Badrinath : Gateways of Mukthi – Temples of India

Introduction

Badrinath or Badarinarayana Temple s one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It is situated in the town of Badrinath in Uttarakhand, India along the banks of Alaknanda River. The temple is referred as Tiruvadariashramam in Tamil literature. The temple is part of Char Dham (four divine) sites, the other three being Rameswaram, Puri and Dwaraka. Badrinath is mentioned in ancient religious texts like Vishnu Purana and Skanda Purana. It is also glorified in the tamil Naalayira Divya Prabandham literature.  Adi Shankara established a mutt at Badrinath in the ninth century. Badrinath is also part of Panch Badri temples including Yog Badri, Bhavishya Badri, Adi Badri and Vriddha Badri.

Architecture

Badrinath is considered to be one of eight svayam vyakta kshetras (self-manifested idols of Lord Vishnu). The main shrine houses the deity of Badrinarayana which is made of Shalagram (black stone). The deity is housed in a gold canopy under a Badari (wild berry) Tree. Lord Badrinarayana (known locally as Badri Vishal) is holding a Shankha (conch) and a Chakra (discus) in two of his arms and the other two arms rest on his lap in a Yogamudra posture. The sanctum also houses images of the Lord Kubera, sage Narada, Uddhava, Nara and Narayana. The temple also houses other deities including Goddess Lakshmi,  Garuda , Navadurga, Adi Shankara, Ghantakarna, Vedanta Desika and Ramanujacharya. The Tapt Kund, a group of hot sulphur springs is near the temple where devotees take a holy dip.

 

Legend

According to legend, Lord Vishnu sat in meditation at this place. Goddess Lakshmi, in order to protect him from the harsh weather took the form of the Badri tree (a type of Indian berry). Pleased by the devotion of Lakshmi, Vishnu named the place Badrika Ashrama and took his abode here. According to Vamana Purana, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Nara and Narayana stayed here and performed penance. It is believed that the idol of Lord Badarinath was recovered by Adishankaracharya from Narad Kund and was re-enshrined in the 8th century A.D.

The temple finds mention in several ancient scriptures like Bhagavata Purana, Skanda Purana and Mahabharata. According to the Bhagavata Purana, “Here in Badrikashram the Personality of Godhead (Vishnu), in his incarnation as the sages Nar and Narayana, had been undergoing great penance since time immemorial for the welfare of all living entities”. The Skanda Purana states that “there is no shrine like Badrinath”. The Mahabharata revered the holy place as the one which can give salvation to devotees just by arriving close to it, while in other holy places they must perform religious ceremonies.The temple is revered by the Tamil Azhwars – Peirazhwar and Thirumangai Azhwar.

Festivals

The most prominent festival held at Badrinath Temple is Mata Murti Ka Mela, which celebrates the descent of the river Ganges on mother earth. Apart from daily rituals, Vedic recitals and chanting of Ashtottaram and Sahasranama is also practised. During winter months, the temple is closed due to its inaccessibility. During this time, the main deity is transported to Jyothishmath (Joshimath) Narasimha temple where all the rituals are performed. The temple is reopened around April–May on Akshaya Tritiya day every year.

Temple Facts

Dhivyadesam Name	Thiruvadariaachramam
Main Deity	Sri Badrinarayana, Lakshmi Devi
Location	Badrinath, Uttarakand (Vada Nadu)
Architecture Style	Pawar
Temple Age	1200 years
Azhwars that did Mangalasasanam	Periazhwar Thirumangai Azhwar
Divyaprabandham Reference	Periazhwar Thirumozhi – 9 Peria Thirumozhi – 1.3 & 1.4 Siria Thirumadal – 74
Unique Specialities	Place to give oblations to ancestors Place through which Pandavas left for Heaven at the end of Mahabharata
Prayers made for	General Welfare, Salvation
Popular Events	Mata Murti ki mela – September

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