(2) Badrinath Tourism Packages

With the formidable backdrop of Neelkanth, one of the major peaks in the Garhwal region, Badrinath is one of the holiest places that one can visit in India. It is one of the sites of the famed pilgrimage Char Dham Yatra which is considered a sacred and pontifical trip. Badrinath is in the Nar-Narayan mountain range, which is located 9 kilometres east of the Neelkanth range. According to mythology, the Nar and Narayan ranges are in fact manifestations of Lord Vishnu himself. Badrinath can only be visited from late April to mid-November and stays closed for the remaining period since it is laden with snow at the time. During this period, the prayers to Badri Vishal take place at the Narsimha Temple in Joshimath. With our Badrinath Tourism packages, you can visit Badrinath as a part of the Char Dham Yatra or separately along with nearby places like Kedarnath, Gangotri, Yamunotri and Rishikesh. Another important thing to know here is that since the route to Badrinath involves a lot of steep and hairpin turns, the roads are closed during night for safety of the travellers.The Badrinath Temple is the biggest attraction of the place. The temple lies around 10,300 feet above sea level and the surrounding village is a bit threadbare in comparison. You are likely to find a good budget hotels and some ashrams for accommodation here. You can see the Alaknanda River flowing alongside the temple. The shrine stands at 50 feet in height and has influences of Buddhist style of temples. The front of the holy place is colourful and there is a pillar hall that leads to the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. The one meter black Saligram stone statue of Lord Vishnu inside the temple is believed to be self-manifested and is in a meditative posture, divergent from the reclining pose that you generally see in a Vishnu statue. Legend has it that Lord Vishnu was absorbed in self-mortification here and Goddess Mahalaxmi assumed the shape of a banyan tree to give him shelter. You will be offered mishri, dry fruits and tulsi leaves as prasada here.However, you can only visit the temple after taking a bath in the Tapt Kund hot springs which are situated just below the temple. The springs are said to have medicinal qualities and touch temperature of up to 40-45° C. The mystic effervescence of the place is intoxicating and you can feel that from the moment you set foot in the town. The place is not just about the Badrinath Temple, as there are many more attractions to visit when you are here. The first would definitely be the Neelkanth mountain peak. It is known as the peak of Lord Shiva and if observed keenly, the shape resembles that of Lord Shiva looking towards the skies. The peak is at a height of 1330 meters and you need to trek 6 kilometres from Badrinath to reach Neelkanth. Make sure to take the blessings of Lord Shiva at the temple dedicated to the Vishveshwara himself. Then there is the Vyas Gufa and the Bheem Pul located opposite to each other. The Vyas Gufa is where Ved Vyasa, the first and greatest Acharya of Sanatan Dharma and one of the revered figures in Hindu tradition, dictated the story of Mahabharata for Lord Ganesha to write. Ved Vyasa also used the cave as a place of meditation. The Bheem Pul has an interesting legend of its own. It is said that Bheema, the strongest of the five Pandavas, threw a rock to join the two mountains so that his wife Draupadi could walk easily across the river. This Pul acts as a natural bridge to move from one side to the other. When you walk on the bridge, you can see and feel the sheer force of Saraswati River gushing down as it joins into Alaknanda River.The Charanpaduka that is a few kilometres away from Badrinath has a namesake boulder where Lord Vishnu’s footprints are underpinned. This connects to the starting point of Neelkanth where you can find a lot of brahmakamals (white lotuses) growing. A place of very similar nature is between the two lakes in Nar Parvat on the bank opposite to the temple. You will find a boulder here which is the shape of Sheshnag, an ancient snake and is known as the Sheshnetre. Another intriguing sight is the Panch Dharas and Shilas. This essentially translates to Five Streams and Rocks. The streams in reference here are the Bhrigu, Indira, Kurma, Prahlad and Urvashi and the Rocks are Barah, Garur, Markandeya, Narad and Narsimha.The fresh air and the beautiful views of the mountains, the various treks to sightseeing points and a devotional transcendence makes Badrinath one of the most spiritually reinvigorating destinations that one can visit in India.