Badrinath or Badrinarayan Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Vishnu which is situated in the town of Badrinath in Uttarakhand,
India. The temple and town form one of the four Char
Dham and Chota Char Dhampilgrimage sites.
The temple is also one of the 108 Divya Desams
dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Badrinath—holy shrines for Vaishnavites. It is open for six months every year
(between the end of April and the beginning of November), because of extreme
weather conditions in the Himalayan region. The
temple is located in Garhwal hill tracks in Chamoli district along the banks of Alaknanda River at an elevation of 3,133 m (10,279 ft)
above the mean sea level. It is one of the most visited pilgrimage centers of
India, having recorded 1,060,000 visits.
The image of the presiding deity worshipped in
the temple is a 1 m (3.3 ft) tall, the black stone statue of Vishnu
in the form of Badrinarayan. The statue is considered by many Hindus to be one
of eight swayam vyakta kshetras, or self-manifested statues of Vishnu.
Mata Murti Ka Mela, which commemorates the
descent of river Ganges on mother earth, is the
most prominent festival celebrated in the Badrinath Temple. Although Badrinath
is located in North India, the head priest, or Rawal, is traditionally a Nambudiri Brahmin chosen from the South Indian state
of Kerala. The temple was included in the Uttar
Pradesh state government Act No. 30/1948 as Act no. 16,1939, which later came
to be known as Shri Badarinath and Shri Kedarnath Mandir Act. The committee
nominated by the state government administers both the temples and has
seventeen members on its board.
The temple is mentioned in ancient religious
texts like Vishnu Purana and Skanda Purana. It is glorified in the Divya
Prabandha, an early medieval Tamil
canon of the Azhwar saints from the 6th–9th
centuries AD.
The temple is located in Garhwal hill tracks along the banks of the Alaknanda River in Chamoli
district in Uttarakhand, a state in
North India. The hill tracks are located 3,133 m (10,279 ft) above
the mean sea level.The Nar Parbat mountain is located opposite to the temple,
while the Narayana Parbat is located behind the Neelakanta peak.
The temple has three structures: the Garbhagriha (sanctum), the Darshan
Mandap (worship hall), and Sabha Mandap (convention hall). [The conical-shaped
roof of the sanctum, the garbhagriha, is approximately 15 m
(49 ft) tall with a small cupola on top, covered with a gold gilt roof.The
facade is built of stone and has arched windows. A broad stairway leads up to
the main entrance, a tall, arched gateway. Just inside is a mandap, a large, pillared hall that leads to the
sanctum, or main shrine area. The walls and pillars of the hall are covered
with intricate carvings.
The main shrine houses the 1 m
(3.3 ft) Shaligram (black stone) idol of
Lord Badrinarayana, which is housed in a gold canopy under a Badri Tree. The
idol of Lord Badrinarayana shows Him holding a Shankha
(conch) and a Chakra (wheel) in two of His arms in a lifted
posture and the other two arms resting on His lap in a Yogamudra (Padmasana) posture. The
sanctum also houses images of the god of wealth - Kubera,
sage Narada, Uddhava,
Nar and Narayan. There are fifteen more images
that are also worshipped around the temple. These include that of Lakshmi (the consort of Vishnu), Garuda (the vahana of
Narayan), and Navadurga, the manifestation of Durga in nine different forms. The temple also has
shrines of Lakshmi Narasimhar and for saints Adi
Shankara (AD 788-820),
Nar and Narayan,Ghantakarna, Vedanta Desika and Ramanujacharya.
All the idols of the temple are made of black stone.
The Tapt Kund, a group of hot sulfur springs
just below the temple, are considered to be medicinal; many pilgrims consider
it a requirement to bathe in the springs before visiting the temple. The
springs have a year-round temperature of 55 °C (131 °F), while
outside temperature is typically below 17 °C (63 °F) all year round.
The two water ponds in the temple are called Narad Kund and Surya Kund.
History
There is no historical record about the
temple, but there is a mention of the presiding deity Badrinath in Vedic scriptures (c. 1750–500 BC).
