SHRI BADARINATH BHU-BAIKUTH DHAM
Nature’s Veritable Paradise on Earth
Shri Badarinath is also known as
Vishal Badari. It is the largest and most popular of the Vishnu pilgrimages
among the five Badaris and revered by all as the apt tribute to the lord
Vishnu. It is one of the most frequently visited sites of the Vaishnavites. This revered spot was once carpeted with wild-berries.
Thus, the place got the name "BadriVan" meaning "forest of
berries.”
Badarinath Dham is perched comfortably
at an elevation of 3122 m above sea level on the slope of a V shaped valley,
comprising the two well-known mountains the Nar Parvat and the Narayan Parvat,
which is protected from avalanches by a rocky projection on Narayan Parvat. Sri
Badrinathji temple itself is situated on the slope of the Narayan Parvat. The
'Virgin Queen' of Himalaya, the Nilkanth peak stands by like a sentinel. The
water of the Vishnu Ganga (Alaknanda) is clear, icy cold and flowing like a
stream of milk at the feet of Badarinath. One can sit on the shore and
contemplate the glory of nature. It gives a thrill of pleasure, one can hardly
control his tears of joy, and one forgets the hustle and bustle of the routine
life. The valley spreads sover an area of 3 sq km.
The supreme sacred shrine is still
alive with myriad legends from mythology. Its sanctity is emphasized in the ancient
scriptures as “There are many sacred spots of pilgrimage in heaven, earth and
the nether world, but there has been none equal to Badari, nor shall there be.”
The Hindu Shastras enjoin that no pilgrimage would be complete unless a pilgrim
paid a visit to Badarinath, the lofty abode of lord Vishnu (The Vishnulok).
Badarinath has been described in the Hindu scriptures as the “supreme place of
pilgrimage.” The shrine of Sri Badarinath Dham is one of the four most holy
places in the north of India, the other three being Rameshwar in the south,
Dwarika in the west and Jagannath in the east. It is living faith with every
Hindu to visit this shrine at least once in his lifetime to elevate and enrich
his psychic and spiritual plane. This
place is also known as satyug chhetra.
Badarinath has a hoary past. It dates
from the Vedic period. It is common belief that some of the Vedic hymns and the
major portions of the Upanishads were first sung in this land called
Badarikashram. Traditions points to this place as the abode of all the gods of
the Puranas and as the penance grove of all the maharshis, sages, saints, and seers, ancient and modern. The living
faith of the orthodox Hindus was that the more the tribulation, the more the
degree of salvation. In fact, this was considered the charm of Badarinath
pilgrimage. This feeling is not altogether extinct even today.
In Mahabharata, it is said, that Lord
Krishna visited the hermitage of Manu and the Pandavas in their exile and
himself lived together with Arjun for a considerable time in Badarikashram. In
their previous incarnation, Arjun as Nar, and Krishna as Narayan, performed
austerities here on the Gandh Madan Mountain. There the sage Narad, who
remained with them for a thousand years, visited them. Rishis headed by Vyas,
came to Badarikashram to learn religion from sage Parasar. There are other
innumerable references in the Puranas about the sanctity of this shrine. Vedas
were collected together and divided into four separate parts at Vyas Gupha at
Mana (Manibhadrapur), near Badarinath. The various Puranas were also compiled
here. In Vedic period, saints and sages like Vashishtha and others retired to
this land for the attainment of divine knowledge.
The legend has it, when the goddess
Ganga was requested to descend to earth from heaven to help the suffering
humanity, but due to the torrential flow of the Ganga, it was not possible for
earth to withstand the force of its descent. Therefore, the mighty Ganga was
split into twelve holy streams and Alaknanda was one of them.
The original temple here is believed to
be built by King Pururava and the icon of the Lord carved by Vishwakarma, the
creator of the gods. The idol of Sri Badarinathji was retrieved by Adiguru
Shankaracharya from the waters of the Narad Kund and consecrated once more in
the temple, restored in the 19th century
by the royal houses of Scindia and Holkar. The temple has been renovated
several times due to damage by avalanches.
The
main temple is not visible from outside. The temple of Sri Badarinath is
about 15m tall and stands on a square platform. It is built in the form of a
cone with a small cupola of a gilt bull and spire.
