Tourist places in and around Chardham
Badrinath
The abode of Lord Vishnu, Badrinath, is situated in the Himalayas (Uttarakhand) at the height of approximately 3133 meters above sea level. It is on the right bank of the river, Alaknanda. Meandering rivers and the mountain range add to the beauty of this Holy Land. At one time the spot was covered with wild berries ("badris') and was famous as the "Badri Van" (the garden of wild berries). Built by the Garhwal kings, the Badrinath shrine back to more than two centuries. The temple has a black stone idol that depicts Lord Vishnu - the preserver - in a meditative stance with both hands on his lap. Fed by the Badrinath glaciers and the holy Ganges, the sacred river Alaknanda flows by the temple.Badrinath Temple
Encircled by a beautiful valley, the 15 mts. High temples dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It is built in the form of a cone with a small cupola of a gilt bull and spire. Built by Adi Guru Shankaracharya the philosopher-saint of the 8th century, the temple has been renovated several times due to damage by avalanche. Its colourful ‘Singh Dwara' or the main entrance gate glive it a new, modern look. The temple is divided into three parts the ‘Garbha Griha' or sanctum sanctorum, the ‘Darshan Mandap' where the rituals are conducted and the ‘Sabha Mandap' where devotees assemble. The complex has 15 idols. Specially attractive is the one metre high image of Badrinath, finely sculpted in black stone. It represents lord Vishnu seated in a meditative pose.Tapt kund
Devotees take a holy dip in the natural thermal springs on the banks of the river Alaknanda, before entering the Badrinath Temple. The water of the kund is believed to have medicinal properties.Shesnetre
A boulder having an impression of the legendary serpent-known as Shesnag's eye.Neelkanth Peak
A Pyramidal-shaped snowy peak towering above Badrinath. Popularly known as the ‘Garhwal Queen'.Charanpaduka
The footprints of Lord Vishnu can be seen on a boulder in this beautiful meadow.Mata Murti Temple (3 kms
On the right bank of Alaknanda stands the temple dedicated to the mother of Sri Badrinathji.Mana Village (3 km)
It is considered to be the last Indian village before Tibetan border. On this route, nearby are Vyas Gufa-the rock cave of saint Ved Vyas, the writer of Mahabharata. Bhim Pul - a natural bridge over the Saraswati river and Vasundhara Falls - a 122 mts. High waterfall - forming an important part of the pilgrimage to Badrinath.3 km from Badrinath, this is the last village of India on the Indo-Tibetan border. The Indo-Mongolian tribe set up this village. A population of 200 people lives here. As soon as the gates of Badrinath open, they come here and as soon as they close, they go down to the plains where they live for the rest of the year. In this way they live a dual family life. These people are very hardworking and industrious. They wherein the women knit and weave sweaters, carpets, etc run a small-scale industry of woollen clothes. They are very attached to their culture and traditions. Earlier they traded with Tibet but in 1962 this was shut down. Tourists come in plenty to this quaint village.
Alka Puri (15 km)
The source of Alaknanda river from the glacier snouts of Bhagirath-Kharak and Sato Path glaciers.Sato Panth (25 kms) A three cornered lake with a circumference of about 1 km., is situated at an elevation of 4402 mts. above sea level. It is named after the Hindu trinity - Brghma, Vishnu and Mahesh, who are believed to occupy one, corner each of the lake. The trek is hazardous with dramatic landscapes.
Govindghat (25 km)
The confluence of Alaknanda and Lakshman Ganga rivers. It has an imposing Gurudwara named after Guru Gobind singh.This is 2 km before Pandukesar and is the gateway for the Hem Kund Lake and the internationally well-known Valley of the Flowers. The Hem Kund Saheb is 20 km by foot from here. There we find a Sikh Temple and some hotels. The Valley of the Flowers is a 17 km walk.
