|
|
|
|
|
|
Panch
Badri
|
|
The five Badries
are revered by all as the apt tribute to Lord Vishnu. Badrinath
is devoted to the worship of Vishnu who, according to an amusing
tale, usurped this place from Shiva. For Vishnu had come here as
the gods once did, to offer penance. He loved the place so much
that he plotted to unseat Shiva from his meditation here. He
took on the form of a beautiful child and began to wail. Shiva's
wife, Parvati picked him up but could not calm the child. Since
his wailing continued to disturb Shiva, he shifted to Kedarnath
in exasperation, leaving the spot free for Vishnu to occupy. But
remainders of Shiva's stay continue to linger, most visibly in
the name, badri, a kind of berry that Shiva was most fond of,
and the gigantic tree, invisible to the morale eye, that served
Shiva. Considered one of the Char Dgam or four principle places
of Hindu worship at himalayas, Badrinath's four subsidiary
badries include Bhavishya Badri, Yogdhyan Badri, Vridha Badri
and Adi Badri.
|
|
|
|
|
| Also
known as Vishal Badri, this temple located at the height
of 3,133 mts. is the largest himalayas and most popular of
Vishnu pilgrimages among the five Badries. The original
temple here is believed to be built by King Pururava and
the icon of the lord carved by Vishwakarma, the creator of
the gods. The idol was recovered by Adi Shankaracharya
from the waters of the nearby Naradkund and
consecrated once more in the temple, restored in the 19th
century by the royal houses of Scindia & Holker. So
holy in this shrines that it forms one of the four
prominent places of Hindu worship. The epic Mahabharata,
it is believed, was composed in the Vyas and Ganesh caves
close by. The Vishnu Ganga which later becomes Alaknanda
flows below the while Neelkanth keeps vigil over all
devotees. |
 |
|
General
Information
|
| Nearest
Airport : |
Jolly
Grant 316 Km. |
| Nearest
Rail : |
Rishikesh
299 Km. |
| Accommodation
: |
Tourist
Rest House, Temple Committee Guest, Private
Hotels, lodges and DharamShalas are
available. |
| Nearby
Places : |
Pachshila, |
Ardhkedareshwar, |
Sheshnetra, |
| Charanpaduka, |
Atri
Ansuya Asharam, |
Ganesh
Gupha, |
| Bhirgu
Gupha, |
Basudhara, |
Panch
Dhara, |
| Vyas
Gupha, |
Satopanth |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The
Bhavishya Badri is located at 2,744 mts. amidst the thick
forests surrounding Tapovan. According to a divination, it
is here that all devotees will throng once Badrinath is no
more. While there can be no conceivable reason why this
should happen, scientists agree that Joshimath, the entry
point into the area before the final, most strenuous
climb, is sited on an ancient landslide and has been
sinking, and with a barrage coming up close by, may
actually see the fulfillment of the divine prophecy. But
whatever happens, Bhavishya Badri is popular even now.
Enshrined here is the lion headed image of Narsingh.
Visitors pass the serene the Tapovan a place known for its
hot water springs en route to the banks of the Dhauliganga,
and on to shrine. |
 |
|
General Information
|
| Nearest
Airport : |
Jolly
Grant 297 Km. |
| Nearest
Rail : |
Rishikesh
280 Km. |
| Accommodation
: |
The
accommodation is available at Joshimath and Tapovan. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Every
so often in the Garhwal Himalayan, tales from the
Mahabharatha spring magically to life. Yogdhyan Badri,
1,920 mts. is located at Pandkeshawar, named after the
Pandavas King. It is said that the Pandavas, victorious
after their battle against the Kauravas, but emotionally
scarred, came to the himalaya. And it was here that they
handed over their capital, Hastinapur, to Raja Prikshit
and took up penance before seeking out the highway to
heaven. The importance of the badri is immence and
the sanctum has an image of the lord in a meditative
postures. |
 |
| General
Information |
| Nearest
Airport : |
Jolly
Grant 294 Km. |
| Nearest
Rail : |
Rishikesh
277 Km. |
| Accommodation
: |
Private
hotels and Gurudwaras are available at Govind Ghat
just 3 km. from here. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Before
Badrinath was designated one of the four Char Dhams of
Hindu worship by Adi Shankaracharya, the idol of Badrinah
carved by divine Vishwakarma was enshrined and worshipped
here. It is said that when mankind entered the age of
Kali, Vishnu chose to remove himself from the temple.
Interestingly the image was found by Adi Shankaracharya at
NaradKund, and restored, through part of it remains
damaged. This, the first Badri, is located at the height
of 1,380 mts. at Animath. While Badrinath closes during
winter, the idol and priests hibernating at Joshimath,
Virdha Badri remains opens throughout the years. |
 |
|
General
Information
|
| Nearest
Airport : |
Jolly
Grant 264 Km. |
| Nearest
Rail : |
Rishikesh
247 Km. |
| Accommodation
: |
Tourist
Rest House and Private hotels are
available at Joshimath just 8 km. from here. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Another
pilgrimage centre of local importance is this group of 16
temples en route to Ranikhet and closes to the confluences
at Karan Prayag. The main temple is dedicated to Narayan
and has a raised platform in the pyramidal form. Within
the temple, a black stone idolis installed. It is believed
that thease temples, dating to the Gupta age , was
sanctioned by Adi Sankaracharya who wanted to spread the
tenents of Hinduism to every remote corner of the country. |
 |
|
General Information
|
| Nearest
Airport : |
Jolly
Grant 209 Km. |
| Nearest
Rail : |
Rishikesh
192 Km. |
| Accommodation
: |
Tourist
Rest House and Private hotels are
available at Karan Prayag 19 km. from here. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