According to some accounts, the temple was a Buddhist shrine till the 8th
century and Adi Shankara converted it to a
Hindu temple. The architecture of the temple resembling that of a Buddhistvihara (temple) and the brightly painted
facade which is atypical of Buddhist temples leads to the argument. Other
accounts relate that it was originally established as a pilgrimage site by Adi
Shankara in the ninth century. It is believed that Shankara resided in the
place for six years from AD 814
to 820. He resided six months in Badrinath and the rest of the year in
Kedarnath. Hindu followers assert that he discovered the image of Badrinath in
the Alaknanda River and enshrined it in a cave near the Tapt Kund hot springs.
A traditional story asserts that Shankara expelled all the Buddhists in the
region with the help of the Parmar ruler king Kanak Pal. The hereditary successors of the king
governed the temple and endowed villages to meet its expenses. The income from
a set of villages on the route to the temple was used to feed and accommodate
pilgrims. The Parmar rulers held the title "Bolanda Badrinath",
meaning speaking Badrinath. They had other titles, including Shri 108
Basdrishcharyaparayan Garharaj Mahimahendra, Dharmabibhab, and Dharamarakshak
Sigamani.
The throne of Badrinath was named after the
presiding deity; the king enjoyed ritual obeisance by the devotees before
proceeding to the shrine. The practice was continued until the late 19th
century. During the 16th century, the King of Garhwal
moved the murti to the present temple. When the state of Garhwal was divided,
the Badrinath temple came under British rule but the king of Garhwal continued
as the chairman of the management committee.The selection of priest is done
after consultation between Garhwal and Travancore royal families.
The temple has undergone several major
renovations due to its age and damage by an avalanche. In the 17th century, the
temple was expanded by the Kings of Garhwal. After significant damage in the
great 1803 Himalayan earthquake, it was largely rebuilt by the King of Jaipur. It was still under renovation as late as the
1870s but these were completed by the time of the First
World War. At that time, the town was
still small, consisting of only the 20-odd huts housing the temple's staff, but
the number of pilgrims was usually between seven and ten thousand. The Kumbh
Meld festival held every twelve years raised the number of visitors to 50,000.
The temple also enjoyed revenue from the rents owed to it by various villages
bequeathed by various rajas.
During 2006, the state government announced
the area around Badrinath as a no construction zone to curb illegal
encroachment.
Legend
Nara and Narayana
According to Hindu legend, god Vishnu sat in meditation at this place. During his
meditation, Vishnu was unaware of cold weather. Lakshmi,
his consort, protected him in the form of the Badri tree (jujube or Indian date). Pleased by the devotion of
Lakshmi, Vishnu named the place Badrika Ashram. According to Atkinson (1979),
the place used to be a jujube forest, which is not found there today. Vishnu in
the form of Badrinath is depicted in the temple sitting in the padmasana posture. According to the legend,
Vishnu was chastised by sage Narada, who saw
Vishnu's consort, Lakshmi, massaging his feet. Vishnu went to Badrinath to
perform austerity, meditating for a long time in padmasana.
The Vishnu Purana
narrates another version of the origins of Badrinath. According to the
tradition, Dharam had two sons, Nar, and
Narayan—both of which are modern names of Himalayan mountains. They chose the
place to spread their religion and each of them wed the spacious valleys in the
Himalayas. Searching for an ideal place to set up a hermitage, they came across
the other four Badris of the Pancha Badri, namely Bridha Badri, Yog Bhadri,
Dhyan Badri and Bhavish Badri. They finally found the hot and cold spring
behind the Alaknanda River and named it Badri Vishal.
Literary mention
The temple finds mention in several ancient
books like Bhagavata Purana, Skanda Purana and Mahabharata.
