Badrinath – An Introduction (Where to Stay, Eat)

At a notable height of 3155 mtrs above the sea level, above the five prayags, stands the most revered of the Char Dhams in the Himalayas - Bhuvaikuntha (the earthly abode of lord Vishnu) – the holy town of Badrinath.

The tirtha (pilgrim place) stands by the banks of the holy river Alaknanda flanked by two hills named after the sages Nar and Narayan with the sacred Neelkanth peak standing guard in the background.

It is not only the dwelling place of the Lord Himself but also home to countless pilgrims, saints and sages, who meditate here in search of enlightenment.  It is said that, when the entire town shuts down in November during the winters, some true sages can still be seen in deep meditation! For others, believers like me, well... just setting foot on the soil of this holy land…a 'Pilgrimage to Badrinath' marks a significant landmark in life.

And why not? After all, Badrinath is one land richly infused with sacred accounts from numerous ancient Hindu scriptures. Be it the puranic story of the Pandav brothers, along with Draupadi, going past on their last pilgrimage by ascending the slopes of a peak near Badrinath called Swargarohini (literally, the 'Ascent to Heaven') or the visit by Lord Krishna and other great sages, these are just some of the many tales which we associate with this holy tirtha.

There are many names by which Badrinath is referenced – Badrikaashram, Keshavprayag, Badrivishal, Narad Kshetra, Tapobhumi to list a few – all of these signify but one aspect – The enormity of the spiritual magnitude of this land. Great rishis (sages) of yore like Kapila, Gautam, Kashyap have performed penance here, Bhakta Narada attained salvation and Lord Krishna loved this region, medieval religious scholars like Adi Shankaracharya, Ramanujacharya, Sri Madhavacharya, Sri Nityananda have come here for learning and quiet contemplation and so many still continue to do even today. Badrinath also appears in many Buddhist writings confirming that the place was a Buddhist pilgrimage too for some time at least.

The story as to how the place came to be called as Badrinath is also very interesting. The name of the tirtha originates from the local word badri which is a type of a wild berry. It is said that when Lord Vishnu sat in penance in these mountains, His consort Goddess Laxmi took the form of a berry tree and shaded Him from the harsh sun.

That love, that respect has been kept alive even today by the devotion of millions of pilgrims all round the world and can be easily sensed the moment you land foot in the divine dham.

Where to Stay in Badrinath

Our place of stay at Badrinath was the peaceful Hotel Devlok of GMVN group. Situated very near to the temple, around 5 minutes walk; this was one of the few hotels still open for pilgrims like us visiting the shrine just few days prior to the closure of the temple.

Hotel Devlok in Badrinath

Deluxe Four Bedded Rom at Hotel Devlok

View from the Balcony

Spot the ice covered Neelkanth mountain far in the picture

The rooms and the bathrooms were good as they had been in all earlier GMVN’s and the food was good too. The only drawback was there was no luxury of a heater in the room which I was so wishing for since the absolute zero degree temperatures were completely freezing me out!

Where to Eat in Badrinath

Badrinath has a number of dhabas and restaurants around the town catering to the taste of all kinds of pilgrims. They all look good and seem to serve fresh and flavorsome food for the devotees visiting the holy town.

I started my mornings with a hot cu of coffee here…

A shack just opposite Hotel Devlok

The dhaba nearby our hotel where we had our lunch of

garma garam parathas (hot hot Indian bread)
and delicious alu ki sabzi (potato curry)

Our Diwali night Dinner was in GMVN Hotel Devlok itself where food is prepared on order just like in the case of Birahi GMVN.

How to Reach Badrinath and Other Related Information

Badrinath is easily accessible by road. It is located at a distance of 525 Km from Delhi & 296 Km from Rishikesh which is also the nearest railway station.

The town is the holiest of the four dhams (sites) of Hindus, in Garhwal ranges, and draws pilgrims from all over India. It is the most visited of the char dhams, when doing the entire circuit, it comes last in the course but many do it standalone too.

The visiting season is 6 months from May – Nov with May/June being the most crowded months when the pilgrim rush is at its peak and September/October being ideal for a more relaxed spiritual journey.

Previous posts from this trip -

1. Char Dham Yatra

2. Planning the Char Dham Trip
3. Introduction to Uttarakhand and Char Dhams

4. ISKCON Temple, Delhi
5. Entire DAY 1 of the Yatra (includes The journey finally begins... Haridwar to Uttarkashi)

6. Entire DAY 2 of the Yatra (includes Enroute to Gangotri - Gangnani, Enchanting Mother Ganga... Our First Dham - Gangotri, Places to visit in and around Gangotri,Bhaironghati, Harsil, Pilot Baba Ashram in Bhatwari, Temples of Uttarkashi)
7. Entire DAY 3 of the Yatra (includes Uttarkashi to Birahi (Chowrangikhal), Uttarkashi to Birahi (Kemundakhal))

8. Day 4 of the yatra (Birahi - Badrinath: Joshimath Gate System)