BADRINATH and KEDARNATH

Opening of the Badrinath shrine

2009-02-13T00:44:00.000-08:00

The temple opens every year in the month of April-May & closes for winters in the third week of November. Joshimath is the winter deity of Badrinath.

Badrinath's four subsidiary Badris include Bhavishya Badri, Yogdhyan Badri, Bridha Badri and Adi Badri. It is popularly believed that with spread of Buddhism, the Buddhists enshrined the statue of Lord Buddha there and during the Hindu renaissance, the statue of Buddha was later restored by Adi Guru as the idol of Vishnu. This possibly explains the deity sitting in Padmasan posture, typical of Buddha icons. However, also according to Hindu mythology, Buddha was considered to be the ninth incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

How to reach kedarnath ?

2008-07-09T14:13:00.000-07:00

Way to Kedarnath is opened from May to October only. From November to May You usу must use helicopter . Be careful , from May to November its quite hot in New Delhi, were the road starts.

From New Delhi bus station buses go to Haridwar almost every half an hour. Road takes 8 hours. Also you can go by train, this will take 4-6 hours.

From Haridwar you can go directly to Kedarnath but it is also possible to stay there at least one day - this beautiful city is placed on Ganga.
If your group is more then 5-6 persons you may think about renting a jeep. This will cost around $20 per person. Bus is much cheaper ($5) but slower.

Way to Kedarnath goes through Rishikesh, Devaprayag, Rudraprayag and ends in Gaurikund. If jeep goes fast it can reach Gaurikund in 9-10 hours. Please note that road from Rishikesh to Gaurikund will be closed from 8 o'clock in the evening.

Himalayas start near Rishikesh (half an hour from Haridwar). All the road to Devaprayag goes near Ganga. In Devaprayag Bhagirathi (Ganga) and Alaknandu unite. Very beautiful place! We recommend to stop here and at least to put your legs into this holy water.. After Devaprayag road goes alongside Alaknandu to Rudraplayag, were Mahaalaknandu and Mandakini rivers unite. After Rudraprayag road goes alongside Mandakini.

It is highly recommended to stay overnight in Gaurikund. It is placed in 2 km above the sea level. This is not very high but it is better to start getting used to low oxygen level. There are two Gauri svayambhus in Gaurikund: two spring sources. One with hot water one with yellow water. It is not possible to go by car to Kedarnath. But you can rent a horse for 400 rupees ($8). 14 km road you can go in 4-5 hours. It is possible to go by foot but it is quite hard. There are a lot of hotels in Kedarnath from 100 to 300 rupees in a day. There is no hot water but you can order it for 20 rupees.

Temple at Kedarnath

2008-05-15T07:58:00.000-07:00

Kedarnath is a Hindu holy town located in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is a nagar panchayat in Rudraprayag district. The most remote of the four Char Dham sites, Kedarnath is located in the Himalayas, about 3584m above sea level near the head of river Mandakini, and is flanked by breathtaking snow-capped peaks. Kedarnath hosts one of the holiest Hindu temples and is a popular destination for Hindu pilgrims from all over the world.

Kedarnath is accessible only after a steep 14 km trek through a paved path (horses or palanquins are available for rent) from Gaurikund, which is connected by road from Rishikesh, Haridwar, Dehradun and other important hill stations of the Garhwal and Kumaon regions in Uttarakhand. The temple is open only during the months of April/May(on Akshaya Trithiya) to October/November (closes on Diwali - festival of light), due to heavy snowfall and extreme cold weather during winter.

Temple at Badrinath

2008-05-15T07:40:00.000-07:00

Badrinath is a Hindu holy town and a nagar panchayat in Chamoli district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is the most important of the four sites in India's Char Dham pilgrimage. Badrinath is in the Garhwal hills, on the banks of the Alaknanda River, at an elevation of 3133 m. The town lies between the Nar and Narayana mountain ranges and in the shadow of Nilkantha peak (6,560m). Badrinath is located 301km north of Rishikesh. From Gaurikund (near Kedarnath) to Badrinath by road is 233km. Badrinath was established as a major pilgrimage site by Adi Shankara in the ninth century. In recent years its popularity has increased significantly, with an estimated 600,000 pilgrims visiting during the 2006 season, compared to 90,676 in 1961. The temple in Badrinath is also a sacred pilgrimage site for Vaishnavites. Badrinath has been mentioned as a holy place in scriptures and legends for thousands of years. According to the Srimad Bhagavatam, "There in Badrikashram the Personality of Godhead (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." Badri refers to a berry that was said to grow abundantly in the area, and nath refers to Vishnu. Badri is the Sanskrit name for the Indian Jujube tree , which has an edible berry. Some scriptural references refer to Jujube trees being abundant in Badrinath. Legend has it that the Goddess Lakshmi took the form of the berries to provide sustenance to Lord Vishnu during his long penance in the harsh Himalayan climate.