Badrinath Temple & Sant Vyas Gufa

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Badrinath, a Hindu holy town and a nagar panchayat in Chamoli district in the state of Uttarakhand, India, constitutes the most important of the four sites in India's Char Dham pilgrimage. Located in the Garhwal hills, on the banks of the Alaknanda River, at an elevation of 3133 m, the town lies between the Nar and Narayana mountain ranges and in the shadow of Nilkantha peak (6,560m). Situated 301 km north of Rishikesh, travelers ride 233 km by road from Badrinath to Gaurikund (near Kedarnath

Located in the in the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve of the Himalayan mountains, the Badrinath temple benefits from the grandeur of that majestic mountain range

Nestled under the 6000m peak of Nealkhant, one can easily suffer severe altitude sickness during his attempt to climb this peak. The hairaising road to Badrinath is one way, and you really need a four wheel drive and a lot of devotion along with patience and strength.

Badrinath temple, sometimes called Badrinarayan temple, sits on the Alaknanda river, in the hill town of Badrinath in Uttarakhand state in India. Widely considered one of the holiest Hindu temples, the temple has been dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The temple and town number among the four Char Dham pilgrimage sites as well as one of the 108 Divya Desams, holy shrines for Vaishnavites. The temple opens only six months every year (between the end of April and the beginning of November), due to extreme weather conditions in the Himalayan region.

Badrinath during night

Badrinath during winter

Badrinath has been mentioned as a holy place in scriptures and legends for thousands of years. According to the Srimad Bhagavatam, "There in Badrikashram the Personality of Godhead (Vishnu), in his incarnation as the sages Nara and Narayana, had been undergoing great penance since time immemorial for the welfare of all living entities.

Badri refers to a berry that grew abundantly in the area, and nath refers to Vishnu. In the Sanskrit, Badri means the Indian Jujube tree, which has an edible berry. Some scriptures refer to Jujube trees as abundant in Badrinath. Legend has it that the Goddess Lakshmi took the form of the berries to provide sustenance to Lord Vishnu during his long penance in the harsh Himalayan climate.

The temple stands approximately 50 ft (15 meters) tall with a small cupola on top, covered with a gold gilt roof. The facade, built of stone, has arched windows. A broad stairway leads up to a tall arched gateway, which serves as the main entrance.

The architecture resembles a Buddhist vihara (temple), with the brightly painted facade also more typical of Buddhist temples. Just inside stands the mandapa, a large pillared hall that leads to the garbha grha, or main shrine area. Intricate carvings cover the walls and pillars of the mandapa.

As per my knowledge pictures can not be taken inside the temple but here are a few of them that I managed to find.

Devotees worship several murtis in the temple, the most important a one meter tall statue of Vishnu as Lord Badrinarayan made of black Saligram stone

The presiding Deity at Badrinath dham is a Salagram form of Lord Vishnu, seated in padmasana (lotus pose). Lord Badri-Narayan's abode is protected by two mountain ranges, the Nar and the Narayan. The place is called Badrinath because it was once carpeted in wild berries (badris).

Fifteen additional murtis have been placed around the temple for worship, including murtis of Nara & Narayana, Narasimha (the fourth incarnation of Vishnu), Lakshmi, Narada, Ganesha, Uddhava, Kubera, Garuda (the vehicle of Lord Narayan), and Navadurga.

My heartfelt pranams to all the Gods ,Godessess and Shrines at the sacred Badrinath temple.May the divine Lord free us from the clutches of sins and Bad karmas

Sankaracharya Math at Badrinath -Adi Shankara established Badrinath as a pilgrimage site in the ninth century. Shankara discovered the image of Badrinarayan in the Alaknanda River and enshrined it in a cave near the Tapt Kund hot springs.In the sixteenth century, the king of Garhwal moved the murti to the present temple. The temple has undergone several major renovations, due to age and damage by avalanche. In the seventeenth century, the kings of Garhwal expanded the temple. After significant damage in the great 1803 Himalayan earthquake, the King of Jaipur rebuilt it.

Steam coming out of the hot water spring- Tapt Kund

Tapt Kund is a natural spring situated at Badrinath, in Chamoli District of Uttaranchal. It is believed to be the holy abode of Lord Agni. Pilgrims believe that a holy dip in this sacred pond relieves them from their sinful deeds and thoughts

Pilgrims consider that, a bath in this natural spring will bestows goodness to their soul and body. This is the most prominent and striking attraction in Badrinath!

The pond water measures 45°C temperature and it is located above the riverbank.

A hot water spring in the midst of snowy peaks of Himalayas is quite a wonderful vista of nature that persuade even an impudent to think about the marvel of the creator. A bathe in the hot spring provide a revitalizing vigor and energy to all the visitors who had undertook a tiresome climb.

Steam from the Hot Spring near the Temple

Bridge over the Alakananda river from Badrinath

Sudharshan Salagram Silas SSS, comming from Badrinath (Himalayas)

Starting point of Ganga: On left is Gangotri and on right is Alaknanda. From this point on, it is called Ganga

Badrinath temple with Alaknanda

Ganesh Gufa (Cave): Place where Lord Ganesh wrote the entire Bhagavad Gita etc. The door at the end of the stairs leads to the inside of the cave

Front view of the cave: The natural opening of the cave has been plugged with walls and doors by the so-called advanced humans. This is the cave from where Vyasa narrated the entire Bhagavad Gita, etc

Top-Back view of Vyas Gufa

The lone (supposedly poisonous) Berry tree next to roof of Vyas Gufa. Vyas meditated under the berry trees, as mentioned in Srimad Bhagavatam