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 Badrinath Dham is one of the oldest of Hindu
places of worship. On the right bank of the
river Alaknanda lies the sacred shrine perched
at an altitude of 3133 m above sea level,
guarded on either side by the two mountain peaks
Nar & Narain with the towering Neelkanth peak
providing a splendid back-drop.
 Also known as
the Vishal Badri, the largest among the five
Badris, it is revered by all as the apt tribute
to Lord Vishnu.
The revered spot was once carpeted with wild
berries which gave it the name 'Badri Van'
meaning 'forest of berries.' Built by Adi
Shankaracharaya, the philosopher-saint of the
8th century, the temple has
been renovated
several times due to damage by
avalanches.
The main entrance gate is colourful & imposing popularly known as
Singhdwar. References to Sri Badrinath have been
made in the Vedas & perhaps it was a popular
shrine during the Vedic age also.
The Skand
Purana gives an accounts of the Adiguru
consecrating the idol of Lord Badri Vishal in
the temple after recovering it from Narad Kund,
in a
pursuance of a divine call from heaven.
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