The exterior of the temple is typical Garhwal style of architecture along with
south Indian Colour combination. There is Tibari on first floor either side.
The entrance gate is fascinating, built of stones with arched windows, and
painted brightly with different attractive colours and this is the main
entrance gate and is called Singhdwar. A very old and heavy brass gong hangs in
the middle of the entrance gate. A broad steep flight of steps runs down to the
Alaknanda River.
The temple has three parts: Garbha
Griha (the sanctum-sanctorium), Darshan
Mandap for (special Puja), and Sabha Mandap ( for
pilgrims to assemble for Darshan). The pillars and walls of the temple are
embedded with intricate carvings. No body can enter inside the garbha girha except Rawal (the chief
priest) and his associate Pujari.
The holy tulsi (basil) of Badarinath region is famous for its delicate
fragrance and has many medical characteristics. It is primarily used in the
every holy rituals of lord Badarinath. The basil is quite different to that of
normal homely types. It grows only above 3000 m in an area of 10 km in
Badarinath region. It grows like hedges in the region around Badarinath and
used primarily for holy bath of Badarinath, the presiding deity, other rituals
as god’s ornaments with basil beads used for garland and for offerings. The
basil is also considered as first sowed by lord Vishnu himself.
Nirwan Darshan
The idol of Lord Badarinathji is
made of black stone-Shaligram and is about one meter tall. The Lord is seated
in Padmasan posture. To the right of the idol are the images of Nar( human as
Arjun) and Narayan ( lord Vishhnu) and on the left those of Kubera ( the deity
of wealth), Ganesh ( the god of prosperity), Udhava ( the brother of lord
Krishna) and Narada (sage). This main
idol along with other deities are bathed
with special water which contains milk, curd, kesar (saffron), this
purified water thus comes out and
used as charnamrit prasad. The deities are then clothed with
rich gold brocade and adorned with many gold, silver ornaments and basil
flowers and garland. Above its head is a small golden chhatra (canopy). This special Puja is called Nirwan Darshan and is
performed in the morning hours. The Dharmadhikari and Ved paties are present at
the times of different pujas outside
of the garbh girah and they chant ved paths such as Srimad Bagwat Geeta,
Vishnu Sahastranam, etc. regularly. The tulsi
malas (garlands of basil flowers) and
simple Tulsi flowers, an exotic Himalayan shrub that found in abundance in the
Badarinath area are one of the most important offerings in the shrine besides
other prasads. The sweet fragrance of
the flowers fills the air through out the day. Swarna Aarti (gold), Chadi
Aarti(silver) and Kapoor Aarti (camphor) are also performed by the Rawal and
are important ceremonies.
The Rawal performs the aarti in the main shrine and the
Dharmadhikari and the Ved Paties chant verses out side of the girbh girah from the Hindu scriptures
and devotees recite holy hymns and the constant ringing of the bells by
volunteers and claps by pilgrims, the atmosphere turns pleasant as every one
feels a sense of elation on being a part of this historic ritual. Once the
aarti is over, the volunteer of the temple takes the aarti around so that every body could take blessings. Other Pujas
are also held during the opening and the closing of the temple. Bal Bhog-Kheer,
a type of recipe made up of milk, rice sugar and saffron is offered in temple
at 9 am. In addition, the bhog prasad
(cooked rice) is offered at 12 noon. Both the Rawal carries out the ceremonies
and the doors of the temple are kept closed during this time. There is an
afternoon recess between 12 to 3 pm.
At around 3 pm
the sound of the bell is heard and this indicates that the temple doors are
open for darshan and simultaneously
the recorded aarties and divine songs
are played from the temple premises. The
songs and aarti play like
perfect ode to the holy shrine. The
devotees join in as well and the entire area echoes with the rendition of the
religious song.
