Uttarakhand, well known as a land of ‘Chota Char Dham’, constituting Gangotri, Yamnotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. As the main Char Dhams are located in four directions of India, The famed town of Badrinath is among the four dominant Char Dham Pilgrimage sites of India as well as the Chota Char Dham.
Badrinath, also known Badri or Badrikaashram in Hindu scriptures, is abode to the preserver, lord Vishnu, particularly in Vishnu’s dual form – Nara & Narayana.
Located in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, it lies between Nar and Narayana mountain ranges and in the shadow of the Neelkanth ranges. It is also a part of the panch badri temples. It’s situated on the banks of river Alaknanda. According to one of the legend, when holy Ganga was asked to descend to earth for the humanity, the earth was unable to withstand her force, so the mighty Ganga split into twelve holy channels with Alaknanda being one of them. Unlike, other Char Dhams, Badrinath is the only site that remains closed for six months because of the extreme weather conditions and snowfall during winter, that makes this place unreachable.
Hindu devotees are smitten by the charm of this holy shrine as it showcases the traditional Garhwali wooden architecture. The temple is approximately 50 feet tall with a small cupola on top, covered with a gold gilt roof. The 3.3 feet statue located at the entrance is a main site of attraction.
The mesmerizing and captivating surrounding makes Badrinath a must visit shrine. There are nearby locations like Vasundhara Falls and Mana village, which is also the last village at Indo-China border. You can also visit tourist places like Auli and Valley of flowers to utilize your time.
Being situated at the roadside it’s easily reachable by your personal vehicle or there are lots of buses, sharable cabs available from Rishikesh.
