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::BADRINATH :: |
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BADRINATH DHAM - |
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Badrinath Dham is one of the oldest of Hindu
places of worship. On the right bank of the river
Alaknanda lies the sacred shrine perched at an
altitude of 3133 m above sea level, guarded on
either side by the two mountain peaks Nar & Narain
with the towering Neelkanth peak providing a
splendid back-drop. Also known as the Vishal Badri,
the largest among the five Badris, it is revered
by all as the apt tribute to Lord Vishnu. he
revered spot was once carpeted with wild berries
which gave it the name 'Badri Van' meaning 'forest
of berries.' Built by Adi Shankaracharaya, the
philosopher-saint of the 8th century, the temple
has been renovated several times due to damage by
avalanches and restored in the 19th century by the
royal houses of Scindia & Holkar. The main
entrance gate is colourful & imposing popularly
known as Singhdwar. References to Sri Badrinath
have been made in the Vedas & perhaps it was a
popular shrine during the Vedic age also. The
Skand Purana gives an accvount of the Adiguru
consecrating the idol of Lord Badri Vishal in the
temple after recovering it from Narad Kund, in a
pursuance of a divine call from heaven. | |
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is made of black stone similar to granite. So holy is the
shrine that it forms one of the four prominent places of Hindu
worship. The epic Mahabharat, it is believed, was composed in
the Vyas & ganesh caves close by. The Vishnu Ganga which later
becomes the Alaknanda flows below the temple. Almost 3 km
north of Badrinath, mana is the last Indian village before the
Tibetan border. The Vasudhara falls are quite spectacular. On
the closing day the residents of Mana offer a choli to the
deity to cover the diety all the winter. It is taken off on
the opening day & its fibres are distributed amongst the
Yatris (pilgrims) as a maha prasadam. Joshimath is the winter
deity of Badrinath. |
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:: KEDARNATH :: |
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KEDARNATH DHAM - |
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The pilgrims are cleansed body & soul and with
having achieved purity in that sense, pilgrims to
Sri Kedarnath becomes most rewarding. It is also
customary to worship Lord Shiva with water of
Ganga, which pilgrims going from Gangotri as well
take some there to Kedarnath. Kedarnath is the
seat of Lord Shiva. It is one of the twelve "Jyotirlingas"
of Lord Shiva. Lying at an altitude of 3584 m at
the head of river Mandakini, the shrine of
Kedarnath is amongst the holiest pilgrimage for
the Hindus. It is no wonder that Adi Guru
Shankaracharya - a great scholar & saint, chose to
enshrine Lord Shiva in this land, where the unholy
becomes oly and the holy becomes holier. It is the
place where Lord Shiva absolved Pandavas from the
sin of killing their own cousins Kauravas in the
battle of Kurukshetra. The origin of the revered
temple can be found in the great epic Mahabharat. | | |
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At Kedarnath there are several Kunds (pools, tanks) that are
known for their religious significans - shivkund, Retkund,
hanskund, Udakkund, Rudhirkund are the most important. A
little away from Kedarnath is a temple dedicated to
Bhaironathji who is ceremoniously worshipped at the opening &
closing of Kedarnath. The belief is that Bhairavnathji
protects this land from evil during the time when temple of
Kedarnath is closed. |
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During the winters, the shrine is submerged in snow & hence is
closed. Fortunate are those who have good weather, but twice
blessed are those who are at Kedarnath on a moonlit night- the
snow peak gleams like hundred silver pinnacles atop the
glittering mountains. |
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The other four places where Shiva is worshipped take their
appearance from different parts of his body -the naval at
Madmaheshwar, the arms at Tungnath, the face at Rudranath, and
the matted hair at Kalpeshwar. The latter four along with
Kedarnath are known as the Panch Kedars. |
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Click here for Do Dham Yatra
Itineary |
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