Regular
Prayers (four times a day) are performed by the Rawal at morning, noon, and
evening, are very important ceremonies, and attended by several devotees. At
Sri Badarinath, various puja and path are performed. The list of various
pujas and paths and their rates are given below:
1. Special
Morning Pujas : 4:30 to 6 :30 am
a) Maha
Abhishek Puja b) Abhishek Puja
7:30 am to 12:00 Noon & 3 pm
i) Ved Path, ii)Geeta Path, 2. Special Puja
3) Shrimad Bhagwat Saptah Path ii)Entire Pujas of the day
3. Special Evening Pujas : Arti
and Path -6 :00 pm to 9:00 pm
i)Karpoor Arti, ii) Chandi Arti, iii)Swaran Arti, iv)Astotari
Puja
v) Vishnusahastranam Path, vi) Vishnusahastranamawali Path
vii) Shayan Arti with Geet
Govind Path
4) Daily or Periodical Puja , Bhog & Akhanda Jyoti
Akhand Jyoti one day, Akhand
Jyoti annual, Yatri Bhog
Ghrit Kambal Ghee on closing day,
Ghee for Deepak on closing day
Daily Bhog of Sri Badarinathji, Yatri Bhog, Kheer Bhog,
Pind Prasad, Nitya Niyam Bhog. Nitya Niyam Bhog for deities of subordinate
temple
Long
Term Puja and Bhog of Shri Badarnathji
Maha Bhog, Bal
Bhog. Abhishek Puja, Vishnu Sahastranamawali,Vihhnu Sahastranam Path, Astotari
Path, Swaran Arti, Chandi Arti, Karpoor ArtiThe morning pujas must be booked
the previous day and the evening pujas can be booked before noon.
Darshan : Timings for darshan at the temple
Morning Hours
Opens at 4:30 am with Shubha
Prabhatam and closes at 12:00 noon. There is an afternoon recess between 12 to
3 pm. Different types of aarities are
offered in the morning and evening with chanting of vedic hymns and reciting of Vishnusahastranam and chimning of
bells.
Evening Hours
Opens
at 3:00 pm and closes at 9:00 pm after shayan aarti and the divine song
Geet Gobind.
Darshan
of Lord Badarinath ji and other deities i.e. Udhavji, Kuber ji, Nar and
Narayan, inside the garbha griha are
available from the sabha mandap all
the time the temple is open.
Badarinath
is Vishnu for Vaisnavites, Shiva for Shaivites, Buddha for Buddhist and
Mahaveer for Jainies. Buddhist claims that the idol of Lord Vishnu is that of
Budha. According to Hindu Shastra that Buddha was the ninth incarnation of Lord
Vishnu and hence, Buddha is another form of Badarinath. Jainies also claim that
the idol is that of Mahaveer Jain. Anyway, this highly prestigious shrine is
visited by the pilgrims of all faith and sect and blessed equally by the
Almighty.
Offerings
Offerings
at the temple may be in the form of cash, gold, silver, ornaments, dried fruits
such as cashew nut, almond, walnut, etc. (panch
mewa), tulsi mala, saffron, sandal, perfume, clothes etc. in varying quantities depending on individual capacity.
The cash is placed in a sealed box. This along with the cash from different pujas, donations in cash and income,
which is charged for lodging in the rest houses and dharamshalas, constitute the main income of the
temple.
It
is a common belief that sage Narad performs offerings to Lord Vishnu and other
deities in Yogdhayani (meditative) form during six months when the shrine
remains close and Rawal (head priest) in Shringaric (Decorative) form for the
six months when the shrine remains open.
The Rawal
The chief priest
of Sri Badrinath ji is known as Rawal, he is a Namboodripad Brahmin, who hails
from the Malabar of Kerala, and he must be a Brahmachari (celibate) until he
remains the chief priest of the shrine. If suppose he gets married then he
would have to quit the post and his Naib Rawal (assistant) takes over the
charge. It a tradition for centuries. The south Indian chief priest performs
the puja of Sri Badrinathji in south Indian “Aagama” style. This has been the
custom for hundreds of years ever since Adiguru Shankaracharya installed the
image of Badarinath. It also surpasses one's imagination how at so young an age
Shankaracharya could visit Badarinath and established the seat of his math to
propagate his philosophy at Joshimath. To assist Rawal in various pujas, the pujari from Dimri community is appointed by the temple committee.
One important and interesting point is that the Rawal should not cross the
river Alaknanda until Vaman Dwadasi when he visits the temple of Mata Murti.
Usually the Rawal goes back to his native place for the winter season after
closure of the portals of the shrine.
The Rawal, Naib Rawal,
Dharmadhikari, Ved pathies of the temple are well versed with Sanskrit
language, Vedas, Geeta, and other puja
rituals and rites and chanting of vedic hymns and reciting of subh prabhatam, geet gobind etc.
