Karmandir Badrinath Temple
Badrinath, Chamoli district, Uttarakhand
About
Badrinath stands on the bank of the Alaknanda river at about 3,133 metres. It is the northern dham of the Char Dham and is also one of Uttarakhand's Chhota Char Dham. Bhagwan Vishnu is worshipped here as Badrinarayan, a black Shaligram murti seated in padmasana in meditation. With him are Nar-Narayan, Narad ji, Kuber, Uddhav ji and Garud ji. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams sung by the Alvar saints. The temple opens for about six months each summer and closes for winter in October or November. By old custom, the chief priest, the Rawal ji, is a Namboodiri Brahmin from Kerala.
The story
The story goes that Bhagwan Vishnu sat here in deep meditation. As snow began to fall, Maa Lakshmi became a badri (ber) tree and sheltered him, so the place was named Badrikashram and the Lord, Badrinath. Another tradition says Vishnu ji was born as the sages Nar and Narayan, sons of Dharma and Mata Murti, and did tapasya here; the Nar and Narayan mountains on either side of the town recall them. The temple's tradition says Adi Shankaracharya took the Badrinarayan murti out of the Narad Kund in the Alaknanda and enshrined it again. Later the kings of Garhwal built and enlarged the temple, and much of it was rebuilt after the great earthquake of 1803. When the doors close for winter, a ghee lamp, the Akhand Jyoti, is left burning. Devotees believe Narad ji does the Lord's puja in the cold months, and on opening day crowds come to see that same flame still alight.
Visiting
May–June and September–October are the best months; in July–August the hill road can be cut by landslides, and in winter the temple is closed. Carry warm clothes even in summer. Before darshan, devotees bathe in the hot water of Tapt Kund. Nearby are Brahma Kapal for shraddh rites, and Mana village, about 3 km away, with Vyas Gufa and Bheem Pul.
Festivals
- Opening of the doors (April–May, around Akshaya Tritiya)
- Mata Murti Utsav (Vaman Dwadashi)
- Nar-Narayan Janmotsav (Shravan)
- Badri-Kedar Utsav (June)
- Closing of the doors (October–November)