Joshimath (44 km)
The winter home of Shri badrinathji is situated on the slopes above the confluence of Alaknanda and Dhauliganga. It is one of the four ‘maths' established by Adi Guru Shankaracharya.Auli(57 km)
An ideal resort in the Garhwal Himalayas with its slopes comparable to the best in the world. Perched at an elevation of 2500 mts, Auli not only offers a magnificent view of the Himalaya ranges but is a delight for winter sports enthusiasts.Valley Of Flowers
An exotic valley in a conical shape lines to the east of Badrinath with river Pushpawati flowing through it. The valley that is presently a national park is 19 kms. Trek from Govindghat. A must-see for all natural lovers.Pipalkoti (80 km)
A scentic spot amidst snow-clad peaks.Chamoli (10 km)
From Gopeshwar to Badrinath highway is the tiny mountain retreat that attracts visitors for its verdant landscape and fresh mountain air.Hemkund Sahib(43 km)
Near the Valley flowers is the holy lake Hemkund-an important pilgrimage of the Sikhs and Hindus. Along its shores is the sacred Sikh where Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru is said to have unified with god after prolonged meditation.Bheem Bridge
A short distance from Mana Village a natural bridge made of a huge boulder, over the river Saraswathi is seen. The story goes that Bheem; one of the Pandava brothers put it there. The view of this extraordinary bridge and the din of the flowing river make this place interesting.Vasudhara Falls
5 km after Bheem Bridge this astonishingly high waterfall is very attractive. The most interesting aspect about this place is that all the water here becomes vapour and vanishes into the atmosphere. The view looks like the Ganges is descending from the sky.Satopanth Lake
Satopanth Lake is 18 km from Mana Village amidst the difficult areas of Himalayas. The water in the lake is very calm. On the banks of this lake are innumerable lotus flowers. To get here one has to come via Lakshmi Forest. To return from here to Badrinath on foot it takes 3 days.Pandukesar
Pandukesar 20 km from Badrinath, this is a memorial for the Pandavas. Two temples here have intricate carvings. This village is quite big. During the season one finds huge crowds here.Hanuman Chatti
13 km before Badrinath this temple is situated in a village. Nearby is a nursery of the rare birch tree.Kheerau Valley
As soon as you cross the bridge on the Alaknanda River from Hanuman Chatti to Benakuli, this extremely beautiful valley comes into view. 4 km from here is the Kheerau village where the local people stay for 4-5 months. Many other interesting spots are there about the village like Tatapani, Unyani Lake etc.Kagbhushandi Lake
On the Valley of Flowers Road, a 20 km trek from a village called Bhyundar is a vast lake, the beauty of which is amazing. Since getting here is very difficult, very few tourists are found here.Joshimath
42 km from Badrinath this place is set to have been visited in the 18th century by Shankaracharya from the state of Kerala. He meditated here and founded a Mutt called Jyotir math or Joshimath. Here orchards of apples, apricots, peaches and lemon have to be seen to be believed. Many hotels and tourist bungalows are available to stay.Tapt Kund, Surya Kund, Narad Kund On the banks of the river Alaknanda, are many natural hot water springs, where people bathe before they enter the temples.
Kedarnath
The holy city of Kedarnath is situated 3581 meters above sea level. On the banks of the river Mandakini. Amidst the spectacular mountain ranges of the Garhwal Himalaya stands one of the twelve ‘Jyotirlingas' of Kedar or Lord Shiva. The Kedarnath shrine is dedicated to Lord Shiva, the destroyer. The origin of the revered temple can be found in the great epic - Mahabharata. According to legend, the Pandavas sought the blessings of Lord Shiva to atone their sins after the battle of Mahabharata. Lord Shiva eluded them repeatedly and while fleeing took refuge at kedarnath in the form of a bull. On being followed HE dived into the ground, leaving behind HlS hump on the surface. The conical protrusion is worshipped as the idol in the shrine. The remaining portions of Lord Shiva are worshipped at four places the arms (bahu) at Tungnath, mouth (mukha) at Rudranath, naval (nabhi) at Madmaheshwar and hair (jata) at Kalpeshwar. Together with Kedarnath, these places are known as the Panch Kedar.Kedarnath Temple
The present temple, built in 8th century AD. by Adi Guru Shankaracharya lies adjacent to the site of an ancient temple built by Pandavas. The walls of the exquisitely architectured temple are embellished with figures of deities and scenes from mythology. The temple has a conical lingam - the main idol, a statue of Nandi - the celestial bull, a ‘garbha griha' for worship and a ‘mandap' for assemblies of pilgrims and visitors. The temple is believed to be more than 1000 years old.Shankaracharya Samadhi
Behid the kedarnath Temple lies the Samadhi or the final resting place of Adi Guru Shankaracharya. It is believed, after establishing the four dhams in India, he went for his Samadhi at an early age of 32 years.Vasuki Tal (16 km)
A picturesque lake, 4135 mts, above sea level is encircled by lofty mountains and offers a commanding view of the Chaukhamba peaks.Vasuki Tal is 6 km. at 4135 m above sea level, this lake is extraordinary, surrounded by high mountains and offering an excellent view of the Chaukhamba peaks.
Gandhisarovar
A small lake from where Yudhishthira, the eldest of the Pandavas, is believed to have departed to heaven. The floating ice on the spakling waters of the lake is a fascinating sight.About three kilometers away in the valley formed by the Kedarnath massif, is Chorabhari Tal. This lake has been renamed Gandhi Sarovar after the Mahatma's ashes were immersed in Lake. According to the legend this is where Yudhishthir, the eldest of the Pandavas, is said to have departed to heaven.
Sonprayag (20 km)
The confluence of Song Ganga and Mandakini rivers.Triyuginarayan (31 km)
A 5 km trek from sonprayag, it is the mythological venue of the marriage of Lord Shiva andGoddesss Parvati. An eternal flame, which is said to have been a witness to the marriage, burns in front of the temple even today.Triyuginarayan is the mythological venue where the wedding of Lord Shiva and Parvati was solemnized. It is a short trek of 5 km from Son Prayag. An eternal flame, which is said to have been the witness to the marriage, burns in front of the temple even today.