Opening Day of the Shrine's Portals
The opening day of the temple's portals is decided by the former
king of Tehri Garhwal, Cheif Executive
Officer, astrologers and pandits
on the auspicious day of Basant Panchami (in Feb/March) at Narendra
Nagar , Tehri Garhwal. The temple of Sri Badrinathji is generally opens in the
last week of April or the first/second week of May.
Akhand Jyoti Darshan (Eternal Flame
Viewing Ceremony )
The first ceremony on opening day of
the portals of the shrine is Akhand Jyoti Darshan (eternal flame viewing) in an
ancient deep (lamp) which remains lit
all through the year, even when the temple closed for the winter. On the
closing day of the temple, this lamp is filled with oil and clarified butter so
that the lamp could remain burn and lit throughout the year. No doubt, it is a
divine miracle so the flame continues to be burn and lit for six long months.
The most pious and important thing is to see the Akhand Jyoti. A large number
of devotees from across the globe throng at the temple to take part in the
daylong opening rituals and witnessed the opening of the portals that they
consider auspicious. Those who visit on this day and watch the entire ceremony
are blessed with good fortune in life. The ghrit
kambal is taken off the deity on the opening day of the temple and small
pieces of it are distributed to pilgrims as blessings, called Mahaprasad.
Amidst the chanting of mantras, the
ghrit kambal is placed on the idols to keep warm the deities in the winter
months. The portals of Shri Badarinath Dham close for the winter amid chanting
of Vedic mantras and sacred rituals. The Badarinath Puri is decorated with
thousands of marigold garlands from the Singhdwar to the sanctum sanctorum.
According to mythology, devtas will come to worship Lord Badarinath with
Devrishi Narad as their priest for the next six months.
The cultural heritage is seen at
its best when according to rituals, Rawal, the main priest, dresses as a woman,
brings Devi Lakshmi from her temple to Join Badari Narain and before she enters,
the idol of Udhav, the elder brother of Badari Narain, brought out of the
temple.
Closing Day of the Portals of the Temple
The
Chief Executive Officer, the Rawal, and the Dharmadhikari decide the closing
day of the temple on the auspicious day of Vijya Dashmi (the Dusshera
festival). Usually the temple’s portals close on the second week of November.
The temple’s portals close with
usual puja rituals and certain
specific ceremonies. On this occasion a ghrit
kambal (a thin woolen blanket is soaked in clarified butter) woven by the
unwed girls of Molpa families of Mana village is placed on the deity to keep
warm in the winter months, bhog
(food) is offered and mantras (verses) chanted.
Another significant feature is that the Rawal changes his attires and
wears a sari and then visits the temple of Maha Lakshmi and offers puja and bhog in the temple and then brings back the idol of the goddess and
placed in the main shrine besides the idol of Badarinath (left side). The
atmosphere filled with emotions and even teras rolled down from the eyes of
many devotees. On the closing and opening days of the shrine, the Garhwal
Scouts personnel play the bands, bagpipers and other instrument and offers hot
cup of tea and Langer to the devout pilgrims.
A woolen cloth woven by the
maiden of Mana, the last village on the Indo-Tibetan border, along with pure
ghee is offered to Badari Narain before closing the potals for the winter,.
The Rawal, Temple Committee staff,
and local residents depart from Sri Badarinath Dham for winter months to their
native places. A representative idol is
carried to Pandukehwar for winter puja
in the temple of Yog Badari. Usually in the month of October and November, the
visitors can enjoy white flowery flakes of snow in the bright mid day sunshine.
Snowing is a common feature during this time of the year in the high altitude
areas. The town remains cool even during summer time and covered with a thick
layer of snow during the winters and hence the shrine is inaccessible during
this time of the season. It is advisable to carry woolens even in the summer
time. Every year about 1 million pilgrims and tourists throng to the sacred
shrine form the world over and blessed equally by the Almighty.
Other Temples
Adi
Kedareshwar
Adi Kedareshwar temple, dedicated to
Lord Shiv, is located to the left of the Taptakund. It is customary at Badrinath to throng the
temple of Adi Kedareshwar before visiting the main shrine.
Just
out side of the main temple on the circumambulation path, there are located
many temples.
