For hindus, visiting Badrinath once in a lifetime is considered auspicious. The main attraction here is the temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It is located along the Alaknanda river in the hilly town of Badrinath in Uttarakhand state. The majestic one-metre tall Vishnu idol made of black stone (saligram) depicts him sitting in a meditative position which is quite different from his usual reclining pose. Devotees also bathe at the Tapt Kund hot water spring before entering the temple.
Amongst the places to be visited, Brahma Kapal where Hindus perform the last rites for the deceased is worth visiting. Likewise, Neelkanth peak situated above the temple offers a breathtaking view with the first rays of the sun casting a beautiful spell on the entire area. One can also visit the Mata Murti Temple, Charanpaduka, Narad Kund and other caves. The temple is open only for 6 months in a year between the end of April to beginning of November. The restricted openings is due the extreme weather conditions.
Situated about 10,170 feet above sea level, the magical town lies between Nar and Narayana mountain range and the trek route is usually between Gangotri & Badrinath. As this trek is of 13-14 days duration, fitness needs to be taken care of and packing the right gear is extremely important due to the weather conditions.
As this trekking route falls in the inner line, one has to obtain permissions to trek here for which a small tariff is applicable. It is the best to obtain the permit much ahead of time to be on the safer side. Jolly Grant airport of Dehradun (137 kms by road) is the nearest airport and the helicopter ride is about 100 kms to this place. At 297 kms away, Rishikesh is the nearest railway station. Haridwar which is 24 kms ahead of Rishikesh is well connected to other parts of the country by rail. However, buses also operate from Rishikesh to Badrinath frequently.