According to the Bhagavata Purana,
"[t]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 "[t]here are several sacred
shrines in heaven, on earth, and in hell; but there is no shrine like
Badrinath". The area around Badrinath is also celebrated in Padma Purana as abounding in spiritual
treasures. The Mahabharata revered the holy place as the one which can
give salvation to devotees arriving close to if, while in other holy places
they must perform religious ceremonies. The temple is revered in Nalayira Divya Prabandham, in 11 hymns in the
7th–9th century Vaishnava canon by Periazhwar
and in 13 hymns in Thirumangai Azhwar. It is
one of the 108 Divyadesam dedicated to
Vishnu, who is worshipped as Badrinath.
Pilgrimage
Devotees of all faiths and all schools of
thought of Hinduism visit the Badrinath Temple. All the major monastic
institutions like Kashi Math, Jeeyar Mutt
(Andhra mutt), Udupi Pejavar and Manthralayam
Sri Raghavendra Swamy Mutts have their branches and guest houses there.
The Badrinath temple is one of five related
shrines called Panch Badri, which are dedicated
to the worship of Vishnu. The five temples are Vishal Badri - Badrinath Temple
in Badrinath, Yogadhyan Badri located at
Pandukeshwar, Bhavishya Badri located 17 km (10.6 mi) from Jyotirmath
at Subain, Vridh Badri located 7 km (4.3 mi) from Jyotirmath in
Animath and Adi Badri located 17 km (10.6 mi) from Karnaprayag. The temple is considered one of the
holiest Hindu Char Dham (four divine)
sites, comprising Rameswaram, Badrinath, Puri
and Dwarka. Although the temple's origins are
not clearly known, the Advaita school of
Hinduism established by Adi Shankara attributes the origin of Char Dham to the
seer. The four monasteries are located across the four corners of India and
their attendant temples are Badrinath Temple at Badrinath in the North, Jagannath Temple at Puri in the East, Dwarakadheesh Temple at Dwarka in the West and Sri Sharada Peetam Sringeri at Sringeri, Karnataka
in the South.
Though ideologically the temples are divided
between the sects of Hinduism, namely Saivism
and Vaishnavism, the Char Dham pilgrimage is an
all-Hindu affair. There are four abodes in the Himalayas called Chota Char Dham
(Chota meaning small): Badrinath, Kedarnath,
Gangotri and Yamunotri
- all of which lie in the foothills of the Himalayas. The name Chota
was added during the mid of 20th century to differentiate the original Char
Dhams. As the number of pilgrims to these places has increased in modern times,
it is called Himalayan Char Dham.
The journey across the four cardinal points in
India is considered sacred by Hindus, who aspire to visit these temples once in
their lifetimes. Traditionally, the pilgrimage starts at the eastern end from
Puri, proceeding clockwise in a manner typically followed for circumambulation
in Hindu temples.
Festivals and religious practices
The most prominent festival held at Badrinath
Temple is Mata Murti Ka Mela, which commemorates the descent of the river Ganges on mother earth. The mother of Badrinath, who
is believed to have divided the river into twelve channels for the welfare of
earthly beings, is worshiped during the festival. The place where the river
flowed became the holy land of Badrinath.
The Badri Kedar
festival is celebrated during the month of June in both the temple and the
Kedarnath temple. The festival lasts for eight days; artists from all over the
country perform during the function.
The major religious activities (or pujas) performed every morning are mahabhishek
(ablution), abhishek, gitapath
and bhagavat puja, while in the evening the pujas include geet
govinda and aarti. Recital in vedic
scripts like Ashtotram and Sahasranama
is practiced during all the rituals. After aarti, the decorations are
removed from the image of Badrinath and sandalwood paste is applied to it. The
paste from the image is given to the devotees the next day as prasad during the nirmalaya darshan. All the rituals are performed in front
of the devotees, unlike those in some Hindu temples, where some practices are
hidden from them. Sugar balls and dry leaves are the common prasad provided to the devotees. From May 2006, the
practise of offering Panchamrit Prasad, prepared locally and packed in local
bamboo baskets, was started.
The temple is closed for winter on the
auspicious day of bhatridwityia or later during
October–November. On the day of closure, Akhanda Jyothi, a lamp is lit
filled with ghee to last for six months.
