Badrinath
About the city
Demography
Badrinathpuri has a population of about 841. Males constitute 65% of the population and females 35%. Badrinath has an average literacy rate of 85%, higher than the national aerage of 59.5; with 70% of the males and 30% of females literate. Nine percent of the population is under 6 years of age. Tourists and pilgrims throng this sacred place almost throughout the year.History
The word, badri is derived from the wild berry that Lord Vishnu survived on during his reparation at Badri Van. Badrinath is an 8th century monastery and was a temple to the Hindu God, Shiva. The great Indian scholar and teacher, Shankaracharya hold the credit to developed this popular pilgrimage. Adjacent to the shrine, is the hot spring pool of Tapatakund in which pilgrims take a dip before worshipping Sri Badrinatha. Badrinath is one of the four Dhams; a devout Hindu has to visit in his lifetime to attain salvation.The story goes that Lord Vishu was in his favourite pose reclining on the sea- serpent Shesha having his feet massaged by Laxmi when a holy man came along and suggested he was going soft. Deeply hurt he sent Laxmi off and headed for the hills. There he found a place where badri, or wild berries, abounded, and he meditated for several years, sustained by the fruit. When Laxmi eventually tracked him down she addressed him as Badrinath, Lord of the Berries
The confluence of the Rishi Ganga and Alakhnanda rivers is another reason for Badrinath's sanctity. The pretty, brightly painted temple stands near this and a hot spring. In the time of Ashoka, the temple became a Buddhist shrine (it still looks like one) and was not restored to Hinduism until a thousand years later. The similarity of the image int his temple to a Buddha is explained by the belief that Buddha was the ninth avatar, or incarnation of Visnu on earth. The temple is open from May to mid- Novermber.
Visible beyond Badrinath is the snow- capped peak of Nilkanth (6596m) literally ‘blue throat', one of the forms of Shiva. It may be possible to walk to Vasudhara Falls (122 m high) and Satopanth Lake (25 km away), though goind anywhere beyond Badrinath is tricky because of the closeness of the border with Tibet.
Arrival and departure. Bus from Joshimath (2 ½ hrs).
From time immemorial the whole of India has been linked with these holy spots by a bond of consecrated faith.
Badrinath has a very ancient history. It dates from the Vedic period. It is a common belief that many of the Vedic hymns and the major portions of the Upanishads were sung first in this spot known as Badarikashrama. It is a place where countless sages and seers have done penance. No other spiritual place in India is called "ashrama" - a sanctuary for spiritual seekers. The whole land between Nandaprayag and Satopant is known as the Badri Vishal Kshetra. The great sages, Nara and Narayana are said to be practicing tapasya here even to this day. The Mahabharata mentions that these sages took a human birth as Krishna and Arjuna for the benefit of mankind. The Mahabharata also mentions that Krishna visited Arjuna in Badarikashrama and lived with him for a considerable period of time during their exile. The sage Vyasa also visited this spot. In fact the cave dedicated to him is close to the temple and this is where he is supposed to have written the Mahabharata with Ganesha as his scribe. It is in this cave that he collected the Vedas and divided them into four parts which he taught to four of his chief disciples. Many sages like Vasishta and Kanwa went there to meditate.
Five out of the six schools of Indian philosophy wrote their treatises in this holy land. It is no wonder therefore that every Hindu considers a visit to Badrinath as a means of liberation from this life of transmigration.