Vriddha Badri, Joshimath, Uttarakhand

Vriddha Badri, Joshimath, Uttarakhand

Vriddha Badri is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu located near Joshimath at the elevation of 1,380 metres (4,530 ft) above mean sea level, on the Rishikesh – Joshimath – Badrinath road. Vriddha Badri is situated at Animath in Chamoli district in Uttarakhand state of India. It is also called as Briddha Badri. Vriddha Badri is part of famous Panch Badri and Saptha Badri Temples of Uttarakhand. The Vriddha Badri Temple dates back to Gupta Period.

Legends

Vriddha Badri:

As per legend, Lord Vishnu appeared in the form of a Vriddha or old man before sage Narada who performed penance here. Thus, the idol installed at this temple is in the form of an old man. Hence, the place came to be called as Vriddha Badri.

Association with Shankaracharya:

According to legend, the image of Badrinath was carved by the divine craftsman Vishwakarma and worshipped here. At the advent of Kali yuga, Vishnu chose to remove himself from this place, later Adi Shankara found the partly damaged image in Narad Kund pond and established it at the central Badrinath shrine. It is believed that Badrinath was worshipped here by Adi Shankara, before his enshrinement at the Badrinath temple.

The Temple

The Temple follows Nagara Style architecture. Presiding Deity Badrinath, is housed in the sanctum in the form of old man. There is no other idol found in this temple. The chief priests of the temple are from Southern India. The temple is open throughout the year.

Festivals

Krishna Janmashtami and Makar Sankranti are the famous festivals celebrated here.

Religious Significance

Pancha Badri:

As this temple was the first one of the five Badri temple of Uttarakhand, where the worship been started first, so the temple is called as "Adi Badri". These five Badris are - Adi Badri, Bhavishya Badri, Yogadhyan Badri, Vriddha Badri & Badri Vishal of Badrinath. Some people omit Vriddha Badri and instead include Narasinga Badri.

Saptha Badri:

The seven temples of Badri in and around Badrinath are called as Sapta Badri temples. They are Badrinath, Adi Badri, Vriddha Badri, Dhyan Badri, Ardha Badri, Bhavishya Badri and Yogadhyan Badri. Hence, Adi Badri is one of the Sapta Badri sites. Some people include Narasinga Badri as one of the Sapta Badri sites.

Best time to Visit

The ideal time or peak season to go for a Char Dham Yatra is from May to October, except monsoons. This is because; all the four sacred sites are perched in Garhwal Himalayas, which is prone to heavy snowfall. As a result, all the passage leading to the shrines are blocked. Moreover, during the monsoon season, there is undue threat of having landslides, which can further disrupt the journey. For safety reasons, the gates of the temples are also closed for this period of time and the idols are shifted to nearby pilgrim points.

Connectivity

The Temple is located at about 3 Kms from Joshimath Bus Stand, 28 Kms from Kalpeshwar, 82 Kms from Karnaprayag, 255 Kms from Rishikesh, 275 Kms from Haridwar Railway Station, 279 Kms from Haridwar, 269 Kms from Dehradun Airport and 497 Kms from New Delhi Airport. The Temple is situated near to Joshimath at the elevation of 1,380 metres (4,530 ft) above mean sea level, on the Rishikesh – Joshimath – Badrinath road. It is situated ahead of the Kalpeshwar Mahadev Temple, ahead of Helang. The temple is located in a secluded place in the hilly area, which can be reached by trekking for about one and half kms.

Location