Maha Lakshmi Temple
This
is the most important temple on the right side of the main temple. Goddess
Lakshmiji ( the goddess of
wealth) is worshipped in
this temple for
six months by the
Dimri Pujaris. The goddess is the spouse of Lord Vishnu.
Ghanta Karan Temple
This is a small temple dedicated
to the deity Ghantakaran or Cheetrapal (security in charge). It is said that
during the winter months the temple and town is protected by the Ghantakaran
ji. Special puja is offered in the temple before the closing of the shrine by
the purohits of Brahma Kapal Tirtha
and Bhotia community. On this occasion,
a goat is sacrificed and the prasad
is distributed to the devotees. The ‘Jan’ (local made liquor) is also served as
prasad of Ghanta Karan.
The Garur Bhagwan Statue
There is located a black shining
statue of a Garur, the mount of Lord Vishnu, near the Singhdwar.
The
other temples of legendary importance dedicated to various gods are Adiguru
Sankaracharya Samadhi, a huge marble statue of Hanumanji and Ganeshji and other
deities enshrined on the circumambulation path.
Tusi (Holy
Basil)
The holy tulsi (basil) of Badarinath region is famous for its delicate
fragrance and has many medical characteristics. There are three types of tulsi
one is Ram tusi, another is Krisna tulsi and third variety is van tulsi or wild
tulsi. It is primarily used in the every holy rituals of lord Badarinath. The
basil is quite different to that of normal homely types. It grows only above
3000 m in an area of 10 km in Badarinath region. It grows like hedges in the
region around Badarinath and used primarily for holy bath of Badarinath, the
presiding deity, other rituals as god’s ornaments with basil beads used for
garland and for offerings. The basil is also considered as first sowed by lord
Vishnu himself.
Temple Administration
The Badarinath-Kedarnath Temple
Committee (BKTC) governs the administration of the temples of Sri Badarinath
and Kedar. The Chief Executive Officer is the administrative head and is
assisted by two separate Executive Officers, one at Shri Badarinath and another
one at Shri Kedarnath. The state government nominates the President of the
committee and its members.
The main religious and other
places in and around Shri Badarinath are:
The Tapta
Kund (The Thermal Spring)
There are five natural thermal
springs on the banks of the river Alaknanda. The covered one is specially built
for women pilgrims and the bathhouse just below the residence of Rawal is for
Rawal who used to bath in the tapt kund
before preforming all the puja
rituals. The male pilgrims use the three open kunds. It is customary to take a
holy bath in the taptkund before
offering puja in the main shrine. It
is advisable not to stand for long hours in the water of the kund, otherwise one can suffer from
faint or giddiness. A bath in the kund
is really refreshing and stimulating and believed to purify the body and soul.
The sulphur water of the Kund is having some medicinal properties.
The Narad
Kund
A recess in the
Alaknanda River and just a few meters down stairs from the thermal springs,
forming a pool. Narad kund is said to be very deep. The path is slippery
because of the smooth carpet of algae. This is the Kund from where the idol of
Lord Badarivishal was recovered by Adiguru Shankaracharya. It is advisable to
take safety precautions going to the Narad Kund.
The Panch Shila ( The Five Blocks of Stone )
There are five Shilas (stone blocks) near the Tapta
Kund and are believed sources of five siddhies
(hidden powers). They are Narad, Narsingh, Barah, Garur and Markandey shilas. They are held very sacred to the Hindus.
The Narad Shila
Near Adikedar
temple lays this sacred slab of stone and known as the Narad Shila. It is
believed that sage Narad, meditated on this block for several years in order to
please Lord Vishnu and was granted three boons, viz sage Narad will
be a devotee of Lord Vishnu for ever, Lord Vishnu will stay near this Shila,
any living being whosoever takes bath in this Tirtha, worships or have darshan or even drink water will be born
as a human being in the very next birth. Since then the Narad Shila is so
sacred.
The
Narsingh) (lion –headed god) Shila
The Narsingh
Shila stands near Narad kund in the icy cold waters of the Alaknanda. This huge
stone block shaping like a lion. Its gaping jaws and hooked claws can be seen
from the other side of the river. Legend is that Lord Vishnu in his lion
incarnation as Narsingh killed the demon King Hiranyakashyap and then stayed
back in the waters in the shape of a lion.
