Sapta Badri
Encyclopedia
Sapta Badri constitutes a group of seven sacred Hindu temple
s, dedicated to god Vishnu
, located in Garhwal Himalayas
in the Indian state of Uttarakhand
. The Badrinath temple
(बद्रीनाथ), called the Badri-vishal (बद्री-विशाल) (altitude 3133 m (10,278.9 ft)) is the primary temple among the seven shrines, followed by six others, namely, Adi Badri (आदि-बद्री), Vridha Badri (वृध-बद्री), Dhyan Badri (ध्यान-बद्री), Ardha Badri (अर्ध-बद्री), Bhavishya Badri (भविष्य-बद्री) and Yogadhayan Badri (योगध्यान-बद्री). The Panch Badri (पंच-बद्री) temple circuit consisted of only five temples, omitting Ardha Badri and Dhyan Badri or sometimes Vridha Badri. Rarely, Narasingh Badri (नृसिंह-बद्री) is included in the Sapta Badri or Panch Badri list.
The abode of Vishnu in the Alaknanda river valley, starting from Satapanth about 24 kilometres (14.9 mi) above Badrinath extending up to Nandprayag in the south, is particularly known as the Badri-Kshetra in which all the Badri temples are located. Since the early times, approach to the main temple of Badrinath was only along a bridle path passing through badri van or (forest of berries). Thus, the word "Badri", meaning "berries", is suffixed to the names of all the Sapta Badri (seven) temples.
The main shrine of Badrinath is well connected by road and air but is closed during the winter season due to snow conditions, from October–November to April–May depending on the astrological dates fixed by the Temple Committee; the Raj Purohit (Royal priest) decides the auspicious day for opening the temple patak (doors) on Vasant Panchami
day in end of April/early May while the closing day is Vijayadashami
day in October/November. The other six temples are located in villages, largely in remote locations. A few of them can be approached only by trekking along bridle paths.
. Though the Badrinath temple is believed to date to the Vedic period
, the current structure was built in the 8th century AD by Adi Shankara
charya. The other three dhams are Rameshwaram in the south, Dwarka
in the west and Jagannath Puri in the east; all three temples, except Rameshwaram, are dedicated to god Vishnu. Adi Shankara’s basic intention was to unite the country under the banner of Hinduism. The temple, which had been subjected to damage due to snow avalanches and landslides, several times in the past, was last restored in the 19th century with the royal patronage of the Scindias and Holkars. Badrinath is also part of Chota Char Dham, four sacred temples in Uttarakhand. The others include the Shiva temple of Kedarnath and the sources of the holy rivers Ganges and Yamuna
.
The Badrinath legend states that Vishnu (Mahavishnu
), did penance in an open space at the location of the Badrikashram or Badrinath. His consort Lakshmi
(Maha-lakshmi) created shelter for him in the form of Badri tree (berry
tree) to protect him from adverse climatic conditions. The sage Narada
did penance here, and is believed to continue to do so to this day by reciting the divine chants called Ashta Akshara mantras (eight lettered hymns). Narada was also informed by Vishnu that his divine form subsumed both Nara and Narayana.
According to the scripture Bhagavata Purana
, "There in Badrikashram (Badrinath) the Personality of Godhead (Vishnu), in his incarnation as the sages Nara and Narayana, had been undergoing great penance since time immemorial for the welfare of all living entities." (3.4.22)
The layout of the temple has three enclosures namely, the Garbhagriha
(Sanctum Sanctorum), the Darshan Mandap (worship hall) and Sabha Mandap (Conference hall). The sanctum holds the central image of Badri-narayana (Vishnu), which is made in black stone and 1 metres (3.3 ft) in height. The four-armed Vishnu holds the Shankh (Conch) and Sudarshana Chakra
(discus) in two arms in a raised posture and the other two arms rest on the lap in Yogamudra (meditative pose). The
images of religious leaders Adi Shankara
, Swami Vedanta Desikan and Ramanujacharya are also worshipped here.
