Tourism in Uttarakhand > Religious Places Of Uttarakhand - देव भूमि उत्तराखण्ड के प्रसिद्ध देव मन्दिर एवं धार्मिक कहानियां
CHAR DHAM OF UTTARAKHAND - BADRINATH, KEDARNATH, GANGORTI & YAMNOTRI
एम.एस. मेहता /M S Mehta 9910532720:
PLACES TO SEE IN & AROUND KEDHAR NATH.
Gandhi Sarovar
A small lake from where Yudhishthir, the eldest of the Pandavas, is said to have departed to heaven.
Gaurikund
Base for a trek to Kedarnath & serves as a roadhead, the village has hot springs & a temple dedicated to Gauri.
Vasuki Tal
6 km. At 4135 mtr. above sea level, this lake is extraordinary, surrounded by high mountains and offering an excellent view of the Chaukhamba peaks.
Gauri Kund
15 km. The trekking base to Kedarnath and the road head, this village has a temple dedicated to Gauri and also thermal springs of medicinal value.
Sonprayag
20 km. The confluence of the Son Ganga and Mandakini rivers, where there is a diversion for Triyuginarayan.
Triyuginarayan
25 km. 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.
Gupt Kashi
49 km. Famous for the temples of Ardhnarishwar and Vishwanathji.
Ukhimath
60 km. Winter home of Lord Kedarnath temple, and the seat of the Rawal of Kedarnath during winter months.
एम.एस. मेहता /M S Mehta 9910532720:
SOME MORE PLACES AROUND KEDAR NATH
Agastmuni
73 km., Has a temple dedicated to the sage Agastya.
Chopta
Situated on the Gopeshwar Ukhimath road about 40 km from Gopeshwar at an altitude of about 2500 mtrs above sea level, Chopta is one of the most picturesque spots in the entire Garhwal region. It provides a breathtaking view of Himalayan ranges surrounding it.
Deoria Tal
At an altitude of 2,440 mt., this beautiful lake is situated on the Chopta - Ukhimath motor road. In the early morning, the snow-capped peaks are clearly reflected on the lake waters. This lake also provides an excellent venue for angling, as well as birdwatching.
Panch Kedar
The five most important temples of Lord Shiva in garhwal Himalayas.
The Kedar Massif
This is an outstanding massif formed by the three major mountains - Kedar Dome.
Bharatekuntha at 6578 Meters, is connected to Kedarnath to the East, by a long and dangerous avalanche ridden ridge. At 6000 meters it looks stunning and has several glacial flows, one of which is the Mandakini glacier running down its ridges.
Kedarnath and Kedardome, are connected by a deep ridge. Kedar Domeat 6831 Meters presents a fair challenge to climbers. Kedarnath is however, a difficult peak to climb. At 6940 Meters it is just beneath the level where the oxygen layer is thin.
Anyone interested in a good day trek, could take the well travelled path from behind the temple toward Bharatekuntha. 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 Iake.
Anubhav / अनुभव उपाध्याय:
I have been to Badrinath. Dua karo ki baaki jagah bhi dekhun.
एम.एस. मेहता /M S Mehta 9910532720:
Badrinath
Badrinath is situated in the Indian Himalaya, at about 3,133 mtrs. above sea-level. It lies in the north Indian state of Uttarakhand, and is one of the Char Dham. The other teen Dham are Yamunotri, Gangotri and Kedarnath.
The journey to Badrinath, most likely from Haridwar - Rishikesh, is through Rudra Prayag. From Rudra Prayag the road to Badrinath is a single way route, passing through mountainous ranges with ever changings vieuws on the snow-clad peaks. The meandering Alaknanda and the innumerable milky water falls add to the scenic beauty of the entire route.
The distance from Rudraprayag to Badrinath is some 160 kms. The travel time greatly depends on weather conditions and the number of passengers enroute. It is advised to check for departure times of the convoys.
The temple of Shri Badrinathji is flanked by two mountain ranges known as Nar and Narayan, with the towering Neelkanth peak providing a splendid backdrop. This spot was once carpeted with wild berries which gave it the name ‘Badri Van’,meaning ‘forest of berries’.
