badri Narayan, is dedicated to Lord Vishnu
(Preserver in the Hindu Trinity of Creator-Preserver-Destroyer). It is
said that Lord Vishnu, had done penance in the mythical Brindava, which
once covered the Uttaranchal mountains. Situated amidst a picturesque
valley, the 15 metre high temple, is built in the shape of a cone, with a
small cupola of gilt bull and spire. The temple was built by Adi Guru
Shankaracharya - the philosopher saint of the 8th century. Since its
construction, the temple has been renovated many times due to damage by
avalanches. The main entrance to the shrine, called ‘Singh Dwara’
has special importance. The temple appears fairly modern due to this
colorful entrance. Badrinath temple is divided into three parts - the ‘garbha
griba’ (sanctum sanctorum), the ‘darshan mandap’ (for
rituals) and the ‘sabha mandap’ (for devotees to assemble). The
temple complex has 15 idols, each sculpted in black stone. The most
attractive among the idols, is the one metre high image of Badrinath,
which represents Lord Vishnu seated in meditative pose, flanked by
Nara-Narayan. Other images include Laxmi (Vishnu’s consort), Garud
(Vishnu’s mount), Shiva & Parvati and Ganesha
Visit
Lavishly built and aesthetically designed temples of South India.
North
India Religious Tour