Special pujas are performed on the day by the chief priest in the
presence of pilgrims and officials of the temple. The image of Badrinath is
notionally transferred during the period to the Narasimha temple at Jyotirmath, located 40 mi (64 km) away from
the temple. The temple is reopened around April-May on Akshaya tritiya, another auspicious day on the Hindu calendar. Pilgrims gather on the first day of
opening of the temple after the winter to witness the Akhanda Jyothi.
The temple is one of the holy places where the
Hindus offer oblations to ancestors with the help of the priests. Devotees
visit the temple to worship in front of the image of Badrinath in the sanctum and
have a holy dip in Alaknanda River. The general belief is that a dip in the
tank purifies the soul.
Administration and visit
The Badrinath Temple was included in the Uttar
Pradesh state government Act No. 30/1948 as Act no. 16,1939, which was later
known as Shri Badarinath and Shri Kedarnath Mandir Act. A committee nominated
by the state government administers both the temples.
As indicated in the temple records, the
priests of the temple were Shiva ascetics called Dandi Sanyasis, who belonged
to Nambudiri community, a religious group
common in modern Kerala. When the last of the
ascetics died without an heir in 1776 AD, the king invited non-ascetic
Nambudiris from Kerala for the priesthood, a practice that continues in modern
times. Till 1939, all the offerings made by the devotees to the temple went to
the Rawal (chief priest), but after 1939, his jurisdiction was restricted to
religious affairs. The administrative structure of the temple consists of a
chief executive officer who executes the orders from the state government, a
deputy chief executive officer, two OSDs, an executive officer, an account
officer, a temple officer, and a public officer to assist the chief executive
officer.
Although Badrinath is located in North India,
the head priest, or Rawal, is traditionally a Nambudiri
Brahmin chosen from the South Indian state of Kerala.
This tradition is believed to have been initiated by Adi Shankara, who was a
South Indian philosopher. The Rawal (chief priest) is requested by the Government of Uttarakhand (Uttar
Pradesh government before the formation of Uttarakhand state) to the Kerala Government. The candidate should possess a
degree of Acharya in Sanskrit,
be a bachelor, well-versed in reciting mantras
(sacred texts) and be from the Vaishnava sect of Hinduism. The erstwhile ruler
of Garhwal, who is the tutelary head of Badrinath, approves the candidate sent
by the Government of Kerala. A Tilak Ceremony is held to instate the Rawal and
he is deputed from April to November when the temple remains open. The Rawal is
accorded high holiness status by Garhwal Rifles
and the state governments of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. He is also held in
high esteem by the Royals of Nepal. From April
to November, he performs his duties as a temple priest. Thereafter, he either
stays in Joshimutt or returns to his native village in Kerala. The duties of
the Rawal starts at 4 a.m. every day with the Abhisheka.
He should not cross the river until Vamana Dwadasi and must adhere to Brahmacharya. The Rawal is assisted by the Garhwali Dimri Pundits belonging to the Village Dimmer,
Nayab Rawals, Dharmadikari, Vedapathi, a group of priests, Pandas Samadhi,
Bhandari, Rasoiyas (cook), devotional singer, clerk of devashram, Jal Bhariya
(water keeper) and temple guards. Badrinath is one of the few temples in North
India that follow the ancient Tantra-Vidhi of Shrauta
tradition more common in the south.
In 2012, the temple administration introduced
a token system for visitors to the temple. Tokens indicating the time of visit
were provided from three stalls in the taxi stands. Each devotee to visit the
presiding deity is allocated 10–20 seconds. Proof of identity is mandatory to
enter the temple.The temple is reached from Rishikesh,
located 298 km (185 mi) away via Dev Prayag,
Rudra Prayag, Karna
Prayag, Nanda Prayag, Joshimath, Vishnuprayag
and Devadarshini. From Kedarnath, visitors can follow the 243 km
(151 mi)-long Rudra Prayag route or the 230 km (140 mi)-long Ukhimath and Gopeshwar
route.
