TirthAtlas

Badrinath Temple

बद्रीनाथ मंदिर

Deity
Vishnu (as Badrinarayan)
Location
Badrinath, Chamoli district, Uttarakhand
Coordinates
30.74° N, 79.49° E
Open
Apr/May to Nov
Part of
Badrinath Temple's brightly painted gateway and spire, with mountains behind
Photo: Anubha khare / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Significance

Badrinath, also called Badrinarayan, is one of the four Char Dham and one of the four Chota Char Dham of Uttarakhand. It is also one of the 108 Divya Desams sacred to Vaishnavism. The temple stands on the Alaknanda river and, because of the Himalayan weather, is open only from late April or May to November.

History and legend

The presiding image is a small black stone figure of Vishnu, about 30 cm tall, seated in meditation as Badrinarayan; many Hindus regard it as self-manifested. The temple is mentioned in the Vishnu Purana and the Skanda Purana.

The temple is run, together with Kedarnath, by a committee under the Shri Badarinath and Shri Kedarnath Mandir Act. In 2022 it recorded about 2.8 million visits in just two months.

Before you go

  • Register for the yatra before you travel; registration is checked on the route.
  • Pilgrims bathe in the Tapt Kund hot spring below the temple before darshan.
  • Mana village, close to the border with Tibet, is about 3 km away.
  • Break the long drive from Rishikesh; the roads are mountainous and slow.

Photos

Badrinath Temple below the snow-streaked mountains of the Garhwal Himalaya
Photo: Harshit SR / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Badrinath Temple lit up at night
Photo: Heavren / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Visiting

Open
Late April or May, on a date announced at Vasant Panchami. Closes November, on a date announced at Vijayadashami. In winter, worship continues at Pandukeshwar and Jyotirmath (Joshimath).
Best time to visit
May to June, and September to October
Darshan timings
Check with the temple before you travel.
Festivals
  • Kapat opening (late April or May)
  • Mata Murti ka Mela (Bhadrapada, September)
  • Kapat closing (November)

Where to stay

Pilgrims usually stay in Badrinath and Joshimath. Badrinath has many hotels, and ashrams that give pilgrims rooms and meals. Joshimath, on the way up, is the usual overnight stop.

Nearby temples

Sources

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