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Showing posts with label chardham. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chardham. Show all posts

Monday, August 5, 2013

Badrinath - the sacred place for Hindus

Overview

One of the four pilgrimage sites (Char Dham) of India, Badrinath is situated in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. Once served as the abode of Lord Vishnu and other Hindu gods, Badrinath was established as a pilgrimage site in the 9th century by Adi Shankara. In fact, Badrinath finds its description in mythological scriptures like Bhagavata Purana and legends dating back to more than 1000 years. Set between Nar and Narayan mountain ranges along the banks of Alaknanda River amidst pristine natural surroundings, Badrinath thrills visitors with its unparalleled beauty and pleasant cool climate. The lofty Neelkanth Peak raising above 6500 meters above sea level provides a magnificent backdrop to the quaint town of Badrinath. Besides the main shire of Badrinath dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the holy town houses many other spots of religious importance especially for Hindus. A trip to Badrinath not only purifies the soles of the devotees but it also provides a wonderful opportunity to enjoy a vacation in the lap of nature.

Badrinath


Fast Facts

Main Languages: Hindi along with Garhwali is widely spoken by the people of the town.

When to Go: Badrinath enjoys a pleasant soothing climate almost all through the year. Except in winters (November to February) when the mercury drops up to freezing point the maximum temperature during summers (March to June) and monsoon season (July to October) remains around 15 to 20 degree Celsius. You can visit Badrinath any time in the year, but the Badrinath Temple opens for devotes between May to mid November.

Local Transport: Because of hilly terrain you will not find public transport at Badrinath. You can drive through the narrow roads of Badrinath but it needs lots of expertise. Better cover the temples and other tourist attractions of the town on foot.

Currency: Indian Rupee (INR) 1 USD is approximately 48 INR

Voltage: 230V / 50Hz

Time Zone: Indian Standard Time (UTC +5:30)

Location: On the banks of Alaknanda River in the Garhwal hills of Uttarakhand

Nearest Metropolis: New Delhi – 500 km away

Eating

Badrinath is an important pilgrimage town for Hindus and doesn’t offer a lavish eating experience to visitors. The area around the temple is dotted with small eating joints that serve vegetarian food. Most of the eateries offer limited choice from North Indian cuisine. You can savour some local delicacies of Uttarakhand as well. Remember non-vegetarian food and alcoholic drinks are not permitted at the holy town of Badrinath. Also you should not expect about luxury restaurants or eateries at this small town.

Shopping

Although Badrinath is not a shopper’s paradise, but you can find some interesting items in the stalls around the temple. In fact, some of the objects can be bought as a souvenir for near and dear ones. Chinese goods especially electronic gadgets are sold at various spots of the town. Sacred threads, beautiful beads and bracelets, woollen garments, sea shells and ancient coins are some of the famous items found at Badrinath. You can also buy holy books and booklets on ‘Aarti’ and other related topics in the shops adjacent to temple. Haggling is very common at Badrinath so you are free to ask any desired price for the selected objects.

Sightseeing

Set at an altitude of about 3,133 metres above sea level, Badrinath Temple is the principal attraction of the holy town. A popular pilgrimage centre of Hindus, Badrinath Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Since its construction in the ancient time the temple has undergone renovations several times. While the Kings of Garhwal expanded the temple in the 17th century, the Kings of Jaipur reconstructed it in 1803 after the major earthquake. An architectural masterpiece, Badrinath Temple looks like typical Buddhist temples. The 15 metre high temple has a small cupola on the top and covered with gold-gilt roof. The façade of the temple is built of stone and equipped with arched windows.

You can reach the temple through a broad stairway that leads up to the main arched gateway. Enter inside the mandapa (a large pillared hall with delicately carved walls and pillars) that leads further to the main shrine (garbha griha) which is adorned with the deity of Lord Vishnu. Darshan Mandap and Shobha Mandap are other two main portions of the temple. Besides the shrine of Lord Vishnu, the temple complex houses the shrine of goddess Lakshmi. You can see 15 other idols of different Hindu gods and goddess in the temple complex. Visitors to Badrinath spend maximum time inside the temple and worship the principal deities Vishnu and Lakhsmi.

