Badrinath temple
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| Badrinath temple | |||
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| Name: | Badrinath temple | ||
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| Creator: | Adi Sankaracharya | ||
| Date built: | 9th century A.D | ||
| Primary deity: | Badrinarayan (Vishnu) | ||
| Location: | Badrinath | ||
Badrinath temple, sometimes called Badrinarayan temple, is situated along the Alaknanda river, in the hill town of Badrinath in Uttarakhand state in India. It is widely considered to be one of the holiest Hindu temples, and is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The temple and town are one of the four Char Dham pilgrimage sites. It is also one of the 108 Divya Desams, holy shrines for Vaishnavites. The temple is open only six months every year (between the end of April and the beginning of November), due to extreme weather conditions in the Himalayan region.
Several murtis are worshipped in the temple. The most important is a one meter tall statue of Vishnu as Lord Badrinarayan, made of black shaligram stone. The statue is considered by many Hindus to be one of eight swayam vyakta keshtras, or self-manifested statues of Vishnu.[1] The murti depicts Vishnu sitting in meditative posture, rather than His far more typical reclining pose. In November each year, when the town of Badrinath is closed, the image is moved to nearby Jyotirmath.
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[edit] Temple History
Badrinath was originally established as a pilgrimage site by Adi Shankara in the ninth century. Shankara discovered the image of Badrinarayan in the Alaknanda River and enshrined it in a cave near the Tapt Kund hot springs.[2] [3] In the sixteenth century, the king of Garhwal moved the murti to the present temple.[2]
The temple has undergone several major renovations, due to age and damage by avalanche.[3] In the 17th century, the temple was expanded by the kings of Garhwal. After significant damage in the great 1803 Himalayan earthquake, it was rebuilt by the King of Jaipur.[4] [1]
[edit] Temple Description
The temple is approximately 50 ft (15 metres) tall with a small cupola on top, covered with a gold gilt roof.[2] The facade is built of stone, with arched windows. A broad stairway leads up to a tall arched gateway, which is the main entrance. The architecture resembles a Buddhist vihara (temple), with the brightly painted facade also more typical of Buddhist temples. Just inside is the mandapa, a large pillared hall that leads to the garbha grha, or main shrine area. The walls and pillars of the mandapa are covered with intricate carvings.[1]
The main shrine area houses the black stone image of Lord Badrinarayan, sitting under a gold canopy. There are fifteen more murtis around the temple that are also worshipped. These include murtis of Nara & Narayana, Narasimha (the fourth incarnation of Vishnu), Lakshmi, Narada, Ganesha, Uddhava, Kubera, Garuda (the vehicle of Lord Narayan), and Navadurga.[1]
Although Badrinath is located in the far north of India, the head priest, or Rawal, is traditionally from the far south of India, in Kerala. This tradition was begun by Adi Shankara. The Rawal is assisted by Dimripundits belonging to Village Dimmer of Garhwal.
The Tapt Kund hot sulphur springs just below the temple are considered to be medicinal—many pilgrims consider it a requirement to bathe in the springs before visiting the temple. The springs have a year-round temperature of 45°C.
[edit] History and Legend
Badrinath is mentioned in religious texts as far back as the Vedic period. Some accounts claim that the temple was built on a former Buddhist temple site.
One legend explains the reason that Vishnu is shown sitting in padmasana, rather than reclining. According to the story, Vishnu was chastised by a sage who saw Vishnu's consort Lakshmi massaging his feet. Vishnu went to Badrinath to perform austerity, meditating for a long time in padmasana.[1] To this day, the area around Badrinath attracts yogis who come for meditation and seclusion.
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c d e Sen Gupta, Subhadra, Badrinath and Kedarnath - The Dhaams in the Himalayas, 2002. ISBN 81-7167-617-0
- ^ a b c Nautiyal, Govind Prasad, Call of Badrinath, Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temples Committee, 1962.
- ^ a b Randhir Prakashan, The Holy Places of Uttarakhand Yatra.
- ^ Uttaranchal Developing on Shaky Ground
[edit] See Also
[edit] External links
| Famous Vishnu temples |  |
|---|---|
| Tirupathy • Srirangam • Badrinath • Kanchipuram • Guruvayur • Puri • Thiruvananthapuram • Udipi • Srivilliputhur • Thiruvallikeni • |
