Lord Vishnu’s eight swayambhu abodes are presented in order

1. Lord Vishnu’s eight swayambhu abodes are presented in order Sri Badrinarayan Temple at Badrinath, Uttarakhand, is the seventh svayam-vyakta kshetra (abode of the self-manifest Form of Lord Visnu) among the twelve abodes of the Devatas. Saligrama’s image of Lord Badrinarayanar appears here. The Lord, accompanied by Kubera and Garuda, Narada and Narayana and Nara, and seated in padmasana (lotus posture) beneath the badari tree in the sanctum. Another temple, dedicated to Mahalakshmi (Aravindavalli), the Lord’s consort, can be found close in the prakaram. Located in a valley of the Nara-Narayan Parvat, the towering Neelkanth, a Himalayan peak that rises over 21,000 feet above sea level, may be seen in the background of the holy site of Badrinath dhama. Badrinath has an estimated altitude of 3,050 metres. One of the most well-known mountain passes connecting India and Tibet is situated in a broad valley cut out by the source of the Alakananda River, the greatest tributary of the Ganges. Protecting the home of Lord Badri-Narayan are the mountain ranges of Nar and Narayan. It was previously covered in a carpet of wild berries, hence the name Badrinath (badris). After the snows have melted, numerous pilgrims flock to the Badrinath Yatra shrine every year. Still, getting there is challenging, much like getting to the other sacred sites along the Char-dhama circuit. The Alakananda River can be seen in front of the temple. Before visiting the temple, many devotees stop at the neighbouring Tapt Kund, a thermal spring.

2. The sastras state that after receiving a rebuke from Narada for partaking in material pleasures, Lord Vishnu retreated to Badri-van to practise asceticism. Ganga Ma was summoned to Earth at people’s pleading, and her presence resulted in the birth of the River Alakananda. For the safety of Earth, Lord Shiva absorbed her power into his scalp and let it trickle down his hair. One of the rivers that originates from that mass of water is called the Alakananda. The Skanda Purana describes Badrinath thusly: “There are various sacred places of worship in heaven, on earth, and in hell; yet there is none of them like Badrinath.” The sages Nara- Narayana fasted and meditated in this area. Uddhava, Krishna’s close companion, visited there around five thousand years ago, and many other saints including Gautama Rishi, Kapila, Kasyapa, Ramanujacharya, and Madhvacharya have also gone there. The main temple in Badrinath, like Kedarnath’s, has been rebuilt numerous times due to wear and tear, weather, and avalanches. It was founded by Adi Shankaracharya in the eighth century, although the current construction dates back only three centuries, to the reign of the Garhwal kings. It has a conical top and a little cupola of golden bull and spire, and it rises five metres tall. The temple’s facade has been repainted numerous times, with a wide variety of colours and designs used. It’s often agreed that Buddhism predominated in the temple before Shankaracharya’s reign. The Tibetans, so the story goes, would travel over the Mana pass every autumn when the temple closed, taking with them a woollen garment to wrap over the Deity before relocating Him to a new location. Lord Badri-narayan resides in the garbha griha, the inner sanctuary, which has both the darshan mandap for puja and the sabha mandap for the assembly of devotees. Lakshmi, Garuda, Lord Shiva, Parvati, and Ganesha are just a few of the 15 Deities who make their home there carved out of black stone. At Badrinath, a group of pandas (priests) with a long lineage of service to the temple performs the rituals necessary to honour the deities Lakshmi and Narayan. They help pilgrims by guiding them around and providing them with information. As Lord Vishnu came down from Vaikuntha, He left His footprints in the rock at a site called Charanpaduka, which is close to the main shrine. Pada-seva gifts are made here by devoted followers.

3. To the north of the temple, on the banks of the Ganga, lies the Brahma Kapalam, where ancestral rituals are carried out. The Lakshmi Narasimha mandir, which honours both Desikacharyar and Ramanujacharya, can be found behind Badrinarayanar’s temple. In addition to Puri, Dvaraka, Udipi, and Joshimath, Badrinath-dhama is the summer meeting location of the Shankaracharyas, whose leader erected a monastery there (where the Deity of Badrinath spends the winter). In this facility, you’ll find the Shankaracarya’s administrative quarters as well as a public dining area. The Panch Badri consists of the four smaller temples (or “badris”) that surround the main Badrinath temple. Yog Dhyan Badri, Bhavishtya Badri, Adi Badri, and Vriddha Badri may all be found within a short distance of the Badrinath temple. Here is where the Pandavas retired after handing over their realm to King Pariksit.