In the sanctum, to the far right side are Nara and Narayana. Narada is kneeling in front on the right side and is difficult to see. On the left side is Kubera
, the god of wealth. Garuda
, Vishnu's vehicle is kneeling in front, to the left of Badri-narayana. Wings at the entrance are adorned with images of Hanuman
, the monkey-god and a silver Ganesha
, the elephant-headed god of wisdom. In the enclosure (prakara) surrounding the temple, a small shrine is dedicated to Lakshmi, Vishnu’s consort.Nambudiri Brahmins from southern state of Kerala
serve as head priests here.
in Chamoli district
. Seven temples of this chain were built during the late Gupta
period (5th century to 8th century). According to tradition, Adi Shankara is attributed as builder of all the temples. Adi Shankara is believed to have sanctioned these temples in order to spread Hinduism to every remote part of the country. In ancient times, when approach to the main shrine of Badrinath was closed due to weather conditions, pilgrims worshipped Vishnu at this temple. Adi Badri, also known as Helisera according to revenue records, is a tiny temple complex enclosed within a space of 14 metres (45.9 ft) X 30 metres (98.4 ft). The height of the temples vary from 2–6 m (6.6–19.7 ft). The chief temple is dedicated to god Vishnu, which is built over a raised platform, with a small enclosure in a pyramidal form. The sanctum holds black stone 1 metres (3.3 ft) image of Vishnu. The image depicts Vishnu holding a mace, lotus and chakra (discus). Brahmins from South India serve as chief priests in the temple.
Adi Badri is located 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) from Chandpur fort or Garhi located on the hilltop, which was built by the Gurkha
kings to fight the British. Adi Badri is an hour's drive from Karnaprayag and close to Chulakot on the way to Ranikhet
. On shifting of Badrinath (also known as Raj Badri) to Bhavishya Badri, Adi Badri will be called the Yog Badri.
here. Thus, the idol installed at this temple is in the form of an old man.
According to legend, the image of Badrinath was carved by the divine craftsman Vishwakarma and worshipped here. At the advent of Kali yuga
, Vishnu chose to remove himself from this place, later Adi Shankara found the partly damaged image in Narad-kund pond and established it at the central Badrinath shrine. According to legend, Badrinath was worshipped here by Adi Shankara, before his enshrinement at the Badrinath temple. The temple is open throughout the year. Brahmins from South India serve as chief priests in the temple.
and approach is through dense forest, only by trekking. It is situated on an ancient pilgrim route to Mount Kailash
and Manasarovar, along the Dhauli Ganges River. It is situated on the way from Tapovan to Lata in the Niti valley. Bhavishya Badri is connected by a motorable road to Saldhar,19 kilometres (11.8 mi), from Joshimath, beyond which a 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) trek is undertaken to reach the shrine.
According to the legend of Bhavishya Badri (literally "Badri of the future"), when evil transcends the world, the mountains of Nara and Narayana would block up the route to Badrinath and the sacred shrine would become inaccessible. The present world will be destroyed and a new one established. Then, Badrinath will appear at the Bhavishya Badri temple and be worshipped here, instead of the Badrinath shrine. The shrine of Narasingh Badri at Joshimath is closely associated with the legend of Bhavishya Badri (see section below). Currently, the Bhavishya Badri has an image of Narasimha
, the lion-faced incarnation of Vishnu.
, father of the five Pandavas - heroes of the Hindu epic Mahabharata
, meditated here to god Vishnu to cleanse him of the sin of killing of two mating deer, who were ascetics in their previous lives. The Pandavas were also born here and Pandu died and attained salvation
here. Pandu is believed to have installed the bronze image of Vishnu in the Yogadhyan Badri shrine. The image is in a meditative posture and thus the image is called Yoga
-dhyan (mediative) Badri. The idol is life size and has been carved from Shaligram stone. According to legend, the Pandavas, after defeating and killing their cousins Kauravas in the Mahabharata war, came here to repent. They handed their kingdom of Hastinapur to their grandson Parikshit and went to perform penance in the Himalayas.
Copper plate inscriptions found here indicate rule by early Katyuri Rajas and the region was known as Panchal Desh, now officially designated as Uttarakhand. One inscription extols the grant of land given by King Nimbarana. Another historic location is the Suryakund, on top of Milam glacier, which is a hot water spring, where Kunti - mother of Pandavas gave birth to her illegitimate son Karna
, fathered by the sun-god Surya
. Kunti was married to Pandu at Pandukeshwar.
