Introduction to Badrinath
The Hindu town of Badrinath is popular as a pilgrimage site for the Hindus. This town located amidst the mountains and a world of natural beauties in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand is reputed as one of the sites in Char Dham pilgrimage in India. Badrinath, to be precise, located in the Garhwal hills, along the Alaknanda River banks at 3133 m also features the Nar and Narayana mountain ranges. The two other pilgrimage sites located close to Badrinath are Rishikesh and Gaurikund near Kedarnath.
Origin of Badrinath
In the 9th century Adi Shankara established Badrinath as a major pilgrimage site and recently its popularity has increased. The Badrinath temple is one of the most sacred places for the Vaishnavites. scriptures and legends for more than thousand years have cited this destination as one of the privileged pilgrimage sites in India. The legends state that Shankara after discovering a black stone image of Lord Badrinarayan in the River Alaknanda enshrined the idol in a cave near the hot springs of Tapt Kund. This idol was moved to the Badrinath temple by the ruler of Garhwal in the 16th century.
Architecture of Badrinath
This temple has gone through a number of sessions of renovations and was finally rebuilt by the ruler of Jaipur in 1803. The Badrinath Temple is 50 feet tall and has a small cupola on top which has a roof that's covered with gold gilt. One can reach the tall arched gateway through a broad stairway. The architecture of the main entrance tends to resemble that of a Buddhist vihara and the mandapa is the large pillared hall leading to the garbha griha or the main shrine. The walls and pillars feature intricate carvings.
Legends about Badrinath
Hindu scriptures refer the Badrinath area as Badari or Badarikasram. Alaknanda is known to be one of the holy channels of Ganga who was split into 12 halves so that this earth can withstand her force during her descent on earth. The mountains around Badrinath have special mention in the epic of Mahabharata. Skanda Purana states that despite numerous sacred shrines in heaven, earth and hell nothing surpasses the grandeur and purity of the Badrinath shrine. The northern math that Adi Sankara had established is located near the Jyotirmath.
Related Details about Badrinath
One comes across the Trikut Parvata mountain and Triveni Sangam in the nearby area of the Badri-Narayana temple. While on a pilgrimage tour to Badrinath do not miss out on a visit to Haridwar, Har Ki Pauri, Rishikesh, Laksman Jhula, and Nara Narayan Parvata. The months of June to September are the best times to visit Badrinath. Jolly Grant Airport near Dehradun is the nearest airport while the Haridwar, Rishikesh and Kotdwar railway stations are the nearest rail road facilitators to Badrinath.
Know more about Popular Pilgrimage Sites in India as you read through allindiaportal.com.
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