Badrinath Temple the Home of Lord Narayana

Badrinath, the Eternal Abode of Lord Vishnu, is also known as Badrinath Dham and Badri Vishal. The Badrinath temple is located at an average elevation of 3,300 metres, or 10,200 feet, above sea level on the banks of the Alaknanda River between the Nar and Narayana Mountains.

The sacred town is named after the Badrinath temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Badrinath is one of the Chardhams of India, along with Jagannath Puri, Rameshwaram, and Dwarka. It is also one of the Chhota Char Dhams of Uttarakhand, along with Yamunotri, Gangotri and Kedarnath.

Badrinath Temple

The Badrinath Temple stands at an altitude of 10,200 feet above sea level on the banks of the Alaknanda River. It is located between the Nar and Narayana ranges of mountains. This colourful temple has three main structures, i.e., the Sanctum, Darshan Mandap and Sabha Mandap.

The Black Shaligram Murti of Lord Vishnu is about 1 ft. in height. Lord Vishnu can be seen holding a Shankha and Sudarshan Chakra in two hands and two hands resting on His lap in Yoga Mudra.

Badrinath Temple is also one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Finally, it is one of 8 Swayam Vyatka (self-appeared) kshetras of Lord Vishnu. The area is known as Badrika Ashram.

There are also murtis of Kubera, Narada Muni, Udhava, Nar and Narayana. Other Murtis include Mata Lakshmi, Garuda and Nav Durga (nine forms of Durga Mata).

Historical Significance of Badrinath

As the temple’s roots are deeper, its history is more interesting. Let’s take a look at that.

Badrika Ashram

Badrikashram is also known as Badrinath, another name of the shrine. Here is a tale of how Badrikashram came to exist.

Lord Vishnu’s Penance & Mata Lakshmi’s protection

In the early days of creation, Lord Vishnu came down to earth to meditate and do penance in a sacred spot between the Nar and Narayan mountain ranges. He sat down on his asana and began, oblivious to the scorching sun.

Mata Lakshmi saw this from Vaikunth. So, she came down and took the form of a giant Badri tree to protect her lord from the sun’s heat. This gave birth to the name Badri Vishal. Pleased with her devotion, Lord Vishnu named the area Badrika Ashram.

Adi Shankaracharya & Badrinath Murti

Centuries later, Adi Shankaracharya stayed in this Himalayan region in the 8th century. He spent more than six years in different places. One day, while bathing in the Alaknanda River, Adi Shankaracharya discovered a black Shaligram of Lord Vishnu.

He enshrined the murti in a cave near Tapt Kund in Badrinath. He then built a small temple and established Badrinath as a pilgrimage site. The temple has been renovated several times since then. The king of Garhwal moved the murti to the present temple in the 16th century.

What do the Puranas say about Badrinath?

The significance of Badrinath is such that it is mentioned in several Puranas, the Mahabharata and other religious texts.

Sapta Badri

The Sapta Badri is a group of seven temples of Lord Vishnu that are located in the Garhwal Himalayas of Uttarakhand. Traditionally, it is the last place to be visited on the Chardham Yatra. It is the first of the Sapta-Badri temples.

The other two Badri in Sapt Badri are Yogadhayan Badri and Ardha Badri. Badrinath Temple is one of the main Panch Badri places. They are as below:

Also visit Distance from Badrinath to Gangotri

Places to visit in Badrinath

One can visit these beautiful places while travelling to Badrinath Dham. Here are some details on them.

Panch Shila

These consist of Narada Shila, Markandeya Shila, Barahi Shila, Garud Shila and Narsingh Shila. They are sacred rocks on which sages have meditated and attained high positions.

Tapt Kund

It is a hot spring adjacent to the Badrinath temple. The water has medicinal properties and devotees usually take a dip before darshan.

Narad Kund

The Narad Kund is near Tapt Kund. It is believed Sage Narad authored the “Narad Bhakti Sutra” on the banks of this Kund.

Mana Village

This is the last village on the Indian side of the border. It is a traditional village known for its woollen garments and shawls.

Vyas Gufa

This is near Mana village and it is believed Rishi Ved Vyas composed the Mahabharata here with the help of Lord Ganesh.

Saraswati River

The river is known to have vanished thousands of years ago. A small stream flowing from the mountains near Mana village merges with the River Alaknanda 1 km ahead and is believed to be the lost Saraswati River.

Vasudhara Falls

It’s a 6-kilometer journey from Mana village to the beautiful Vasundhara Falls. The beautiful scenes of the glaciers and peaks can be seen from here.

Bheem Pul

The Pandava Bhim created this naturally occurring bridge by throwing a huge rock across the river. He did this to make a way for Draupadi to cross the river when they were on their way to heaven.

Charan Padukas

These are the footprints of Lord Vishnu when God first put his feet down here. This place is about 3 km from Badrinath.

Mata Murti Temple

Located about 3 km from Badrinath, this temple is dedicated to Mata Murti. She was the mother of Nar and Narayana. A fair is organised here on every Shravan Dwadashi and is attended by thousands of local people and devotees.

Brahma Kapal

This is a highly revered place and it is said that Lord Brahma is always present here. This sacred site is favoured for the shradh rituals of departed souls.

Haridwar to Badrinath Route

Haridwar – Rishikesh – Devprayag – Srinagar – Rudraprayag – Karnaprayag – Joshimath – Badrinath

Best Time to Visit Badrinath Dham

The best time to visit the temple is from May to July. There are landslides and road blockages that occur during monsoons yet you can visit the Badrinath Temple.

Check Best time to visit Badrinathdham

Distances from Badrinath

• Joshimath – 41 km
• Srinagar – 185 km
• Rishikesh – 290 km
• Haridwar – 310 km 
• Dehradun – 330 km

These distances may vary a bit according to the route & vehicle chosen.

How to Reach Badrinath?

The step-by-step instructions in the Getting There guide below explain how to get to Badrinath via car, train, or flight.

By Road

Badrinath is reachable via motorable roads and has good connectivity to major towns in Uttarakhand. Buses to Haridwar, Rishikesh and Srinagar are available from the ISBT Kashmir Gate in New Delhi.

Rishikesh (290 km), Haridwar (310 km) and Delhi (515 km).

National Highway 58 connects Badrinath to Ghaziabad. To reach Badrinath, you can hire a cab or take local buses.

By Train

The nearest railway station is Rishikesh Railway Station, 295 km from Badrinath before NH 58. It is well-connected to major destinations in India.

From Badrinath, Haridwar Railway Station is 310 km away. Haridwar has more connectivity than Rishikesh.

By Air

Jolly Grant Airport is approximately 314 km away from Badrinath and is the nearest airport.

Regular flights link Jolly Grant Airport well to Delhi. Additionally, Jolly Grant Airport is accessible via several excellent roads.

Booking a helicopter is another option for Badrinath. Here are additional specifics about the Char Dham Helicopter Reservation.

• Know More About Char Dham By Helicopter Here

Where to Stay in Badrinath?

Are you planning to visit Badrinath and looking for options to stay with family? Then don’t wait! Choose from our selected Dharamshalas and book your vacation with YatraDham.Org.

Badrinath experiences a heavy rush of pilgrims during the peak months of the Chardham Yatra. We offer online booking of hotels and Dharamshala in Badrinath. Depending on your requirements and budget, you can choose the most suitable option from here.

Here is the accommodation available while travelling from Haridwar to Badrinath.

Hope this information on Badrinath will be helpful to you. Please feel free to ask us any more questions. Thank you!