The Barah Shila
A bore shaped structure in the middle of the river Alaknanda is
called Barah Shila. It was Barah Bhagwan, one of the incarnations of Lord
Vishnu, who brought the Prithvi (Earth) back from rasatala (Beneath the Earth)
and set off to Badarikashram after killing Hrinyakasha, who was a brother of
Hiranakashyap.The Garur Shila
The Garur Shila is near the Tapta
Kund. Garur (Eagle), the mount of Vishnu, is said to have meditated on this
stone and until date lives in the form of the stone.
The Markandey
Shila
The Markandey Shila is near Narad
Kund in the middle of the flowing waters of the Alaknanda. Muni Markandey
meditated on this Shila. He attained salvation here and got blessings of Lord
Badarivishal. The Shila is not visible in the summer or during monsoons.
Panch Dhara (The five streams)
There are five well-known Dharas
(streams) in Badarinath viz. the Prahlad, Kurma, Urvasi, Bhrigu and the Indra
Dhara. The water in each is different in its temperature. The Prahlad Dhara
contains Luke warm water, and that of Kurma Dhara is icy cold. The origin of
the Urvashi Dhara is Nilkanth glacier and it is the main tributary of the Rishi
Ganga stream. Traverse through a rough terrain the Bhrigu Dhara finds a place
in Badarinath. The Indra Dhara is a beautiful stream tumbling down from a great height from the
Narayan Parvat rocks.
The Sheshnetra
On
the left of the Alaknanda, in between two highly polluted seasonal water pools,
is a boulder having natural impression of the eye of legendary serpent- known
as Sheshnag.
The Charanpaduka
Around
2 km on a zigzag continuous climbing path from the town is Charanpaduka. It is
an emerald meadow with wild alpine flowers in the rainy season. Here is a huge
boulder with an impression of the footprints of Lord Vishnu. It is a vintage
point on Narayan Parvat from where one can view the beautiful and enchanting
scenery of Badarinath town.
Brahma Kapal Maha Tirth - Kapal
Mochan Maha Tirtha (The Head of Brahama)
This is the only Maha Tirtha on
earth for performing ritual pindan and Shradha Karma Kanda. As per Hindu
Shastra that when a human being borns, he or she inherits three debts. They are
Dev Rin (Debt of Gods), Rishi Rin (Debt of Sages) and Pitra Rin (Debt of
Ancestors). After visiting Badarinth and performing darshan of lord Narayan,
one gets rid of Dev Rin, Bathing in Alaknanda, one gets rid of Rishi Rin and
finally offeing pinds in the Brahmakapal Tirtha, and one gets rid of Pitra Rin.
Brahma Kapal is also known as
Kapal Mochan Tirtha. It is considered the holiest seat for offering pindas to the pitras (deceased ancestors). Hindus perform Pinddan or Sharadha
ceremony (the propitiating rites for their deceased ancestors) here. Pind is
also offered in several other religious places like Gaya, Kashi, Kedarnath,
Haridwar etc., but the rite performed at Brahmakapal is very specific. Shradha
or Pindadan at Brahmakapal Tirtha in Badrikashram gives eight times more
benefits then that at Gaya Tirtha and after preforming the final rites here,
the pitras get a permanent place in
the heaven. It is believed that once the
Shraddha ceremony is performed here, the
descendants need not perform the yearly ritual and only can do tarpan ( water is offered to the
deceased ones once in a year at the time of Shradha at their respective
places).
Legend is that when Shiva chopped
off the fifth head of Brahma (the creator of Universe), it was stuck to his
trident, and Shiva was blamed for Brahma Hatya (the curse of killing Brahma).
The anxious Shiva went to Badrikashram to seek the blessings of Lord Vishnu.
Lord Vishnu blessed Shiva and the head of Brahma fell down from the trident at
this place. Hence, this Tirtha is called Brahma Kapal. Lord Shiva also
performed Shradha ritual here to get rid the sin of Brahma Hatya. Hence, this
place is also known as Brahma Kapal Maha Tirtha.
The people offer cash, gold,
silver, clothes; utensils etc. as donations to the purohits of the Tirtha and are the main income source of them. It
is a square flat platform on the bank of the river Alaknanda about 200 m north
of the temple. In this tirth, there is no need to remove the hairs like other
tirths and females can perform pindan and shradh of their deceased ones here.
