Badrinath

Badrinath is a town in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, India, located in the Garhwal Himalayas on the banks of the Alaknanda River, at the base of Nilkantha peak. It sits at an elevation of about 3,133 meters (10,279 feet) and is one of the four sacred sites of the Char Dham yatra, a major Hindu pilgrimage circuit.

The centerpiece of Badrinath is the Badrinath Temple, dedicated to Vishnu in his form as Badrinath (Badri Vishal). The temple complex is set in a rocky gorge near the river and is accompanied by several smaller shrines and sacred sites, including Tapt Kund, a natural hot spring. Traditions hold that Adi Shankaracharya revived or established the shrine in the 8th century, though the site features older strands of legend. The temple is typically closed during the winter months due to heavy snowfall and severe weather, with the main pilgrimage season running from late spring to autumn.

Surrounding Badrinath are several notable sites and sanctuaries. Mana village, the last inhabited settlement before the India-Tibet border, lies nearby and is linked to various myths. Other points of interest include Vyasa Gufa (Vyasa’s cave), Ganesh Gufa, the Narad Gufa, and the Vasudhara Falls. The Brahma Kapal ghat on the Alaknanda River is used for post-funeral rites in the local Hindu tradition.

Access and climate: Badrinath is connected by road from Rishikesh, via Devprayag, Srinagar, and Joshimath. The nearest railhead is Rishikesh, and the closest airport is Dehradun’s Jolly Grant Airport. The region has an alpine climate, with cold winters and relatively mild summers, making the late spring to autumn period the primary window for visitation.