Badrinath

One of the four important pilgrim centers is Badrinath. The Neelkanth Peak stands majestic like a guard. The River Alaknanda flows along this land which is situated at a height of 3133 meters above sea level. The temple of Badrinath is a typical work of the Garhwal art. In the ancient times, this land was full of date trees and was called the Badri Forest.

The hot water springs, the streams and the mountains all join together to make this place irresistible. 290 kms from Badrinath is the place which today is considered the main tourist spot. The temple here is dedicated to the Hindu God, Lord Vishnu. The temple is divided into 3 parts - the sanctum sanctorum, the main house and the hall where the pilgrims gather. Surrounding the idol of Lord Vishnu are idols of other minor gods. Once upon a time the journey to Badrinath was considered very difficult but modern road have now solved this problem and pilgrims and tourists all come here in their thousands.

Tourist Spots:

Mana Village: 3 kms from Badrinath, this is the last village of India on the Indo-Tibetan border. This village was set up by the Indo-Mongolian tribe. People of many unknown tribes come and live here 6 months in a year. A population of 200 people live here. As soon as the gates of Badrinath open, they come here and as soon as they close, they go down to the plains where they live for the rest of the year. In this way they live a dual family life. These people are very hardworking and industrious. A small scale industry of woollen clothes is run by them wherein the women knit and weave sweaters, carpets, etc. They are very attached to their culture and traditions. Earlier they traded with Tibet but in 1962 this was shut down. Tourists come in plenty to this quaint village.

Bheem Bridge: A short distance from Mana Village a natural bridge made of a huge boulder, over the river Saraswati  is seen. The story goes that Bheem, one of the Pandava brothers put it there. The view of this extraordinary bridge and the din of the flowing river make this place interesting.

Vasudhara Falls: 5 kms after Bheem Bridge this astonishingly high waterfall is very attractive. The most interesting aspect about this place is that all the water here  becomes vapour and vanishes into the atmosphere. The view looks like the Ganges is descending from the sky.

Satopanth Lake: 18 kms from Mana Village amidst the difficult areas of Himalayas. The water in the lake is very calm. On the banks of this lake are innumerable lotus flowers. To get here one has to come via Lakshmi Forest. To return from here to Badrinath on foot it takes 3 days.

Pandukesar: 20 kms from Badrinath, this is a memorial for the Pandavas. Two temples here have intricate carvings. par excellence. This village is quite big. During the season one finds huge crowds here.

Govind Ghat: This is 2 kms before Pandukesar and is the gateway for the Hem Kund Lake and  the internationally well-known Valley of the Flowers.  The Hem Kund Saheb is 20 kms by foot from here. There we find a Sikh Temple and some hotels. The Valley of the Flowers is a 17 km walk.

Hanuman Chatti: 13 kms before Badrinath this temple is situated in a village. Nearby is a nursery of the rare  birch tree.

Kheerau Valley: As soon as you cross the bridge on the Alaknanda river from Hanuman Chatti to Benakuli , this extremely beautiful valley comes into view . 4 kms from here, is  the Kheerau village where the local people stay for 4-5 months. Many other interesting spots are there about the village like Tatapani, Unyani lake etc. One road from here heads to Badrinath.

Kagbhushandi Lake:  On the Valley of Flowers Road, a 20 km trek from a village called Bhyundar is a vast lake, the beauty of which is amazing. Since getting here is very difficult, very few tourists are found here.

Joshimath: 42 kms from Badrinath this place is set to have been visited in the 18th century by Shankaracharya  from the state of Kerala. He meditated here and founded  a Mutt called Jyotir math or Joshimath. Here orchards of apples, apricots, peaches  and lemon  have to be seen to be believed. Many hotels and tourist bungalows are available to stay.

Tapt Kund, Surya Kund, Narad Kund: On the banks of the river Alaknanda, are many natural  hot water springs, where people bathe  before they enter the temples.

Other places worth visiting: From Badrinath, a few other places that can be visited are :
Chamoli
Matamurth
Vyas Caves
Ganesh Caves.

Temperature:

Clothings: Light woollens in summer and heavy woollens in winter. Light woollens in summer and heavy woollens in winter.

Food: Non-vegetarian food, alcohol and drugs are not permitted here. Only the local restaurants serve food,  which is vegetarian.

Tourist Season: The doors of the temple open on a particular day in May and close on a fixed day in November. The pilgrimage continues from May to November. During monsoons the roads are blocked.

Travel Plans:

Air: The closest airport is the Jolly Grant which is 315 kms away.

Rail: Closest railway station is Rishikesh which is 297 kms away. From there buses and taxis are available. One can also get here from Dehra Dun or Haridwar by road, after reaching there by Rail.

Road: Badrinath is connected  to Rishikesh, Haridwar, Delhi etc by road and regular bus services ply from here. The Garhwal Mandal Corporation in Rishikesh also organises regular coach tours.

Distances from the cities and towns:

Hotels:

1. Devlok, [Garhwal Mandal Corporation]
2. Travelers Lodge [Garhwal Mandal Corporation]
3. PWD Resthouse
4. Chand Cottage
5. Forest Resthouse