A temple to Vishnu as Badrinarayan on the Alaknanda river at about 3,100 m, one of the Char Dham and a Divya Desam. It is open in summer only, and its chief priest (Rawal) is by tradition a Namboodiri Brahmin from Kerala.
HistoryDocumented history
Badrinath is praised in the Mahabharata and the Puranas and was sung by the Alvars. The Shankara tradition links it with Jyotirmath, one of the four principal mathas, nearby. The Kerala origin of the Rawal reflects that tradition.
Sthala PuranaTradition
Vishnu sat in meditation here as Nara-Narayana. Lakshmi, seeing him exposed to the snow, became a badri (jujube) tree to shelter him, and he named the place Badrikashrama after her.
Aitihyas and storiesTradition and folklore
The hot springs of Tapt Kund, below the temple, are a blessing of Agni. Nearby Mana village has the caves where Vyasa is said to have dictated the Mahabharata to Ganesha.
PhilosophyInterpretation
Badrinath is a place of tapas and of Nara-Narayana, the human and the divine, sitting together as teacher and disciple. It speaks to the Vedantic idea that the seeker and the sought are one.
Meaning todayInterpretation
A link between the Himalaya and Kerala through its priesthood, Badrinath is a living example of India's cultural unity. Like Kedarnath, it raises questions about crowds and sustainability in the high mountains.
Timeline
- Traditional: 8th c.reclaimedtraditionAdi Shankara (tradition)Said to have recovered the image from the Narad Kund pool and reinstalled it.
- 1803damagedprobableA major Garhwal earthquake damaged the temple, which was repaired afterwards.
Videos
No videos have been curated for this temple yet.
Sources
- Nalayira Divya Prabandham, The Alvarsdevotional
- Wikipedia: Badrinath Templetertiary
This entry is a draft. Traditional stories are presented as tradition, not as historical fact.