Just outside the temple the surrounding natural beauty fascinate the visitors a lot. Enjoy a breathtaking view of snow-covered Neelkanth Peak (6,597 metre) the overlooks the Badrinath Temple and the town below. Fondly called the ‘Queen of Garhwal’, Neelkanth Peak is a favoured spot for devotees, nature lovers and adventure enthusiasts as well. Further visit Brahma Kapal Ghat, a flat platform along the banks of Alaknanada River. Located about 100 meters north of Badrinath shrine, Brahma Kapal Ghat is believed to be the place where Lord Brahma resided. Mata Murthy Temple, Charanpaduka, Sheshnetra, Tapt Kuna and Narad Kund are other places of religious significance at Badrinath. Also visit the Vasudhara Falls that cascades down from a height of 400 feet and amaze visitors with its unmatched charm and tranquil environs. Don’t forget to include Hemkund Sahib - a Sikh pilgrimage site located en-route to Badrinath in the itinerary of Badrinath tour.  

Activities

Badrinath offers a fine combination of leisure and adventure activities to visitors. Close to Badrinath Temple there is a hot spring, where you can take a dip. You can take nature walks or treks along the beautiful countryside and experience the nature at its best. Take a trek up to Vasudhara Waterfall approximately 8 km away from Badrinath. You can cover first 3 km by a car or bus up to Mana Village. Later on a 5 km trek takes you to the serene waterfall. Pass relaxing moments along the fall and also meet with the locals. You can see a small water stream at Mana Village which is believed to be the source of mythological river Saraswati.

Events

Badrinath is inhabited by around 1000 – 1500 people who celebrate a number of festivals every year. Besides religious and regional festivals the people of the town organise few special events including fairs. Among the Hindu festivals, Janmashtami (July / August) is celebrated by the locals with great pomp and gaiety. Kedar-Badri Utsav is a major cultural event organised during May / June. The fair of Mata Mruti is held in the month of September that showcases numerous interesting rituals and celebrations.

Nightlife

After the sunset the town of Badrinath virtually sleeps and you need to confine yourself within your hotel premises. Badrinath doesn’t offer anything exciting or happening to do in the evening. Only during the tourist season between May and November the area around the temple remains open in the evening for few hours. Don’t try to explore the far-off areas after the sunset as it may be dangerous.











Excursions

After exploring the temple and other attractions of Badrinath, you can pay a visit to nearby tourist destinations. Situated at a distance of about 30 km, Auli is a famous skiing destination and thronged by adventure seekers and discerning travellers in large numbers. Visit Auli to enjoy skiing along the snow-covered slopes. You can take basic training on Skiing at the government run skiing institute in Auli. Valley of Flowers (75 km) is a picturesque destination that deserves a visit. Away from the bustling cities, Valley of Flowers is like a heaven and provides natural habitat to a variety of floral and faunal species. Pauri (195 km), Kedarnath (210 km) and Gangotri (250 km) are other destinations that can be explored besides Badrinath.


Getting There
Air: The nearest airport from Badrinath is Jolly Grant Airport which is located close to Dehradun. Jolly Grant Airport is served by limited flights from Delhi. Indian Airlines, Kingfisher Airways and Jet Airways offer flight services between Delhi and Jolly Grant Airport. Taxis / cabs are available at Jolly Grant Airport for Badrinath that costs around Rs. 3500 – 4000.
Rail: Badrinath doesn’t have its own railway station, the nearest railheads are situated at Haridwar (315) and Kotdwar (335 km). Both these stations are connected to Delhi by a number of trains. After reaching at the railway station you can take a cab or tourist bus for Badrinath.


Road: Badrinath is linked with the many cities of North India such as Rishikesh, Haridwar and New Delhi by public and private buses. You can take a luxury or deluxe tourist bus from New Delhi to Badrinath that charges about Rs 800 – 1000 per passenger.

Driving directions: From New Delhi – Start from Anand Vihar and take a left on Ghazipur Road that takes you to NH 24 (Grand Trunk Road). Drive on NH 24 and further switch on to Meerut Road (NH 58) that takes yout to Badrinath crossing Muzaffarnagar, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Auli en-route (500 km, 16 hours approx).
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