Badrinath yatra is the holiest of the four Dhams in Uttarakhand. It stands at a height of 3133mts and is on the banks of the holy river Alaknanda. It is bounded by some beautiful Himalayan peaks and the prominent mountains among them are Neelkanth, Nar and Narayan. Badri Dham is home to Lord Vishnu and the temple has a colourful ‘Singh Dwara’ on the main entrance gate. Inside the ‘garbha griha’ there is a one meter tall black stone image of Vishnu in the form of Lord Badri Narayan. Devotees take a holy dip in the thermal springs at Tapt Kund before entering the temple.
PANCH BADRI
- Yogadhyan Badri (1920 m) From Badrinath drive towards Joshimath, after 23 km you arrive at Yog Badri which is near Pandukeshwar, accommodation is available at Govind Ghat which is just 3 km away
- Bhavishya Badri (2744 m) From Joshimath drive 15kms to Tapovan then another 4kms to Saldhar then 6kms trek to Bhavishya Badri.
- Vridha Badri (1380 m) From Joshimath drive towards Pipalkoti, after 20kms just before Helang is Vridha Badri
- Adi Badri (1180 m) From Karna Prayag (take the road which goes to Ranikhet) drive 6km to Shimli then 13km drive to Adi Badri.
DISTANCE
Badrinath is at a distance of 526 km from Delhi, 301 km from Rishikesh, 165 km from Rudraprayag.
Mata Murty Temple
Devoted to the mother of Sri Badrinathji. Other important temples include Shesh Netra Temple, Urvashi Temple and Charanpaduka.
Mana Village
Inhabited by an Indo-Mongolian tribe, it is the last Indian village before Tibet. It is 3 km from Badrinath by road.
Vasudhara
As the name suggests, Vasudhara is a magnificent waterfall. This place is 5 km from Badrinath, out of which 2 km is motorable up to Mana.
Panch Dharas
- Prahalad Dhara
- Kurma Dhara
- Urvashi Dhara
- Bhrigu Dhara
- Indra Dhara
Panch Shilas
- Narad Shila
- Varaha Shila
- Garurh Shila
- Markandeya Shila
- Narsingh Shila
Tapt Kund
Natural thermal springs on the bank of the river Alaknanda, where it is customary to bathe before entering the Badrinath Temple.
Narad Kund
A recess in the river, near Tapt Kund, forming a pool, from where the Badrinath idol was recovered.
Brahma Kapal
A flat platform on the banks of the river Alaknanda. Hindus perform propitiating rites for their deceased ancestors.
Sheshnetra
1.5 km away is a boulder having an impression of the legendary serpent, better known as the Sheshnag’s eye.
Charanpaduka
3 km away is a beautiful meadow, where the footprints of Lord Vishnu is seen on a boulder.
Neelkanth
A pyramidal shaped snowy peak (6,600 m) towering above Badrinath presents a dramatic sight. It is popularly known as the ‘Garhwal Queen’.
Weather
Generally pleasant in summer, the nights are cooler. In winter it becomes extremely cold and the place gets snow bound.