Yogdhyan Badri is also considered the winter abode for the Utsava-murti (festival-image) of Badrinath, when the temple of Badrinath is closed. Hence, it is religiously ordained that a pilgrimage will not be complete without offering prayers at this place. Bhatt
s (priests) from South India serve as chief priests in the temple.
built by Adi Shankara. Kalpeshwar
, one of the Panch Kedar
sacred temple of Shiva, is situated 2 kilometres (1.2 mi), away. The temple is sometimes included in the Panch-Badri list. Brahmins from South India serve as head priests in the temple.
The chief image of Narasimha is made out of the Shaligram stone, in the eighth century during the reign of king Lalitaditya Yukta Pida of Kashmir
. Some believe the image is self-manifested (swayambhu
). The image is 10 inches (25.4 cm) high and depicts the god sitting in the lotus position.
It is believed that one arm of the image is getting emaciated with time and finally fall off. When the arm disappears, the main shrine of Badrinath will be closed to the world and Lord Badrinath will shift to Bhavishya Badri shrine. With this cataclysmic event, Kali yuga
will end ushering in the Satya yuga
. Then the Badrinath shrine would get re-established. When the chief Badrinath shrine is closed in winter, the priests of Badrinath shift to this temple and continue their worship to Badrinath here. Along with the central Narasimha image, the temple also has an image of Badrinath.
close to Rishikesh, but 25 kilometres (15.5 mi) to Dehradun
. Motorable road distance to the seven shrines from Rishikesh are: to Badrinath - 299 kilometres (185.8 mi); Yogdhyan Badri-277 km (172.1 mi), 23 kilometres (14.3 mi) short of Badrinath); Adi Badri - 200 kilometres (124.3 mi) up to Karnaprayag and a further deviation on the Ranikhet road for17 kilometres (10.6 mi) to reach the shrine; Dhyan Badri - 299 kilometres (185.8 mi) to Badrinath and a further trek of 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) enroute to Joshimath; Vridha Badri - 7 km (4.3 mi) trek from Joshimath; Bhavishya Badri - 280 kilometres (174 mi) up to Siladhar by road and further trek of 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) to the shrine.
Hindu temple
A Mandir, Devalayam, Devasthanam, or a Hindu temple is a place of worship for followers of Hinduism...
s, dedicated to god Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
, located in Garhwal Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
in the Indian state of Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand , formerly Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Land of Gods due to the many holy Hindu temples and cities found throughout the state, some of which are among Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship...
. The Badrinath temple
Badrinath temple
Badrinath temple , sometimes called Badrinarayan temple, is situated along the Alaknanda river, in the hill town of Badrinath in Uttarakhand state in India. It is widely considered to be one of the holiest Hindu temples, and is dedicated to god Vishnu. The temple and town are one of the four Char...
(बद्रीनाथ), called the Badri-vishal (बद्री-विशाल) (altitude 3133 m (10,278.9 ft)) is the primary temple among the seven shrines, followed by six others, namely, Adi Badri (आदि-बद्री), Vridha Badri (वृध-बद्री), Dhyan Badri (ध्यान-बद्री), Ardha Badri (अर्ध-बद्री), Bhavishya Badri (भविष्य-बद्री) and Yogadhayan Badri (योगध्यान-बद्री). The Panch Badri (पंच-बद्री) temple circuit consisted of only five temples, omitting Ardha Badri and Dhyan Badri or sometimes Vridha Badri. Rarely, Narasingh Badri (नृसिंह-बद्री) is included in the Sapta Badri or Panch Badri list.
The abode of Vishnu in the Alaknanda river valley, starting from Satapanth about 24 kilometres (14.9 mi) above Badrinath extending up to Nandprayag in the south, is particularly known as the Badri-Kshetra in which all the Badri temples are located. Since the early times, approach to the main temple of Badrinath was only along a bridle path passing through badri van or (forest of berries). Thus, the word "Badri", meaning "berries", is suffixed to the names of all the Sapta Badri (seven) temples.
