Deepen Your Experience
Badrinath and the surrounding area are rich with temples, pilgrimage sites, mountain treks, stunning vistas, and so much more. Soak in the natural beauty and spiritual energy of the region to be filled with awe. It’s the perfect place to connect with divine wonder and find yourself anew.
Shri Badrinath Mandir (appx 800 m)
Badarinath or Badarinarayana Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu Ji and one of the Char Dham Pilgrimage sites. It is situated in the town of Badrinath in Uttarakhand, India. The temple is also one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu—holy shrines for Vaishnavas—who is worshipped as Badrinath. It is open for six months every year (between the end of April and the mid of November), because of extreme weather conditions in the Himalayan region. The temple is located in Garhwal hill tracks in Chamoli district along the banks of Alaknanda River. It is one of the most visited pilgrimage centers of India.
Bheem Pul and Saraswati Temple (3km)
Bheem Pul is located at the point where the Saraswati River meets the Alaknanda River. Legend has it that when the Pandavas of the epic Mahabharata were taking their final journey to heaven (Swargarohan), they passed through a point near the Badrinath Temple, where they had to cross the Saraswati River. When Draupadi (their wife) was unable to cross, Bheema brought a huge rock and placed it above the river stream to act as a bridge. That rock is now known as the Bheem Pul and is located in Mana village, the last Indian village before the China border in this area. If you visit the Bheem Pul, you will also come to a temple for the goddess Saraswati overlooking the river.
Charan Paduka (3 km) and Neelkanth Base (9 km) hikes
Charan Paduka is a beautiful rock, which is believed to hold the footprints of Lord Vishnu. It is believed that the darshan of these footprints will relieve visitors from all ailments. According to Hindu mythology, Lord Vishnu set his foot on earth at this place.
Charan Paduka is a 3 km trek from Badrinath. The path towards Charan Paduka is on the left side of Badrinath temple. Walk a few meters and on the right side you will see stairs going upwards. Follow the stairs to reach Charan Paduka situated at Narayan Parvat. The uphill trek takes about 1.5 hours (3 hours round trip).
The view from Charan Paduka is excellent. There are several caves, boulders, and small temples or shrines on the path which lead to Charan Paduka.
Nilkantha Peak base is a 6 km trek from Charan Paduka.
Vyas Gufa and Ganesha Gufa (3 km)
Vyas Gufa is an ancient cave that is believed to be the place where the sage Vyas composed the Mahabharata with the help of Lord Ganesha, more than 5000 years ago.
Ganesha Gufa is said to be the cave where Lord Ganesha penned the Mahabharata, as dictated by Rishi Vyasa. These caves are located near each other, and hold religious significance in the lives of many people.
Both are located in Mana village.
Mata Murti Temple (3 km)
The Mata Murti Temple is located near Badrinath and is a 3 km trek from the Badrinath Ji temple. The trek takes about 1 hour. This Devi temple is dedicated to the Mata Murti - mother of Nar and Narayan (Lord Badrinath). Some say the temple is a good place to visit for blessings from Badrinath Ji. Many devotees visiting Badrinath also pay reverence to Mata Murti as well during their Yatra.