Badrinath

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This article is about Badrinath town. For the temple, see Badrinath temple. For the cricketer, see Subramaniam Badrinath. For the 2011 Telugu film, see Badrinath (film).
Badrinath
बद्रीनाथ
Town
Badrinath Valley, along the Alaknanda River
Badrinath Valley, along the Alaknanda River
Location in Uttarakhand, India
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Country India
State Uttarakhand
District Chamoli
Area
 • Total 3 km2 (1 sq mi)
Elevation 3,300 m (10,800 ft)
Population (2001)
 • Total 841
 • Density 280/km2 (730/sq mi)
Languages
 • Official Hindi
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)

Badrinath is a holy town and a nagar panchayat in Chamoli district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is the most important of the four sites in India's Char Dham pilgrimage and gets its name from the temple of Badrinath.

Name

Badri refers to a berry that was said to grow abundantly in the area, and nath means "Lord of". Badri is also the Sanskrit name for the Indian Jujube tree,[1] which has an edible berry. Some scriptural references refer to Jujube trees being abundant in Badrinath.

History

Badrinath was reëstablished as a major pilgrimage site by Adi Shankara in the 9th century.[2] In earlier days, pilgrims used to walk hundreds of miles to visit Badrinath temple.[3]

The temple has been repeatedly destroyed by earthquakes and avalanches. As late as the First World War, the town consisted only of the 20-odd huts used by the temple's staff, but the site drew thousands each year and up to 50,000 on its duodecennial festivals.[4] In recent years its popularity has increased still more, with an estimated 600,000 pilgrims visiting during the 2006 season,[5] compared to 90,676 in 1961.[6] The temple in Badrinath is also a sacred pilgrimage site for Vaishnavites. Badrinath is also gateway to several mountaineering expeditions headed to mountains like Nilkantha.[3]

Temple

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Main article: Badrinath Temple
Badrinath is one of the most popular and religious holy towns of the Hindus located at Chamoli district of Uttarakhand in India.
Badrinath temple in night after closing ceremony.
File:Neelkanth Parvath.jpg
Neelkanth Parbat from Badrinath
File:Neelkanth.jpg
View from Badrinath
Badrinath Town
Badrinath Temple surroundings
File:Sheeshtaal.jpg
Sheeshtaal (Sheshnaag lake)

The Badrinath temple is the main attraction in the town. According to legend Shankara discovered a black stone image of Lord Badrinarayan made of Saligram stone in the Alaknanda River. He originally enshrined it in a cave near the Tapt Kund hot springs.[6][7] In the sixteenth century, the King of Garhwal moved the murti to the present temple.[6] The temple is approximately 50 ft (15 m) tall with a small cupola on top, covered with a gold gilt roof.[6] The facade is built of stone, with arched windows. A broad stairway leads up to a tall arched gateway, which is the main entrance. The architecture resembles a Buddhist vihara (temple), with the brightly painted facade also more typical of Buddhist temples.[8] Just inside is the mandapa, a large pillared hall that leads to the garbha grha, or main shrine area. The walls and pillars of the mandapa are covered with intricate carvings.[8]

Legend

According to the Bhagavata Purana, "There in Badrikashram the supreme being (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." (Bhagavata Purana 3.4.22)

The Badrinath area is referred to as Badari or Badarikaashram (बदरिकाश्रम) in Hindu scriptures. It is a place sacred to Vishnu, particularly in Vishnu's dual form of Nara-Narayana. Thus, in the Mahabharata, Krishna, addressing Arjuna, says, "Thou wast Nara in a former body, and, with Narayana for thy companion, didst perform dreadful austerity at Badari for many myriads of years."[9][10]

One legend has it that when the goddess Ganga was requested to descend to earth to help suffering humanity, the earth was unable to withstand the force of her descent. Therefore the mighty Ganga (Ganges) was split into twelve holy channels, with Alaknanda one of them.

Another Legend explains both name and sitting posture as this place was full of Badri bushes and Vishnu meditating for, beloved Lakshmi stood next to him sheltering him from scorching sunlight turned into a Badri herself called 'BADRI VISHAL' and her lord(Nath) became the BadriNath.

The mountains around Badrinath are mentioned in the Mahabharata, when the Pandavas were said to have expired one by one, when ascending the slopes of a peak in western Garhwal called Swargarohini.(literal meaning - the 'Ascent to Heaven'). The Pandavas passed through Badrinath and the town of Mana, 4 km north of Badrinath, on their way to Svarga (heaven). There is also a cave in Mana where Vyasa, according to legend, wrote the Mahabharata.[6]

The area around Badrinath was celebrated in Padma Purana as abounding in spiritual treasures.[6]

Geography

Badrinath has an average elevation of 3,100 metres (10,170 feet). It is in the Garhwal Himalayas, on the banks of the Alaknanda River. The town lies between the Nar and Narayana mountain ranges 9 km east of Nilkantha peak (6,596m). Badrinath is located 62 km northwest of Nanda Devi peak and 301 km north of Rishikesh. From Gaurikund (near Kedarnath) to Badrinath by road is 233 km.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census,[11] Badrinath had a population of 841. Males constitute 55% of the population and females 45%. Badrinath has an average literacy rate of 89%, ; with 92% of the males and 86% of females literate. 9% of the population is under 6 years of age.

See also

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ EB (1911).
  5. ↑ The Hindu newspaper, November 17, 2006
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Nautiyal, Govind Prasad, Call of Badrinath, Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temples Committee, 1962.
  7. ↑ Randhir Prakashan, The Holy Places of Uttarakhand Yatra.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Sen Gupta, Subhadra, Badrinath and Kedarnath - The Dhaams in the Himalayas, 2002. ISBN 81-7167-617-0
  9. ↑ Dowson's Classical Dictionary of Hindu mythology
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

Bibliography

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External links

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