Badrinath: The First Dham Leading to Moksha

We all have heard about the famous Badrinath temple. The temple is said to have over 10 lakh visitors each year. People not just from India but from across the world visit the temple. Moreover, the temple sees its peak seasons during the months of May-June and September-October. The Badrinath temple is one of the biggest temples in India. Moreover, it holds much more religious importance as it is one of the Char Dham. Char Dham are termed the 4 auspicious and holy temples in India. It is believed b individuals that people who complete their Char Dhan Yatra will attain Moksha in their life. Thus, devotees come to Badrinath to pay their respect and show their devotion towards their God. 

Badrinath is said to be a temple of Vaishnavishm. This means that Lord Vishnu and his forms are worshipped in the temple. If you have an increased curiosity to know more about the temple, then continue reading the blog for the same. In this blog, we will talk about the Badrinath temple and the mythologies associated with it and also uncover some unknown facts about the temple. 

About Badrinath: Heaven on Earth

Badrinath has a famous saying, ‘Jo Jaaye Badri, Wo Na Aaye Odri’. It means the one who visits Badrinath temple never comes back to odri (womb), in extension, never takes birth on earth and achieves moksha (salvation). 

Lord Badrinarayan, a form of Lord Vishnu, is worshipped vehemently by Hindu devotees in this temple, situated in the shadows of the Nar and Narayan Mountains of Uttarakhand. Disciples have to reach Chamoli district, located on the banks of Alaknanda, through hilly paths located more than 3000 meters above sea level. Even though the climb is excruciating with low temperatures, pilgrims visit here in large numbers to pray at Badrinath. Badrinath is the first among the Char Dhams, four pilgrimage sites of the Hindu religion. Hindu scriptures describe these Char Dham as places which can help achieve moksha or salvation.  

Also Read: Siddhi Vinayak Temple And Its History

Badrinath Temple Story

The story of Badrinath jyotirlinga is interesting and almost amusing. During the Satya-Yug, Lord Vishnu was looking for a place to do his meditation. He came across the beautiful Badrinath surrounded by Badri (berry) forests which seemed perfect for his needs. However, there was one little issue. It was already the home of Shiv and Parvati. Vishnu decided to trick the Divine couple out of their own home. 

Goddess Parvati was walking around in her palace when suddenly she heard the cries of a baby outside the main door. She called her husband Shiv and appealed to him to take the baby in. Shiv saw through the trickery and implored Parvati to look carefully. He pointed out how the baby had no footprints around him to show that someone had left him here in the cold, pressing on the fact that something was not right and Parvati shouldn’t touch him. The Goddess was in a fix, but suddenly the baby wailed, and Parvati’s motherly instincts took over. She ignored her husband’s warnings and brought the little one in, feeding him and playing with him.

Once the baby was settled, the couple decided to go to a nearby hot spring to take a bath. By the time they came back, the baby had cleverly locked both of them out. Parvati was perplexed by this and asked Shiv to break the door or find another way in. Shiv refused to break the door as he did not want to scare the child, and there was no other way in. Hence, they left the abode, and Vishnu took the palace of Badrinath for his own meditation purposes. 

Another Mythology associated with Badrinath

The name Badrinath has another important folklore about it. When Vishnu was meditating, Goddess Lakshmi came to find him. She noticed that it had been long since the Lord was meditating, and he did not have any roof over his head. The Goddess took the form of a Badri (berry) tree and sheltered her beloved husband throughout the meditation. After many years when Vishnu came out of his meditation, he saw Lakshmi as a Badri tree completely covered in snow falling on her for a long time. He was pleased and affectionately blessed her that as she has also meditated in his presence for an equal amount of time, she shall reside next to him as a deity of equivalent importance. 

Along with Badrinarayan and Lakshmi, there are many other deities that are worshipped in the temple. The Shaligram (black stone) avatar of Lord Vishnu is worshipped as Badrinath, along with his counterpart Lakshmi as the Badri tree. There are also images of lord Kubera, Dev-rishi Narad, Uddhava, and Vishnu’s twin avatars Nar and Narayan. Along with them are idols of Lakshmi, Vishnu’s vehicle Garuda, and the 9 forms of Durga, among others. It is important to note that all these images are made of black stone. The temple’s foot has the hot springs of sulphur or tapt-kund where disciples go to take a holy dip. Their names are Narad Kund and Surya Kund, and they hold spiritual as well as medical significance. 

Also Read: 6 Different And Beautiful Architecture Of Temples In India

Some lesser-Known Facts About Badrinath Dham

In this video, InstaAstro brings you some lesser-known facts about the holy Badrinath Dham : 

• Goddess Lakshmi took the shape of a large Badri tree to protect Vishnu from trepidations of the weather and was named ‘Badri Vishal’. Simultaneously, Vishnu came to be known as Badrinath, the husband of Badri. 
• Not just the temple but the forests and mountains around it hold spiritual significance. 
• According to a mythological legend, god-sage Narad rebuked Lord Narayan for getting his feet massaged by Goddess Lakshmi, which led the God to perform penance at Badrinath, and hence he holds the lotus (padmasan) position in the temple. 
• According to historical legend, Adi Shankaracharya built the current Badrinath temple that houses the Badrinarayan deity in it in the 8th century. 
• It is believed that the mountains Nar and Narayan hold the doors or the path of Badrinath,  which keeps getting narrower as the distance between the two keeps reducing with time. It is said that the day shall come when they will completely close the gates of Badrinath. 

Conclusion

So, there you have it, folks! This was all about the Badrinath Temple History along with its mystery. The temple is said to be over 100 years old. Moreover, another amazing thing to note about this temple is that each year, the amount and the number of devotees that visit the temple increases. This shows that people continue to have faith towards their God. Let us give you a pro tip, if you are planning to visit the Badrinath temple then try to do so in the months of September or October. These months will provide you with the best and most comfortable atmosphere for your visit. However, if you liked this blog, and want to read more such interesting and amazing blogs, then do check InstaAstro’s website or download the app for the same. There, you will find more blogs on such amazing and informative topics. 

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