Shri Badrinath Dham | Shri Badrinath Temple
About Shri Badrinath Temple
Shri Badrinath Temple is a famous Hindu temple located in Chamoli district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. Shri Badrinath Dham is completely dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu is worshiped here. Shri Badrinath Dham is the main Dham in Char Dham Yatra.
Which is believed to have been built in the 7th century. The cities situated around Shri Badrinath Dham are also known as Badrinath. This holy Dham is situated on the Himalayas in the Garhwal region, the height of Shri Badrinath Dham is 3833 meters above sea level.
Being situated in the Himalayas, it is covered with snow for about 6 months of the year. Therefore the doors of Shri Badrinath Dham open at the end of April and close at the end of October. Shri Badrinath temple is famous not only in Uttarakhand but all over India.
And is one of the holiest places in India. One of the great deities of Hinduism, "Badri Narayan", a form of Lord Vishnu, is worshiped in the Shri Badrinath temple.
There is a 1-meter tall idol of Lord Vishnu here, which was installed by Adi Shankaracharya in the 7th century after taking it out from Narada Kund. Shri Badrinath temple is described in great ancient texts like Skanda Purana, Mahabharata, and Vishnu Purana.
Apart from being the famous Dham of Char Dham, Shri Badrinath Dham is also world-famous among other smaller Char Dhams. Due to being so popular, Shri Badrinath Dham is also known as "Badri Vishal".
Panch Badri located in Shri Badrinath Dham
Shri Badrinath Dham is popular all over the world as its holy pilgrimage site. But Shri Badrinath Dham is also known by the name of Panch Badri.
Panch Badri is formed by the adjustment of "Yogdhyana Badri, Bhavishya Badri, Adi Badri, and Vriddha Badri. And by adding Badrinath temple, it is called "Panch Badri". Which enhances the beauty of the Darshan of Shri Badrinath Dham.
Festivals and Religious Traditions of Badrinath
The fair of Mata Murti is the most important festival organized in Shri Badrinath Dham. This festival is celebrated in the joy of the arrival of Mother Ganga on earth.
On the occasion of this festival, the mother of Badrinath is worshipped, who divided the river Ganga into twelve streams for the welfare of the earth. The place from where the river Ganges first flowed is known today as Shri Badrinath.
Another famous festival is Badri Kedar, which is celebrated in the month of June in Badrinath and Kedarnath. Artists from across the country take part in this eight-day-long festival.
Talking about the major religious worships in the morning, Mahabhishek, Gitapath, Abhishek, and Bhagvat Puja are the main ones, while in the evening there is Gita Govinda and Aarti. Sahasranama and Ashtotram Vedic texts are used during all these pujas.
After the last aarti of the evening, sandalwood is applied to the idol of Shri Badrinath temple. Then on the next day, this sandalwood paste is given to the devotees as prasad.
After the morning worship, devotees also take a dip in a pool of river Alaknanda and it is believed that taking a dip in this pool purifies the soul.
History of Shri Badrinath Dham
If we talk about the establishment of Badrinath, then many opinions come out. According to one belief, this temple was earlier a Buddhist monastery, which was converted into a Hindu temple by Adi Shankaracharya in the eighth century.
The Shri Badrinath temple has architectural proof, its bright face looks like a Buddhist temple. According to another belief, it is believed that Adi Shankaracharya built Shri Badrinath Dham in the ninth century.
Later the deities installed the idol here. The temple is very old and the Badrinath temple has been renovated many times due to avalanches in the Himalayas.
Badrinath temple was badly damaged by a strong earthquake in 1703, after the earthquake, the Raja of Jaipur got the Badrinath temple rebuilt. By the First World War, the temple was completely completed and small towns had started to settle around it.
Best season to visit Badrinath Dham
If you want a joyful journey of Badrinath temple and want to visit at best season then I suggest to you visit between the month of April and October. The door opening date of Badrinath Dham is around the last week of March and the door closed in October last week.
Badrinath Temple is located in the Himalayan region, after October here you have to see it full of snowfall.
How to reach Badrinath Dham(Badrinath Dham trek guide)
By Road: To reach by road, one has to first book a bus or taxi from Rishikesh or Haridwar. The distance from Rishikesh to Badrinath Dham is 293 km. This road route passes through Chamoli, Joshimath via Rudraprayag. Then Badrinath Dham is situated 40 km ahead of Joshimath.
By Train: Rishikesh Railway Station is the nearest railway station. From where one can easily reach Badrinath Dham by booking a taxi or bus.
By Air: Jolly Grant Airport is the nearest airport located in the Dehradun district of Uttarakhand state. The distance of Shri Badrinath Dham from Jolly Grant Dehradun is about 300 km.