The main shrine of Badrinath is well connected by road and air but is closed during the winter season due to snow conditions, from October–November to April–May depending on the astrological dates fixed by the Temple Committee; the Raj Purohit (Royal priest) decides the auspicious day for opening the temple patak (doors) on Vasant Panchami
Vasant Panchami
Vasant Panchami , sometimes referred to as Vasant Panchami or Shree Panchami , is a Hindu festival celebrating Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, music and art. It is celebrated every year on the fifth day of the Indian month Magh , the first day of spring...
day in end of April/early May while the closing day is Vijayadashami
Vijayadashami
Vijayadashami also known as Dasara, is one of the most important festivals celebrated in various forms, across India, Nepal and Bangladesh...
day in October/November. The other six temples are located in villages, largely in remote locations. A few of them can be approached only by trekking along bridle paths.
Badrinath
Badrinath is the northern Dham of the four sacred Dhams (pilgrimage centres) called Char DhamChar Dham
The Chota Char Dham , is an important Hindu pilgrimage circuit in the Indian Himalayas...
. Though the Badrinath temple is believed to date to the Vedic period
Vedic period
The Vedic period was a period in history during which the Vedas, the oldest scriptures of Hinduism, were composed. The time span of the period is uncertain. Philological and linguistic evidence indicates that the Rigveda, the oldest of the Vedas, was composed roughly between 1700–1100 BCE, also...
, the current structure was built in the 8th century AD by Adi Shankara
Adi Shankara
Adi Shankara Adi Shankara Adi Shankara (IAST: pronounced , (Sanskrit: , ) (788 CE - 820 CE), also known as ' and ' was an Indian philosopher from Kalady of present day Kerala who consolidated the doctrine of advaita vedānta...
charya. The other three dhams are Rameshwaram in the south, Dwarka
Dwarka
Dwarka also spelled Dvarka, Dwaraka, and Dvaraka, is a city and a municipality of Jamnagar district in the Gujarat state in India. Dwarka , also known as Dwarawati in Sanskrit literature is rated as one of the seven most ancient cities in the country...
in the west and Jagannath Puri in the east; all three temples, except Rameshwaram, are dedicated to god Vishnu. Adi Shankara’s basic intention was to unite the country under the banner of Hinduism. The temple, which had been subjected to damage due to snow avalanches and landslides, several times in the past, was last restored in the 19th century with the royal patronage of the Scindias and Holkars. Badrinath is also part of Chota Char Dham, four sacred temples in Uttarakhand. The others include the Shiva temple of Kedarnath and the sources of the holy rivers Ganges and Yamuna
Yamuna
The Yamuna is the largest tributary river of the Ganges in northern India...
.
The Badrinath legend states that Vishnu (Mahavishnu
Mahavishnu
Image:Hinducosm Map1.svg|thumb|Click an area to go there. This is one of many material universes which expand from Mahavishnu when He breathes.|300px|alt=One Brahmanda, with Garbhodakashayi-Vishnurect 216 61 277 80 Brahma...
), did penance in an open space at the location of the Badrikashram or Badrinath. His consort Lakshmi
Lakshmi
Lakshmi or Lakumi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity , light, wisdom, fortune, fertility, generosity and courage; and the embodiment of beauty, grace and charm. Representations of Lakshmi are also found in Jain monuments...
(Maha-lakshmi) created shelter for him in the form of Badri tree (berry
Berry
The botanical definition of a berry is a fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary. Grapes are an example. The berry is the most common type of fleshy fruit in which the entire ovary wall ripens into an edible pericarp. They may have one or more carpels with a thin covering and fleshy interiors....
tree) to protect him from adverse climatic conditions. The sage Narada
Narada
Narada or Narada Muni is a divine sage from the Vaisnava tradition, who plays a prominent role in a number of the Puranic texts, especially in the Bhagavata Purana, and in the Ramayana...
did penance here, and is believed to continue to do so to this day by reciting the divine chants called Ashta Akshara mantras (eight lettered hymns). Narada was also informed by Vishnu that his divine form subsumed both Nara and Narayana.
According to the scripture Bhagavata Purana
Bhagavata purana
The Bhāgavata Purāṇa is one of the "Maha" Puranic texts of Hindu literature, with its primary focus on bhakti to the incarnations of Vishnu, particularly Krishna...
