Joshimath
About the city
When Badrinath closes during the winter, the priests from the Badrinath Temple come to Joshimath and continue worship at the Narasimha Temple. The utsava-murti (moving deity) of Badri Vishal is brought to Pandukeswar for worship. There is the ancient Vasudeva Temple, which is dedicated to Lord Krishna.One of the four main Sankaracharya mutts (maths) is located here. It is said that Adi Sankaracharya meditated in a cave here and attained samadhi (enlightenment) about 1,200 years ago under the Kalpavriksa tree (Shahtoot/Mulberry). In the lower part of the town is the Gauri Shankar Siva and Nava Durga temples. Tapovan, 11km north of Joshimath along the Curzon Trail, is known for its hot springs.