Hanuman Chatti Badrinath

Hanuman Chatti is situated in Uttarakhand's Chamoli District on the Badrinath-Mana Highway. It is known for the Hanuman Temple, which marks an important landmark for pilgrims on their way to Badrinath. Situated around 518 km from Delhi, this holy site is just 11 km from the revered Badrinath Temple. It is believed that, before visiting the Badrinath Dham, pilgrims must first seek the blessing of Lord Hanuman to continue their journey. The history of Hanuman Chatti is deeply rooted in the Dwapar Yuga, which is associated with Lord Hanuman and Bheema. Besides this, there is another Hanuman Chatti which is located in Uttarkashi on the way to the Yamunotri Temple.

Hanuman Chatti in Badrinath

As the name suggests, Hanuman Chatti is dedicated to Lord Hanuman. A small Hanuman temple stands near the Badrinath-Mana highway, which is situated near the Alaknanda River. Pilgrims usually stop here both before and after visiting the Badrinath Dham. The temple walls are beautifully painted with a striking orange colour, which can be easily spotted from afar. Inside the main shrine, there is an idol of Lord Hanuman, where devotees offer gram flour laddoo (Besan Ladoo) or Boondi Ladoos.
 

Devotees often seem to be chanting the Hanuman Chalisa outside. The temple is itself very small, with little space for the devotees to sit and chant the Hanuman Chalisa. During the Char Dham Yatra, the temple often seems crowded with devotees. Visitors can also attend the morning and evening aarti, usually held around 8:00 in the morning and around 7:00 in the evening.

Adorned with Garlands

When the Char Dham Yatra begins, the temple is beautifully decorated with various flower garlands and colourful lights. Surrounded by towering mountains with the Alaknanda River flowing between them, the view from the temple in the early hours is truly captivating when the first ray of the sun illuminates the peaks behind the temple.
 

After offering prayer, pilgrims can enjoy tea and pakoras from the nearby shop. Some shops near the temple also sell handmade caps, scarves, and socks, which are particularly useful in the region's spine-chilling cold.

Closed during Winters

Along with the Badrinath Dham, the Hanuman Temple at Hanuman Chatti also gets closed for the winter season. Before closing, the temple was once again decorated and covered with garlands, giving the temple a mesmerising look.

History and Mythology

The temple's history is deeply rooted in events from the Dwapar Era. According to the legend, this is the same place where Lord Hanuman humbled Bheema's pride.
 

As per the scriptures, when the Pandavas and their wife Draupadi were in exile, they wandered through various places in the Himalaya region. During their exile, one fine day, Draupadi found a divine lotus flower whose fragrance enchanted her. She requested Bheema to bring a few more of these flowers.
 

Bheema, who was always ready to fulfil his wife's wish, set out in search of the flower. After wandering here and there, he reached the place where the current Hanuman Chatti stands. There, he found a monkey lying on the path, obstructing the way with its long tail. Bheema requested the monkey to move aside so that he could move forward, but the old monkey didn't budge a bit. Instead, he said that no one was allowed to go further on this path. Hearing this, Bheema said, Do you know who I am? How can you stop me from moving forward?
 

After requesting a few more times, Bheema got angry and tried to threaten the monkey. The old monkey calmly replied that he was too old to move, and said that if he wanted to proceed, he could move his tail.
 

Bheema with full of anger, tried to push the monkey's tail aside, but he couldn't. He tried again with his full strength, yet the tail did not move an inch. After failing miserably, Bheema understood that he was not dealing with an ordinary monkey. Bheema, with folded hands, respectfully requested the monkey to reveal his true identity.
 

After seeing this, the Old Monkey stood up and revealed himself as Hanuman, the son of the wind god and Bheema's elder brother (since both Hanuman and Bheema are considered to share the same spiritual father, Vayu).
 

After knowing that the old monkey is Hanuman, the Lord of the monkeys, Bheema bowed down in front of him, and he understood that Lord Hanuman came here to teach him a lesson. After realising his mistake, he begged to be forgiven. Later, Lord Hanuman blessed Bheema and directed the way to Kubera's garden, where he could find such divine flowers he was in a quest for.

Temple Opening and Closing Time

The temple is usually open for visitors daily from 6:00 am and closes after the evening aarti at around 7:00 pm. However, the timing may vary depending on the weather and conditions.

Location and Accessibility

Hanuman Chatti is situated in Chamoli District on the Badrinath Road, which is located about 275 km from Rishikesh. It can be reached easily by road using public and private services from Rishikesh, Haridwar, Dehradun and other areas.

Accommodation

Accommodation facilities are not available near the Hanuman Chatti; for such options, visitors need to travel to Badrinath, which is around 11 km away and offers a variety of stay options.

Important Tips for Travellers

• The temple is inaccessible during winter and can be visited only during the Char Dham Yatra.
• Public Transport departs around 5:00 AM from Haridwar and 5:30 AM from Rishikesh.
• Tickets for the buses departing from Rishikesh can be booked online.
• From Rishikesh, the ticket per person is Rs 675/- (up to Badrinath) and is subject to change.
• Prasad and small eateries are available near the temple.
• Accommodation facilities are not available near the temple, but are available near Badrinath.
• Mobile Network coverage is not available near the temple.
• Roadside parking is available for the devotees.
• ATMs are not available near the temple.
• Keep sufficient cash, as online payment is not possible due to network failure.

Nearby Attraction

After visiting Hanuman Temple at Hanuman Chatti, you can also explore some other popular places, such as: -

• Badrinath Temple.
• Shri Yogdhyan Badri.
• Kuber Temple
• Mana
• Mata Murti Temple.
• Vyas Gufa.
• Vasudhara Falls.
• Valley of Flowers.
• Hemkund Sahib.