The
Purohits of the Brahmakapal Tirtha are Sati, Nautiyal, Hatwal and Kothiyal
Brahmins. One particular cast gets six months term in a year.
Initially, Sati Brahmins were the
Purohits of Brahma Kapal Tirtha. The king of Tehri Garhwal donated this Maha
Tirth to the Sati Purohits being the Kulpurohits of the then kings for
performing pinddan ritual at Badarinath. However, later on Sati Purohits
donated three consecutive terms of six months in a year to the husbands of
their sisters, who were married to Nautiyal, Kothiyal and Hatwal Brahmins,
respectively. One particular cast gets six months term each year. Sati Purohits
now get their six months term once in every four years time.
Mata Murti
A
small temple dedicated to the mother of lord Badarinath in the valley of
Alaknanda on Narayangiri, opposite to Mana Village, on the confluence of Kesav
Prayag, at an elevation of 3186m above sea level, at a distance of 3 km from
Badarinath. It is said that Nar-Narayan were born to Mata Murti here.
Every year
before closing of the temple of Badarinath on the auspicious day of Vaman
Dwadashi, Mata Murti festival is celebrated with religious fervor and
enthusiasm. Hundreds of people gathered to witness the great moment of reunion
of Udhav, the elder brother and representative of Badari Narayan with his
mother. After performing the rituals and puja,
the chief priest, Dharamadhkari, Vedpathi, Dimri Panchayat, Panda, Purohit and
members of the temple committee, along with people from all walks of life, take
the Utsav Murti of Udhavji to Mata Murti temple from the Badarinath temple. The
havan ceremony is conducted and food
is offered to the deity. The whole atmosphere is surcharged with divine affection
of a mother for her son. The people of Mana perfoms their traditional dances to
the beat of dhol and damaoun. As the legend goes, when Badari
Narayan and his brother Udhav were engrossed in penance for thousand of years,
their mother felt a great urge to see her sons. She came to Badarinath and
asked the local deity Ghantakaran to inform her sons that she wanted to see
them. On hearing her desire, both the brothers rushed to meet her and it is on
this day and place that the divine reunion is celebrated every year.
Mana
Village
At the
confluence of Alaknanda and Saraswati is situated the last Indian village of
Mana (before Tibet border) and Saraswati takes a clean leap into a rocky hollow
several meters deep from the Tibetan plateau to the Alakananda valley.
Indo-Mangolian tribe, known as Bhotia, inhabits it. It is situated at a height
of 3186 m above sea level. It was also known as Manibhadrashram and
Manibhadrapuram. One route from this village also branches off to Niti Pass
(5069 m) via Ghastoli enroute to Sri Kailash Mansarovar. Once it was a popular
trade route with Tibet and pilgrimage to Sri Kailash-Manas. The villagers of
Mana are simple and they play an important part in different activities of Sri
Badrinath temple and the annual worship of Mata Murti. The villagers are
generally engaged in woolen works, making carpets, pashminas, woolen pullovers, mufflers etc. The Bhotias did
flourishing business with Tibet until 1962. However, later on with the invasion
of Tibet by China, trade links between these two countries received a great set
back. However, people from Mana and Niti valleys are still agitating for
re-open of trade with Tibet. Several Bhotia traders still have their properties
in many mandies (markets) of Tibet.
The area around Mana is serene and best for meditation.
The Mana
village can be reached either by a trekking route first to Mata Murti and then to cross the Vishnu Ganga by a
suspension bridge, 3 km from Badarinath
or by a motor road 3 km. Tea
shops exist here. A trekking route starts from here to the Satopanth
Lake via Vashdhara falls and a high cross-country trek to Gangotri via
Khalindikhal.
Vyas
Gupha (The Rock Cave of Ved Vyas)
There are many
caves widely spread in the mountains of Sri Badarinath. Among them are the Vyas Gupha and the Ganesh Gupha having
religious importance, located near Mana village.