, "There in Badrikashram (Badrinath) the Personality of Godhead (Vishnu), in his incarnation as the sages Nara and Narayana, had been undergoing great penance since time immemorial for the welfare of all living entities." (3.4.22)
The layout of the temple has three enclosures namely, the Garbhagriha
Garbhagriha
Garbhagriha or Garbha griha is the small unlit shrine of a Hindu temple.Garbhagriha or ' is a Sanskrit word meaning the interior of the sanctum sanctorum, the innermost sanctum of a Hindu temple where resides the murti of the primary deity of the temple...
(Sanctum Sanctorum), the Darshan Mandap (worship hall) and Sabha Mandap (Conference hall). The sanctum holds the central image of Badri-narayana (Vishnu), which is made in black stone and 1 metres (3.3 ft) in height. The four-armed Vishnu holds the Shankh (Conch) and Sudarshana Chakra
Sudarshana Chakra
The Sudarshana Chakra is a spinning, disk-like super weapon with 108 serrated edges used by Lord Vishnu. The Sudarshana Chakra is portrayed on the right rear hand of the four hands of Vishnu, who also holds a Shankha in his left rear hand, a Gada in his right fore hand, and a Padma in his left...
(discus) in two arms in a raised posture and the other two arms rest on the lap in Yogamudra (meditative pose). The
images of religious leaders Adi Shankara
Adi Shankara
Adi Shankara Adi Shankara Adi Shankara (IAST: pronounced , (Sanskrit: , ) (788 CE - 820 CE), also known as ' and ' was an Indian philosopher from Kalady of present day Kerala who consolidated the doctrine of advaita vedānta...
, Swami Vedanta Desikan and Ramanujacharya are also worshipped here.
In the sanctum, to the far right side are Nara and Narayana. Narada is kneeling in front on the right side and is difficult to see. On the left side is Kubera
Kubera
Kubera , also spelt Kuber, is the Lord of wealth and the god-king of the semi-divine Yakshas in Hindu mythology. He is regarded as the regent of the North , and a protector of the world His many epithets extol him as the overlord of numerous semi-divine species and the owner of the treasures of...
, the god of wealth. Garuda
Garuda
The Garuda is a large mythical bird or bird-like creature that appears in both Hindu and Buddhist mythology.From an Indian perspective, Garuda is the Hindu name for the constellation Aquila and...
, Vishnu's vehicle is kneeling in front, to the left of Badri-narayana. Wings at the entrance are adorned with images of Hanuman
Hanuman
Hanuman , is a Hindu deity, who is an ardent devotee of Rama, a central character in the Indian epic Ramayana and one of the dearest devotees of lord Rama. A general among the vanaras, an ape-like race of forest-dwellers, Hanuman is an incarnation of the divine and a disciple of Lord Rama in the...
, the monkey-god and a silver Ganesha
Ganesha
Ganesha , also spelled Ganesa or Ganesh, also known as Ganapati , Vinayaka , and Pillaiyar , is one of the deities best-known and most widely worshipped in the Hindu pantheon. His image is found throughout India and Nepal. Hindu sects worship him regardless of affiliations...
, the elephant-headed god of wisdom. In the enclosure (prakara) surrounding the temple, a small shrine is dedicated to Lakshmi, Vishnu’s consort.Nambudiri Brahmins from southern state of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
serve as head priests here.
Adi Badri
The Adi Badri (30°27′27"N 77°20′28"E) the first temple complex among the Sapta Badri temples is an ancient shrine dedicated to Vishnu and is one among a chain of 16 small shrines located in the hill ranges 17 kilometres (10.6 mi), beyond Karnaprayag (confluence of Pindar River and Alaknanda RiverAlaknanda River
The Alaknanda is a Himalayan river in the state of Uttarakhand, India that is one of the two headstreams of the Ganges, the major river of Northern India and the holy river of Hinduism...
in Chamoli district
Chamoli District
Chamoli district is a district of Uttarakhand state of India. It is bounded by the Tibet region to the north, and by the Uttarakhand districts of Pithoragarh and Bageshwar to the east, Almora to the south, Garhwal to the southwest, Rudraprayag to the west, and Uttarkashi to the northwest...
