History of Badrinath Dham - Legend Mythology & Stories

In a land of uncountable temples, Badrinath Dham is counted among one of the most pious and sacred shrines. Named after the presiding deity of Lord Badrinarayan, one of the innumerable interpretations of Lord Vishnu, this Dham is not only a crucial pillar of the Char Dham Yatra of Uttarakhand but it is also a vital part of the all India Char Dham Yatra (along with Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, Dwarkadheesh in Gujarat and Jagannath temple in Odisha). The ornate temple of Badrinath is also popular for being the earthly celestial abode or Vaikuntha of Lord Vishnu, the first one being Kshir Sagar which is believed to be in the heavenly realm. Situated on the Garhwal Himalayan region of Devbhoomi Uttarakhand and sitting majestically next to the holy river Alaknanda at an elevation of 3,133 metres above sea level Badri Vishal is mostly thronged by devout Vaishnavites making it one of the most visited pilgrimage destinations of India. The Dham shrine bursts to life during the festival of Mata Murti ka Mela, which commemorates the eve of River Ganga descending into the earthly realm. This colorfully adorned Dham shrine offers remarkable views of the surrounding with each step.

Badrinath Temple

Legend:

Primarily there are two different legends related to the origin of Badrinath Dham:
As per the first legend once Lord Vishnu was sitting in deep meditation, unaware of the surrounding and worsening weather conditions. He was chastised by sage Narada, who had witnessed the Lord’s consort goddess Lakshmi, massaging his feet. In order to perform austerity, Lord Vishnu had made his way to Badrinath and sat in meditation there.  His wife, Goddess Lakshmi then took up the job of protecting the Lord from the unbearable cold by turning herself in to a Badri or jujube tree, which was once an extremely commonly occurring tree during the Badrinath Dham Yatra, as per the research done by Atkinson during 1979 which is missing today.

The second legend of the creation of Badrinath Dham is also widely acclaimed. As per the popular Hindu literary text of Lord Vishnu, Vishnu Purana, Dharam had two sons, Nar and Narayan after whom the current Himalayan Mountain that forms the backdrop of Badrinath Dham is named. Both the brothers had set out on a journey to find an ideal location to set up their hermitage from where they can spread the word of religion. On their way to the main Dham shrine they set up the Panch Badri temples as well which include, Vridha Badri, Dhyan Badri, Yog Badri and Bhavishya Badri. They discovered a hot water thermal spring right behind the holy river of Alaknanda and decided to call it Badri Vishal.   

History

There is no recorded history of the main temple if Badrinath however the presiding deity of Lord Vishnu has found its mention in a number of various different Vedic scriptures which date back to 1750 to 500 BC. If some accounts are to be believed then Badrinath Dham was once a Buddhist shrine until 8th century until Adi Shankaracharya transformed it into a Hindu temple with an aim of spreading the word of religion. He is also believed to have spent 6 years here (from 814 to 820 AD). These theories were drawn due to the fact that the architecture resembles the structure of a Buddhist Vihara along with the brightly colored features which is a predominant feature of Buddhist temples. According to Hindu followers, during his stay in Badrinath, Adi Shankaracharya had discovered an idol of the lord in the holy rivers of Alaknanda and later on enshrined it in a cave located close to the Tapt Kund.

Pilgrimage

Being a part of the Char Dham Yatra, the temple witnesses a large turnout of devout Hindus each year. From all India Char Dham Yatra pilgrimage to the Chota Char Dham Yatra of Uttarakhand Badrinath is a highly revered pilgrimage site for people from India and abroad. It is also a part of the Panch Badri Yatra which includes other shrines that are dedicated to Lord Vishnu that are - Vishal Badri, Yogadhyan Badri, Bhavishya Badri and Vridh Badri. Although the origin of this holy pilgrimage destination is still unknown, Adi Shankaracharya is credited with the creation of these Dham shrines which were set up with an aim of spreading the word of Advaita philosophy. Although the temples of Char Dham are divided among the different sects of Hinduism - Shaivism and Vaishnavism, the Char Dham pilgrimage Yatra is a completely Hindu affair. This sacred pilgrimage journey across the four vital centres of worship is believed to grant its visitors with moksha or salvation. As per tradition, this pilgrimage Yatra starts from the eastern end of Jagannath temple in Puri and carries on in a clockwise direction. 

Literary Mention

Badrinath Dham shrine has found its mention in various different ancient Hindu literary works including iconic works like - Bhadvad Gita, Skanda Purana and even in the legendary Hindu epic Mahabharata. According to Bhagavad Gita - sitting in Badrikashram, the godhead of Vishnu, in his incarnation as the sons of Dharam (Nar and Narayan) the lord has been going through a continuance penance for the well-being and welfare of all the living creatures and entities. As per another Hindu literary text, Skanda Puran - there a numerous sacred Dham shrines not only in heaven and earth but also in hell, but none of them match up to the glory of Badrinath. The scenic and beautiful region surrounding the Badri Vishal shrine is celebrated and spoken extremely highly about its spirituality in the holy book of Padma Puran. It has found its mention in Mahabharat for being an extremely pious and holy place which holds the ability of providing its pilgrims with salvation even if they are able to make it even a little bit closer to the Dham site. This temple is spoken of extremely highly in 11 whole hyms of Nalayira Divya Prabandham which dates back to the 7th and 9th century.