At
the rock cave of Vyasji, Maharshi Ved Vyas dictated his well known epic, the
Mahabharata to his scholar secretary Ganesh. The cave is under a huge slab of
stone. The slab consists of several
thick layers of
stone and its
book like appearance is called
Vyas Granth. In side the cave is
a marble statue of Ved Vyas showing him writing the grantha. Besides the Mahabharat, Vyas also composed the 18 Puranas, Brahma Sutra and the well
know four Vedas viz. Rig Ved, Sam Ved , Yajur Ved and Atharv Ved here in this
cave.
There
is a Gupha for Ganesh close by, where statue of Ganeshji is enshrined.
Muchakund
Gupha
Muchakund Gupha is located about
2-1/2 km beyond Mana village enroute to Ghastoli (Tibet border). The footprints
of Lord Vishnu can be seen on a stone slab inside the cave. A local fair
adorn this region on the
occasion of Janam
Asthami festival and a large number
of devotees throng
to this place to pay their homage
to the deity.
Bhim Pul
Across
Saraswati river is a huge rock slab called Bhim Pul which acts as a bridge to
cross the Saraswati gorge and Bhim is supposed to have put it across to enable
his brothers and Dropadi to pass the gorge on their way to Swargarohini (an
ascent to heaven). It provides a stunning view of the roaring river. In a sunny day one can see many rainbows
forming by the sunrays and droplets of water. It is a popular picnic spot in
this valley and visited by a large number of pilgrims and tourists.
The Saraswati River
The mystical Saraswati River
originates from Dev Tal (5684m), which is about 3 km in circumference 50 km
towards northern side of Mana village enroute to Tibet (China). This river is
dedicated to the Saraswati (goddess of learning). From Keshavprayag to
Allahabad, Saraswati flows underground and then meets with the two other rivers
i.e. the Ganga and the Yamuna at Prayag Raj Allahabad. Hence, this confluence
is also known as Triveni (the three sisters).
Vasudhara Falls
The magnificent
and tremendously inspiring water falls of Vasudhara, pouring down from a great
height of 140 m, is located at a height of 3635m above sea level, amidst
captivating surroundings.The fine puffs and spays from the falls are carried
all around due to the blowing of the wind. It is a common belief that the fine
spray falls on the good human beings and flies away from evil persons.
The
towering snow peaks such as Chaukhamba, Satopanth, Balkun etc. are near
Vasudhara falls. The vast snouts of the Alkapuri glaciers from where rushes out
the Alaknanda and vast moraines can be seen from here. However, they are visible only on a clear
day.
Vasudhara Falls Trek
The trek to Vasudhara falls beings
from Mana village. Mana is the last border village and motor head, 3 km away
from Badarinath. From Mana to Vasudhara
falls it is a 5 km gradual ascent on a well-made trek towards
the west and
traverse through vast stretches
of emerald alpine
pastures which burst bloom
with a variety of colourful flowers, herbs and lush green grasses,
particularly seen during monsoons. Alaknanda river is a constant companion
throughout the trek. The high barren and brown mountains are quite attractive
all along the trek leading to Vasudhara falls. It is a pleasant and enchanting
trek and can be covered in one day. During April and May glaciers can be seen
around Vasudhara falls which melt later on. It is visited by a large number of
tourists and is a favorite picnickers’ haunt.
Kesavprayag
The
confluence of the icy waters of the beautiful river Saraswati which emerges
from a lateral glacier of Dev Tal about 50 km north from the Mana valley on the
ancient trade route to Tibet and the impetuous Alaknanda river is known as
Kesavprayag at an elevation of 3085 m above sea level.
It is said that Gautam Rishi did
penance at the bank of the Kesavprayag. The local villagers of Mana and other
surrounding villages cremated their dead on the banks of Kesavprayag. It is
located at a distance of 4 km from Badarinath and 1 km from Mana village.
Alkapuri (Source of the Alkananda River)
Alkapuri
is located at an elevation of 4000 m above sea level. It is the source of the
Alaknanda river, one of the two principal tributaries of the river Ganga, the
other it may be said, Bhagirathi emanating from
Gaumukh,18 km beyond Gangotri . The river Alaknanda gushes out at
Alkapuri from the snout of two glaciers, viz. Bhagirathi Kharak and Satopanth.
On
the right side of the Alakpuri is located Nilkanth peak and on the north is
Chaukhamba series. It is located at a distance of 15 km from Badarinath and 3 km further on from
Lakshmivan.