. Seven temples of this chain were built during the late Gupta
Gupta
Gupta is a common surname of Indian origin.According to some academicians, the name Gupta is derived from Sanskrit goptri, meaning military governor. A more direct translation of the Sanskrit word gupta is 'secret' or 'hidden'. According to prominent historian R. C...
period (5th century to 8th century). According to tradition, Adi Shankara is attributed as builder of all the temples. Adi Shankara is believed to have sanctioned these temples in order to spread Hinduism to every remote part of the country. In ancient times, when approach to the main shrine of Badrinath was closed due to weather conditions, pilgrims worshipped Vishnu at this temple. Adi Badri, also known as Helisera according to revenue records, is a tiny temple complex enclosed within a space of 14 metres (45.9 ft) X 30 metres (98.4 ft). The height of the temples vary from 2–6 m (6.6–19.7 ft). The chief temple is dedicated to god Vishnu, which is built over a raised platform, with a small enclosure in a pyramidal form. The sanctum holds black stone 1 metres (3.3 ft) image of Vishnu. The image depicts Vishnu holding a mace, lotus and chakra (discus). Brahmins from South India serve as chief priests in the temple.
Adi Badri is located 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) from Chandpur fort or Garhi located on the hilltop, which was built by the Gurkha
Gurkha
Gurkha are people from Nepal who take their name from the Gorkha District. Gurkhas are best known for their history in the Indian Army's Gorkha regiments, the British Army's Brigade of Gurkhas and the Nepalese Army. Gurkha units are closely associated with the kukri, a forward-curving Nepalese knife...
kings to fight the British. Adi Badri is an hour's drive from Karnaprayag and close to Chulakot on the way to Ranikhet
Ranikhet
Ranikhet is a hill station and cantonment town in Almora district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the home for the Military Hospital, Kumaon Regiment & Naga Regiment and is maintained by the Indian Army....
. On shifting of Badrinath (also known as Raj Badri) to Bhavishya Badri, Adi Badri will be called the Yog Badri.
Vridha Badri
Vridha Badri - also spelled as Vriddha Badri or Bridha Badri - an austere shrine, is located in the Animath village ( 1380 m (4,527.6 ft), above sea level) 7 km (4.3 mi), from Joshimath on the Rishikesh–Joshimath-Badrinath road. The Vridha Badri legend says that Vishnu appeared in the form of a Vridha or old man before sage Narada who performed penancePenance
Penance is repentance of sins as well as the proper name of the Roman Catholic, Orthodox Christian, and Anglican Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation/Confession. It also plays a part in non-sacramental confession among Lutherans and other Protestants...
here. Thus, the idol installed at this temple is in the form of an old man.
According to legend, the image of Badrinath was carved by the divine craftsman Vishwakarma and worshipped here. At the advent of Kali yuga
Kali Yuga
Kali Yuga is the last of the four stages that the world goes through as part of the cycle of yugas described in the Indian scriptures. The other ages are Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga and Dvapara Yuga...
, Vishnu chose to remove himself from this place, later Adi Shankara found the partly damaged image in Narad-kund pond and established it at the central Badrinath shrine. According to legend, Badrinath was worshipped here by Adi Shankara, before his enshrinement at the Badrinath temple. The temple is open throughout the year. Brahmins from South India serve as chief priests in the temple.
Bhavishya Badri
Bhavishya Badri, also spelt as Bhabisya Badri, 2744 metres (9,002.6 ft), above sea level) is located in a village called Subhain at a distance of 17 kilometres (10.6 mi) from Joshimath, beyond TapovanTapovan
Tapovan comes from the two root words Tapasya - meaning specifically austerity, and more generally spiritual practice, and Vana, meaning forest, or wilderness...
and approach is through dense forest, only by trekking. It is situated on an ancient pilgrim route to Mount Kailash
Mount Kailash
Mount Kailash is a peak in the Gangdisê Mountains, which are part of the Himalayas in Tibet...
and Manasarovar, along the Dhauli Ganges River. It is situated on the way from Tapovan to Lata in the Niti valley. Bhavishya Badri is connected by a motorable road to Saldhar,19 kilometres (11.8 mi), from Joshimath, beyond which a 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) trek is undertaken to reach the shrine.
