Badrinath - WikiHQ

Badrinath is a town and nagar panchayat in Chamoli district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is a Hindu holy place, and is one of the four sites in India's Char Dham pilgrimage. It is also part of India's Chota Char Dham pilgrimage circuit and gets its name from the Badrinath Temple.

Etymology

Badrinath derives from the Sanskrit compound Badarīnātha, consisting of the terms badarī (jujube tree) and nātha (lord), an epithet of Vishnu. It is also known as Badarikashrama.

History

In earlier days, pilgrims used to walk hundreds of miles to visit the Badrinath temple. 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 (every twelve years). In recent years its popularity has increased still more, with an estimated 600,000 pilgrims visiting during the 2006 season, compared to 90,676 in 1961. In the sixteenth century, the King of Garhwal moved the murti to the present temple. 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 carving.

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."

As per one legend, when the goddess Ganga was requested to descend on earth to help the suffering humanity at the request of Bhagiratha, the earth was unable to withstand the force of her descent. Therefore, the mighty Ganga (Ganges) was split into two holy channels, with Alaknanda as one of them.

Another lore states that the area was full of Badari, a wild berry. Vishnu meditated here and Lakshmi took the form of the Badari tree to provide shade for him from scorching sun.

The mountains around Badrinath are mentioned in the Mahabharata, when the Pandavas were said to have died 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 the legend, wrote the Mahabharata.

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

This place is considered holy in Jainism as well. In Jainism, Himalaya is also called Ashtapad because of its eight different mountain range Gaurishankar, Kailash, Badrinath, Nanda, Drongiri, Nara-Narayana and Trishuli. Rishabhanatha attained Nirvana on Mount Kailash situated in the Himalayan range and according to Jain faith (Nirvankand), from Badrinath numerous Jain Muni got Moksha by doing Tapsya. According to Shrimadbhagwat, at this place Rishabhdev's father Nabhirai and mother Marudevi had done hard Tapa after Rishabhdev's Rajyabhishek and taken Samadhi. Even today footprint of Nabhirai at Neelkanth mountain attracts everybody towards him.

Demographics

As of 2011 Indian Census, Badrinath had a total population of 2,438, of which 2,054 were males and 384 were females. Population within the age group of 0 to 6 years was 68. The total number of literates in Badrinath was 2,265, which constituted 92.9% of the population with male literacy of 95.4% and female literacy of 79.7%. The effective literacy rate of 7+ population of Badrinath was 95.6%, of which male literacy rate was 97.1% and female literacy rate was 86.9%. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes population was 113 and 22 respectively. Badrinath had 850 households in 2011.

Gallery

File:Badrinath Temple - OCT 2014.jpg|Badrinath is one of the most popular and religious holy towns of the Hindus located at Chamoli district of Uttarakhand in India

File:Badrinath Temple at night.JPG|Badrinath temple at night

File:Neelkanth Parvath.jpg|Neelkanth Parbat from Badrinath

File:Badrinath2005.jpg|Badrinath Town

File:Badrinath landscape.JPG|Himalayas in Badrinath, Uttarakhand

File:Neelkanth.jpg|View from Badrinath

File:Sheeshtaal.jpg|Sheeshtaal (Sheshnaag lake)

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Notes

References

External links

Official website of Shri Badarinath - Shri Kedarnath