Badrinath Temple
Badrinath, Uttarakhand
Significance
One of the 4 Char Dhams and one of the 108 Divya Desams. Situated at 3,133 meters in the Himalayas between Nar and Narayan mountain ranges, on the banks of river Alaknanda. Established by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century. The temple closes for 6 months each winter due to heavy snow — the deity is shifted to Joshimath.
Legend & Story
According to the Bhagavata Purana, Vishnu was meditating here in the form of a child when Lakshmi protected him from the elements by becoming a Badri (jujube) tree — hence Badrinath. Adi Shankaracharya found the idol of Badrinarayan in the Alaknanda river and established the temple. The present temple was built by the Garhwal kings in the 17th century. The Rawal (head priest) is traditionally a Namboodiri Brahmin from Kerala — a practice started by Shankaracharya.
Architecture
Darshan Timings
6:00 AM to 1:00 PM, 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM (during season)
How to Reach
Air: Jolly Grant Airport Dehradun (DED), 317 km. Helicopter services available from Dehradun/Phata.
Rail: Rishikesh or Haridwar. Then road to Badrinath (300 km, 10-12 hours through mountain roads).
Road: Rishikesh 296 km (10 hrs). Route: Rishikesh -> Devprayag -> Rudraprayag -> Joshimath -> Badrinath. GMVN buses available.