Badrinath Temple

Sacred Vishnu shrine on the Alaknanda — one of the Char Dham and among the holiest Vaishnava tirthas.

दर्शन महत्व: Completes the Himalayan Char Dham with Kedarnath; Badrinarayan darshan after the mountain journey is deeply moving.

यात्रा का सर्वश्रेष्ठ समय: May–June, Sept–Oct (seasonal opening)

History

Badrinath on the Alaknanda in Chamoli is the Vaishnava pillar of the Uttarakhand Char Dham and one of the 108 Divya Desams. Adi Shankaracharya is credited with recovering the Badrinarayan murti from the Narad Kund and establishing worship in the 8th century. The temple opens in late spring and the deity winters at Pandukeshwar / Joshimath.

Legends

• Vishnu is said to have meditated here as Badri (jujube) trees sheltered him from snow — hence Badri-nath. Lakshmi took the form of the badri tree itself.
• The Pandavas are believed to have passed this way toward Swargarohini; the nearby Mana village is tied to Vyasa and the Mahabharata’s composition.