Facing the temple at the bank of Alaknanda river is a hot water spring known as ‘Tapt Kund’. A bath in this spring is very refreshing. A separate tank is available for women.
It is believed that worshipping at this shrine is a means of liberating the soul from the bound of transmigration.
The original temple that was here is said to have been of very great antiquity, dating back to the times when the Vedas were written. It was destroyed by avalanches or by Buddhists. It is said that the image of Badrinath had been thrown into the Alaknanda during the time of the Buddhist era and was later retrieved and reinstalled by Adi Shankara during the following Hindu revival. The present temple is believed to have been established by him. Others say the present temple was built about 400 years ago bye the king of Garhwal. The temple looks modern now with a colorful “Singh Dwara” or the main entrance gate.
The idol of Lord Badrivishal is made of black stones haligram. The details are not well defined, perhaps the result of weathering, when thrown in the Naradkund for several years. The Lord is seated in a "padmasana" posture.
The temple is divided into three parts - the "garbagriha", the "darshan mandap" and the "sabha mandap". The idol of the Lord Badrivishal is seated in the inner most part - garbhagriha. The canopy is covered with a sheet of gold, and this was an offering made by queen Ahilyabai. Badrivishal is< flanked by the idols of Nar Narayan on the right and of Kubera and Narada on the left. The other important idols are those of Uddhava and Garuda (Vishnu’s vehicle). In the courtyard of the temple, to the right, stands a small shrine dedicated to Lakshmi, Vishnu’s consort, and the idols of Ghantakaran (the kshetrapal on guard), Hanuman and Ganesa stand in the wings. The darshan mandap is a small rectangular area where puja is performed. It accomadates only a few people.
The sabha mandap is an outer hall where the devotees stand for darshan and it is only possible for a few people to attend it. As a rule, each puja must be preceded by a "holy dip" in the Taptakund. Some of the special morning pujas are "abhishek", "mahabhishek", "Srimad-Bhagwat" and "Gita-path".
एम.एस. मेहता /M S Mehta 9910532720:
General Information
Worship Protocol.
Shri Badri - Kedareswaro Vijayate darshan in Shri Badrinath and Shri Kedarnath Temples are free for all irrespective of caste, creed or status. No fee or any other kind of tax is realized for special puja, path, Aarti or to offer Bhog to the Lord. People should deposit an amount in the Temple treasury for which a receipt is issued by the Temple staff. Material for puja, Bhog, Aarti is arranged by the Temple Committee. The money so received is accounted for in Temple Accounts and is utilized for Temple management and pilgrim welfare works.
Though this shrine is located in the northern most part of India, the Chief Priest Ravalji–of Keralite (Namboodri) origins - performs the rituals. Procedures of daily pujas and rituals are supposed to have been prescribed by Adi Sankara. Unlike most of the Hindu temples all the pujas (including decoration of idols) are performed in the presence of all the devotees.
Temple rituals begin at 7 a.m.
Nimalyan darshan: Chandan (sandalwood paste) left on the image of Badrinarayan from the previous night, is removed to enable devotees to have full view of the image.
Abhishek darshan: Process begins with Kalsa Puja. Abishekam (ablution) is then carried out in the presence of pilgrims.
Alankar darshan: After abhishekam, the decoration process begins in the full view of devotees. Firstly, the entire idol, excluding the face, is covered with sandal paste and followed by the decoration with flowers & jewels.
Aarti darshan: On completion of alankars, aarti (lighting of camphor) is held. This marks the completion of forenoon puja rituals and will end around 11.30 am – 12.00 p.m., after which the temple is closed.
Re-opening of the temple takes place at 4.00 p.m. for commencement of evening rituals which lasts till 8.00 p.m. During this period, Ashotothram and Sahasranamam recitations take place. Around 7.30 p.m. Mangal aarti – called as Geetgovind takes place. On completion of aarti, the Chief Priest removes the flowers & jewels in the full view of devotees. The image of Badrinarayan is now left only with sandal paste, to be removed only the next morning and distributed as prasad.
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