Uttarakhand Badrinath Temple One of the holiest temples in the country, Badrinath is counted amongst the four holy seats of God (Char Dham) and also one in the list of the Char dham of Uttarakhand, which is also called the 'Chota Char Dham'. Badrinath Temple is also known as the Badrinarayan temple, because it is dedicated to lord Vishnu's form of Badrinaryan. Located in Badrinath village in the Chamoli district of the Uttarakhand, India, the temple is amongst the most easily accessible of the religious places. The Temple: The temple is supposed to have been built in the 8th Century AD by Adi Shankaracharya, the great Scholar and philosopher. The original temple was however, destroyed by an avalanche. The present temple is supposed to have been built by the Garhwal Kings in the 17th century. The temple that stands today is a beautiful structure made in the typical mountain architecture. With the brightly coloured 'Singh Dwar', which is the main entrance of the temple, the temple gets a modern appeal, not to mention an aesthetic beauty. The temple compound consists of around 15 idols of various Hindu deities, the primary deity being lord Vishnu, or Narayan, who is depicted being sitting in a meditative position, quite uncommon for the god who prefers reclining. A badri tree covers the meditating god. Mythology behind Badrinath Temple: There are many stories linked to the famous temple of Badrinath, the most famous being that lord Vishnu did penance here, sitting out on the mountain in a very harsh weather. As he meditated, the weather got even worse. His wife, goddess Lakshmi, on seeing her husband in such discomfort, transformed herself into a Badri (berry) tree, and sheltered him from above. The place thus attained the name- Badrinarayan. There is a second story which is
Uttarakhand Badrinath Temple One of the holiest temples in the country, Badrinath is counted amongst the four holy seats of God (Char Dham) and also one in the list of the Char dham of Uttarakhand, which is also called the ‘Chota Char Dham’. Badrinath Temple is also known as the Badrinarayan temple, because it is
