We all know about the Badri Vishal temple that is popularly known as Badrinath Dham. Char dham yatra that connects whole of India with invisible threads is what puts Badrinath in every pilgrim’s list. However, Badrinath is a kshetra – a sacred region that has many temples, sacred rivers and water bodies as places where our ancestors have performed Tapasya.
Panch Badri Yatra in Garhwal
There are 5 temples dedicated to Badrinath, located not too far from each other that form a Badri circuit. These temples are:
Adi Badri
Located 17 kms from Karnaprayag this a group of 16 ancient temples of which only 14 survive now. These stone temples reminded me of Jageshwar Dham which are also a group of small stone temple, though that is a much larger site. Temples probably date back to Gupta period.
Adi means it is the first Badri temple. Vishnu Murti here is in the standing posture instead of sitting as in other four temples. It has four hands with Shankha, Chakra and gada in his three hands and the fourth hand in Abhay mudra. In the morning Abhisheka Puja is performed, bhog is offered at noon and shayan arti is performed in the evening.
Opposite the main Adi Badri temple is the temple of his vahana – Garuda. Other temples are dedicated to Shri Lakshminarayan, Gaurishankar, Annapurna, Surya, Satyanarayan, Ganesha, Shiva, Garuda, Durga, Ram-Lakshman, Janaki, Hanuman, Kuber, Kali and Kshetrapal Devata.
This temple remains closed for the month of Pausha, that roughly falls in December and reopens on Makar Sankranti that falls on January 14th. The annual festival takes place on a Monday in the month of May when the new crop is offered to Adi Badri by the farmers of the region.
It is also said that Ved Vyasa wrote the Srimad Bhagwad Purana here.
If you go in the evening, you can easily attend the Arti here. There is hardly any crowd and the priest is simple, happy to tell you about the temple.
Vridhha Badri
Vriddha Badri is located at Animath, about 7 kms from Joshimath. You need to go down the village to see this small but powerful temple. There is a signboard on the road that informs you about the temple. Walking to this temple was a walk through the typical Himalayan village on the slope of hills, located not too far but too close to the road.
Small temple in bright red and yellow color has a vigraha of Badrinath. I was told that this temple stays open throughout the year. Many pilgrims who want to visit all the five Badri temples of course visit this temple, but many trekkers too visit him.
Vriddha Badri means that this is an old temple, which may have been the main temple at some point in time. It is also said that Badrinath appeared in his old aged Swaroop here for Adi Shankaracharya and that is how he installed his Murti here.
I was told that many seekers come here to meditate. It is indeed a very serene place that is conducive for peaceful contemplation and meditation.
Badri Vishal – The main temple of Badrinath
This is the main Badrinath temple that we all know about. Read our detailed post on Badrinath Dham.
During winters, for six months, the Nar Puja of Badrinath is performed at Narsingh Dev mandir at Joshimath. It is also believed to be the place where Narsimha avatar of Vishnu took the Saumya or gentle form to
Yog Dhyana Badri
This temple is located at Pandukeshwar on the way to Badrinath from Joshimath. A board will guide you towards the temple. You need to trek down about 500 meters to reach the temple.
There are two ancient temples in stone here, one dedicated to Yog Dhyana Badri and the other to Vasudeva Badri. There is also an old Shiva temple in the complex. This is where the Uddhava ji from main Badrinath temple comes from Badrinath for winters. Kuber ji also comes down at a nearby Kuber temple.
Yogadhyan Badri temple in local stone has a unique cylindrical shikhara with a square copula on top with a golden spire. Square mandapa has a slanting roof giving an impression of a hut. There is a small Shivalinga with a Nandi facing it on the right of the blue door. On the left of the door is a small temple with Ganesha inside it. Small brass bells hang on top of the door.
The temple houses a very peaceful Bronze vigraha of Badri Narayana in Dhyan mudra. It is believed that it was installed here by Pandu, the king Hastinapur from Mahabharat after a long and successful Tapasya he performed here. Indeed the village where this temple stands is named after him – Pandukeshwar.
Vasudeva Badri
Vasudeva temple is similar but has a more curvilinear shikhara. It stands alone without any subsidiary temples. Both temples have a red and white flag of Badri Vishal fluttering on top.
ASI boards here tells that copper plate grants talk about the kings who contributed to these temples include Padmata Dev and Subhiksharaja Dev. They place these temples between 9-10 CE. It also claims a Lakshminarayan temple in the complex but I could not see it.
Temples were closed when we reached, so we prayed from outside. However, we could walk around and admire the temples
Bhavishya Badri
The Bhavishya Badri is situated at Subain village in the Tapovan region, about 17 km from Joshimath towards Neeti valley or towards Malari. This temple located on a hill has an old-world aura. As you walk up through the unpaved pathways, below the tall Devdar trees, you wonder if Badrinath ji chose this place as his future seat due to its sheer beauty. The place is surrounded by tall mountain peaks.
The black stone Murti at this temple is getting carved on its own. I met many locals here who said that they have seen it as a plain black rock but is now taking shape of a Vishnu Murti. There is no water source that is falling on it so no natural elements are carving it.
Story goes that the wrist of the Narasimhadeva Murti at Narsingh temple at Joshimath is getting narrower and weaker. The day it falls, at the same time Nara and Narayana mountains will cojoin. Remember these are the mountains on which Badri Vishal is located. This is when Bhavishya Badri will take over as the main Badrinath mandir. As of now, it is still forming. I would remember the story for the rest of my life.
Another version of the story says that when the Kaliyuga ends and the next Satyuga starts, Bhavishya Badri will take over as main Badrinath temple.
Visiting Bhavishya Badri gave me a perspective of how the Swayambhu or self-manifested vigrahas form.
Why Panch Badri!
5 temples of Badrinath can be seen from both time and space perspective.
In time, they tell about the chronology, which in my opinion begins with Adi Badri being the first Badrinath temple when he was still standing and yet to sit in meditation. Then comes, Vriddha Badri, a prefix that is typically used for older located of the temples when they are moved to the new place. Every tirtha has its own version of Adi and Vriddha temples or tirthas. Then there is Yog Dhyan Badri and Badri Vishal, the temples of the present time where Badrinarayana is most worshipped. Our ancestors probably understood the geological changes and created a future home for Badrinath at Bhavishya Badri.
In space, you can look at them as a Panchayatan formation that is followed in many temples, where the main deity is surrounded by 4 subsidiary deities. So, is it a way to mark the Badrinath kshetra? Probably yes.
Travel Tips
Bhavishya, Yogdhyana and Vriddha Badri require a bit of trekking up and down, so keep sometime for them when you visit.
Adi Badri and Badrinath are easily reachable by road.
Most temples close after the evening Arti, except Badrinath that stays open a bit more, so plan accordingly.
You can easily do all of them with Badrinath Yatra, though keep time for Bhavishya Badri that is a bit far away and still secluded.
Joshimath is the best place to stay and do Panch Badri Yatra.
