Badrinath Temple - Char Dham Yatra Information

The Badrinath Temple is located on the banks of the Alaknanda River in the Chamoli district of the state of Uttarakhand, India. The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and is one of the Char Dhams [Badrinath (Uttarakhand), Dwarka (Gujarat), Jagannathpuri (Orissa), Rameshwaram (Tamil Nadu)]. This is an ancient temple which was constructed in the eighth century. The town around the temple is called Badrinath. Badrinath is located in the Garhwal region of the Himalayan Mountains. Its height above sea level is 3,133 meters. Badrinath remains closed for 6 months from November to April. The temple houses a 1 meter tall idol of Lord Vishnu made of Shaligram, which was installed by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century after extracting it from the nearby Narad Kund.

There is no solid proof of when the Badrinath temple originated. There are many views regarding the origin of this temple, but according to the most popular opinion, this temple was established by Adi Shankaracharya in the eighth century. This temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The local people here believe that the idol of Badrinath was installed by the gods. When the followers of the Buddhists came under influence, they threw it into the Alaknanda. This idol of Badrinath was discovered by Adi Shankaracharya from the Alaknanda river and re-established in the eighth century.

Badrinath Temple is one of the Char Dhams. According to Hindu religion and customs, a person who comes to visit Badrinath temple must first visit Kedarnath temple otherwise this pilgrimage becomes futile.

Kedarnath temple is located in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand state while Badrinath temple is located in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand state. The distance between these two pilgrimage sites is 245 kms by road and 41 kms by helicopter route. It takes 5 hours to cover this distance by road.

By Helicopter: Helicopter service is available from Kedarnath to Badrinath. You can directly book helicopter tickets from Guptkashi, Phata and Sarsi helipads to go from Kedarnath to Badrinath.

By Road: There are two roadways from Kedarnath to Badrinath. The first road route is slightly shorter than the second road route. Pilgrimage can choose any route as per their convenience. The shortest route to cover the distance from Kedarnath to Badrinath is via Ukhimath Chopta. The distance from Ukhimath Chopta to Badrinath is approximately 210 kms. The second road route goes via Rudraprayag, from where its distance is 223 km. This road route is better than the first road route.

As we know Badrinath Temple remains closed from November to April due to extreme cold. Let us know which is the best season and time to visit Badrinath Temple. According to pilgrims, the best time and season to visit Badrinath Temple is May to June and September to October. If you are planning to visit in summer then the months of May and June are the best for you. 

If you are planning to visit Badrinath Temple in the winter season, then the months of September and October are good for you. Winters in Badrinath starts in the month of November and lasts till April. In the winter season, the temperature of Badrinath falls below zero. During these months, Badrinath sees heavy snowfall, which blocks the ways and roads.

Apart from the Badrinath temple, there are many places to visit in Badrinath city of Uttarakhand where we can visit. Apart from Badrinath Temple, one can visit places like Neelkanth Shikhar, Tapt Kund, Brahma Kapal, Mata Murti Temple, Sheshnetra, Charan Paduka, Vasundhara and Waterfall. All these places are situated at a distance of few kilometers from each other. After visiting Badrinath, you can plan to visit these popular places.

By Air: Badrinath Temple can be reached by air, rail, and road. The nearest airport to Badrinath Temple is Jollygrant Airport which is located 314 km away from Badrinath Temple. Buses and taxis are available from Jolly Grant Airport to reach Badrinath Temple, which is well connected by road to Badrinath.

By Rail: Badrinath Temple can also be reached by rail. The nearest railway station is Rishikesh, from where Badrinath Temple is located 295 km away. The National Highway NH-58 here is well connected to Badrinath. Taxis and buses are available for Badrinath from Rishikesh, Srinagar, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Joshimath everywhere.

By Road: Badrinath Temple can also be reached by road. Buses are available from Delhi's ISBT Kashmere Gate to Haridwar, Rishikesh and Srinagar. From these cities of Uttarakhand, you can go to Chamoli district by bus and taxi and then from Chamoli you can go to Badrinath temple.

If you are thinking of going to Badrinath by your car then you can go to Badrinath by State Route 58 of Uttarakhand. Which is connected to Ghaziabad.