Badrinath and Kedarnath

Pilgrimage and Tourist place in Chamoli district:

Badrinath, a Hindu holy town is situated in the Chamoli district in Uttarakhand. In 2006, around 6,00,000 pilgrims visited this place compared to only 90,676 pilgrims in 1961. This place has found its mention in the scriptures and legends for many years now. Its importance as a holy place has been imbibed in us since childhood. The name Badrinath was derived from Badri meaning 'berries' and Nath meaning 'Lord'.

Badrinath Temple 

The Badrinath Temple also known as the Badrinarayan Temple, located in Uttarakhand's Badrinath town, is considered as the most holy among the char dhams. It is among the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Lord Vishnu, who is worshipped in this temple as Shri Badrinath.The temple stands tall at a height of 50 ft, has a colorful main entrance also known as the Singhdwar. It is known to have three sections; the Garbhagriha, the Darshan Mandap, and the Sabha Mandap. The idols of Lord Badri Narayan, along with other God's statues are situated in the Garbhagriha or the Sanctum. The Sabha Mandap is the spot where all the pilgrims gather to offer their prayers.

The statue of Lord Vishnu or Badrinarayan is around 3.3 ft tall and is made of black stone (Saligram stone), which is worshipped by pilgrims as one of the eight forms of Lord Vishnu. The image is believed to have Vishnu in a dual form of Nara and Narayana.

Badrinath Yatra

Badrinath is the only sacred place which is a part of the chota char dham as well as the char dham yatra. The char dham yatra holds an important significance in the Hindu religion. Pilgrims visiting only the Badrinath Temple go on the Ek Dham yatra. This holy trip or the dham yatra is considered as the most auspicious religious activity. There is a common belief that those who go on the char dham yatra would have the gates of heaven opened for them. The same can be achieved by ek dham yatra or the Badrinath Yatra.