Badrinath

One of the four revered Dham's of Uttarakhand and India, Shri Badrinath Dham is situated on the banks of Alaknanda river in Chamoli, Uttarakhand. Nestled amidst Nar and Narayan Parbat, the temple holds a profound significance, drawing a multitude of pilgrims every year. Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the temple is considered the Moksha Dwar. Apart from Badrinath temple, Dwarika dham in Gujarat, Rameshwar Dham in Tamil Nadu, and Jagannatha Dham in Odisha are also considered the Moksha Dwar. These four revered sites are also known as the Char Dham of India.

Perched at a height of 3,100 meters, the temperature at Badrinath always remains cold. In winters, the temple receives heavy snowfall, covering the temple in a white blanket. Heavy snowfall makes it difficult for the pilgrims to visit in summers, due to this portal remaining closed for the six months from November to April. Narasimha temple, situated in Jyotirmath (formerly known as Joshimath), is the winter seat of Badri Vishal, where Badri Vishal is worshiped for the rest of the six months. Then on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya shrine portal opens for the pilgrims, drawing a number of devotees to witness the Akhand Jyoti.

As per the legend, when Lord Vishnu was engrossed in penance, Goddess Laxmi took the form of a tree (called Badri tree) to shield him from rain and heat, which is why the temple is also called as Badri Vishal. The chief priest of Badrinath Temple, called the Rawal, belongs to a Nambudiri Brahmin community from Kerala. Assigning a priest from this community is a practice that was started by Adi Shankaracharya, a Vedic scholar of Advaita Vedanta which is still in practice.

Built by Adi Shankaracharya in the ninth century, the temple has three structures including, main sanctum (Garbhagriha), the worship hall (Darshan Mandapa), and Convention hall (Sabha Mandapa). The main shrine houses the deity Badri Narayan in the form of a Shaligram, which is approximately 1 feet in size, placed beautifully under the Badri tree with a gold canopy. Pilgrims can see the deity holding a conch (Shankh) and a Sudarshan Chakra (Wheel) in two arms, while the other two arms are positioned in Yog Mudra. The temple premises also houses other deities including Kubera, sage Narada, Nara and Narayana along with 15 other deities.

Visitors can find the Tapt Kund outside the main shrine, which is a group of hot Sulphur springs with divine features. Resonating its names, the water in the Tapt Kund always remains hot despite the extreme cold condition outside. Pilgrims usually take a bath in this water before visiting the shrine. It is said that the Tapt Kund is the residing place of Agni Dev, possessing various medicinal properties. The temperature of this spring is around 55 degrees, and it seems like it will burn your body, but upon entering the Kund its extreme temperature cannot be felt, which is nothing more than a miracle.

According to the Vishnu Purana, Nar and Narayana, the two sons of Yama, were looking for an ideal place to set up a hermitage to spread their religion. While searching, they came across other Badri Vishal sites dedicated to Lord Vishnu, including, Yogdhyan Badri, Bhavishya Badri, Vridha Badri, and Adi Badri. Eventually, they found a hot and cold spring near the Alaknanda river called Badri Vishal. Every year in the month of September a fair is organized by the committee at the Mata Murti temple which is devoted to the mother of twin brother Nar and Narayana.