According to the legend of Bhavishya Badri (literally "Badri of the future"), when evil transcends the world, the mountains of Nara and Narayana would block up the route to Badrinath and the sacred shrine would become inaccessible. The present world will be destroyed and a new one established. Then, Badrinath will appear at the Bhavishya Badri temple and be worshipped here, instead of the Badrinath shrine. The shrine of Narasingh Badri at Joshimath is closely associated with the legend of Bhavishya Badri (see section below). Currently, the Bhavishya Badri has an image of Narasimha
Narasimha
Narasimha or Nrusimha , also spelt as Narasingh and Narasingha, whose name literally translates from Sanskrit as "Man-lion", is an avatar of Vishnu described in the Puranas, Upanishads and other ancient religious texts of Hinduism...
, the lion-faced incarnation of Vishnu.
Yogadhyan Badri
Yogadhyan Badri, also called Yoga Badri, is located at Pandukeshwar (30°38′2"N 79°32′51"E) at the elevation of 1829 metres (6,000.7 ft), close to Govind Ghat and is as ancient as the main Badrinath temple. Pandukeshwar is located on route from Govind Ghat to Hanuman Chatti, 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) away from Hanuman Chatti. Legend has it that King PanduPandu
In the Mahābhārata epic, King Pandu is the son of Ambalika and Rishi Ved Vyasa. He is more popularly known as the father of the Pandavas and ruled Hastinapur.-Birth:...
, father of the five Pandavas - heroes of the Hindu epic Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
, meditated here to god Vishnu to cleanse him of the sin of killing of two mating deer, who were ascetics in their previous lives. The Pandavas were also born here and Pandu died and attained salvation
Moksha
Within Indian religions, moksha or mukti , literally "release" , is the liberation from samsara and the concomitant suffering involved in being subject to the cycle of repeated death and reincarnation or rebirth.-Origins:It is highly probable that the concept of moksha was first developed in...
here. Pandu is believed to have installed the bronze image of Vishnu in the Yogadhyan Badri shrine. The image is in a meditative posture and thus the image is called Yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
-dhyan (mediative) Badri. The idol is life size and has been carved from Shaligram stone. According to legend, the Pandavas, after defeating and killing their cousins Kauravas in the Mahabharata war, came here to repent. They handed their kingdom of Hastinapur to their grandson Parikshit and went to perform penance in the Himalayas.
Copper plate inscriptions found here indicate rule by early Katyuri Rajas and the region was known as Panchal Desh, now officially designated as Uttarakhand. One inscription extols the grant of land given by King Nimbarana. Another historic location is the Suryakund, on top of Milam glacier, which is a hot water spring, where Kunti - mother of Pandavas gave birth to her illegitimate son Karna
Karna
Karna or Radheya is one of the central characters in the epic Mahābhārata, from ancient India. He was the King of Anga...
, fathered by the sun-god Surya
Surya
Surya Suraya or Phra Athit is the chief solar deity in Hinduism, one of the Adityas, son of Kasyapa and one of his wives, Aditi; of Indra; or of Dyaus Pitar . The term Surya also refers to the Sun, in general. Surya has hair and arms of gold...
. Kunti was married to Pandu at Pandukeshwar.
Yogdhyan Badri is also considered the winter abode for the Utsava-murti (festival-image) of Badrinath, when the temple of Badrinath is closed. Hence, it is religiously ordained that a pilgrimage will not be complete without offering prayers at this place. Bhatt
Bhatt
Bhatt, meaning a priest or scribe in Sanskrit, is a surname common in most parts of India. A predominantly Hindu last name, it is found most commonly in the states of Jammu & Kashmir, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Kumaon and Garhwal in Uttarakhand, Doti, Karnataka, Kerala,...
s (priests) from South India serve as chief priests in the temple.
Dhyan Badri
Dhyan Badri (2135 metres (7,004.6 ft), above sea level) is located in the Urgam valley, close to Kalpeshwar (30°25′44"N 79°25′37"E) on the banks of river Alaknanda. It can be reached from Helang Chatti by a 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) trek enroute to Joshimath from Badrinath. The legend of Dhyan Badri (meditating Badri) is linked to the Urvarishi, son of King Puranjaya of the Pandavas lineage who meditated in the Urgam region and established the temple for Vishnu. The image of Vishnu is four-armed, made of black stone and in a mediatative posture. There is also a temple to god ShivaShiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
built by Adi Shankara. Kalpeshwar
Kalpeshwar
Kalpeshwar is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva located at an elevation of in the picturesque Urgam valley in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand state in India...
, one of the Panch Kedar
Panch Kedar
Panch Kedar refers to five Hindu temples or holy places of the Shaivite sect dedicated to god Shiva. They are located in the Garhwal Himalayan region in Uttarakhand, India...
sacred temple of Shiva, is situated 2 kilometres (1.2 mi), away. The temple is sometimes included in the Panch-Badri list. Brahmins from South India serve as head priests in the temple.
Ardha Badri
Ardha Badri, located on the Joshimath-Tapovan road is in a remote village and can be approached only by trekking along a steep bridle path. As the size of the idol is small, the temple is called Ardha Badri (literal meaning half Badri).Narasingh Badri
The existing temple of Narasimha (Narasingh) at Joshimath (30°33′3"N 79°33′30"E), also called as Narasingh Badri or Narasimha Badri, is closely linked to the Bhavishya Badri legend, even though usually it is regarded as not one of the famous Panch Badri or Sapta Badri. Sometimes, it may be included in the Sapta-Badri list instead of Ardha-Badri or Panch-Badri list instead of Dhyan Badri.The chief image of Narasimha is made out of the Shaligram stone, in the eighth century during the reign of king Lalitaditya Yukta Pida of Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
. Some believe the image is self-manifested (swayambhu
Swayambhu
Swayambhu means Self-manifested or that which is created by its own accord.-Vaishnavism:Based on details in Bhagavata Purana and Matsya Purana, Narayana or Krishna is said to be the Self-manifested Swayambhu form of Brahman as the first cause of creation...
). The image is 10 inches (25.4 cm) high and depicts the god sitting in the lotus position.
It is believed that one arm of the image is getting emaciated with time and finally fall off. When the arm disappears, the main shrine of Badrinath will be closed to the world and Lord Badrinath will shift to Bhavishya Badri shrine. With this cataclysmic event, Kali yuga
Kali Yuga
Kali Yuga is the last of the four stages that the world goes through as part of the cycle of yugas described in the Indian scriptures. The other ages are Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga and Dvapara Yuga...
will end ushering in the Satya yuga
Satya Yuga
The Satya Yuga , also called Sat Yuga, Krta Yuga and Krita Yuga in Hinduism, is the "Yuga of Truth", when mankind is governed by gods, and every manifestation or work is close to the purest ideal and mankind will allow intrinsic goodness to rule supreme...
. Then the Badrinath shrine would get re-established. When the chief Badrinath shrine is closed in winter, the priests of Badrinath shift to this temple and continue their worship to Badrinath here. Along with the central Narasimha image, the temple also has an image of Badrinath.
Access
While some shrines are approached by motorable roads, others are approachable from the nearest road head by trekking, on the Rishikesh-Badrinath main State Highway. The nearest airport to the Sapta Badri is Jolly Grant AirportJolly Grant Airport
Jolly Grant Airport , also known as Dehradun Airport, is an airport serving Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India.-Overview:The airport is located about southeast of the city of Dehradun. Nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas, the airport, after a runway extension to accommodate larger aircraft,...
close to Rishikesh, but 25 kilometres (15.5 mi) to Dehradun
Dehradun
- Geography :The Dehradun district has various types of physical geography from Himalayan mountains to Plains. Raiwala is the lowest point at 315 meters above sea level, and the highest points are within the Tiuni hills, rising to 3700 m above sea level...
. Motorable road distance to the seven shrines from Rishikesh are: to Badrinath - 299 kilometres (185.8 mi); Yogdhyan Badri-277 km (172.1 mi), 23 kilometres (14.3 mi) short of Badrinath); Adi Badri - 200 kilometres (124.3 mi) up to Karnaprayag and a further deviation on the Ranikhet road for17 kilometres (10.6 mi) to reach the shrine; Dhyan Badri - 299 kilometres (185.8 mi) to Badrinath and a further trek of 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) enroute to Joshimath; Vridha Badri - 7 km (4.3 mi) trek from Joshimath; Bhavishya Badri - 280 kilometres (174 mi) up to Siladhar by road and further trek of 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) to the shrine.