BADARINATH DHAM UTTRAKHAND (INDIA)

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BADRINATH TAMPLE

Badarinath Dham is considered as one of the most sacred centres of pilgrimage situated in the lofty Himalayan heights in the Garhwal hill tracks (Uttarakhand). Situated at the height of 3133 m (10248 feet) above sea level. The route to Badarinath is one of the most fascinating one due to the lofty hilly terrain, curves and cliffs amidst the most scenically beautiful place on the earth.

Throughout the route to Badarinath there are numerous pilgrimage sites at Deo Prayag, Rudraprayag, Karnaprayag, Nandaprayag and Vishnuprayag; as well as Pandukeswar where king Pandu observed Tapasya with his queen Madri and where his sons Pandavas, stayed during their pilgrimage to heaven, and the site where Bhima and Hanuman (sons of Vayu) met.

At Badarinath Lord MahaVishnu is believed to have done his penance. Seeing the Lord doing his penance in the open, Goddess Mahalaxmi is believed to have assumed the form of Badari tree to provide him shelter to face the onslaught of the adverse weather conditions, therefore the name Badari Narayan. It is believed that Lord Vishnu revealed to Narad rishi that Nar & Naryans forms were his own. It is also believed that Narad rishi, who also did his penance here, is even now worshipping the supreme God with Ashtakshara mantras.
The image of Badarinarayan here is fashioned out of Saligramam. Badarinarayan is seen under the Badari tree, flanked by Kuber and Garuda, Narad, Narayan and Nar. Mahalakshmi has a sanctum outside in the parikrama. There is also a shrine to Adi Sankara at Badarinath.

Badrinath Temple History & Legend

BADRINATH

The history of the Badrinath Temple is vague. According to one belief, the temple was a Buddhist shrine till the 8th century after which Adi Shankara converted it into a Hindu temple. Another belief is that the temple was originally established by Adi Shankara in the 9th century. It is said that he discovered an image of Lord Badrinath in the river Alaknanda and enshrined it near Tapt Kund. He also expelled the Buddhists living in that region. In the 16th century, the King of Garhwal moved the idol in the present temple. The temple came under the British rule when the state of Garhwal was divided. The Badrinath Temple has gone through several renovations. In the 17th century, it was expanded by the Kings of Garhwal. In 1803, it was destroyed in a major earthquake and was rebuilt by the King of Jaipur. 

Badrinath Temple Architecture

The Badrinath Temple, located on the banks of Alaknanda River, looks attractive from outside with the colourful main gate. It is called as the Singhdwar which is around 50 metres tall with a small cupola on top. The entire shrine is divided into three structures- the Garbha Griha or the sanctum sanctorum, the Darshan Mandap for the rituals and the Sabha Mandap for the devotees. The Garbhagriha has a conical shaped roof covered with sheets of gold and is 15 metres tall. A series of broad stairs lead devotees to the main entrance. Just inside is the mandap, a large pillared hall which has walls of intricate designs. The main shrine has an image of Badrinarayan, a 1 metre tall black stone, holding a conch and a Chakra. The sanctum also houses images of many other gods like Nar and Narayan and Lakshmi and saints like Adi Shankara, Vedanta Desika and Ramanujacharya

Lord Badari Narayan (also called as Badari Vishal) is armed with Shankh (Conch) and Chakra in two arms in a lifted posture and two arms rested on the lap in Yogamudra.The principal image is of black stone and it represents Vishnu seated in meditative pose. The temple also houses Garuda (Vehicle of Lord Narayan). Also here are the idols of Adi Shankar, Swami Desikan and Shri Ramanujam. Guru-Shisya parampara is supposed to have its roots here

Location: Right Bank River Alaknanda

Dedicated To: Lord Vishnu

Altitude: 3133 Mt.

Built In: 8th Century AD

Best Time to visit:- The ideal time or peak season to go for a Char Dham Yatra is from May to October, except monsoons. This is because; all the four sacred sites are perched in Garhwal Himalayas, which is prone to heavy snowfall. As a result, all the passage leading to the shrines are blocked. Moreover, during the monsoon season, there is undue threat of having landslides, which can further disrupt the journey. 

Kapat Opening:- The kapat of Shri Badarinath Temple had been opened on 30th April 2018 at 4:30 AM.


GETTING THERE
Air : Nearest airport is Jolly Grant, 317 kms.
Rail : Nearest railhead is at Rishikesh, 300 kms.
Road : Well connected to Rishikesh, Haridwar, Dehradun and Delhi.

Kedarnath Dham,uttrakhand,India

Kedarnath Dham (Uttrakhand)

KEDARNATH DHAM

  Kedarnath Dham, located in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, is one of the most paramount locations for worshipers of Shiva. The air appears to be reverberating with the name of Lord Shiva amid the mighty snow-clad peaks, enchanting meadows and forests of the lower mountain range of Himalayas. Situated in a breathtaking location, near the source of Mandakini River and at the height of 3,584 meters, Kedarnath Dham celebrates the greatness of Lord Shiva. Kedarnath temple is one of the 12 Jyotir Lingams and is also the most important temple among the Panch Kedars (group of 5 Shiva temples in Garhwal Himalayas). It is also one of the significant temples of the sacred Chota Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand, raising the glory of the place to further heights.

Accessible from major destinations of Uttarakhand, the motorable road towards Kedarnath temple stretches till Gauri Kund. After that one needs to take a 14 km trek towards Kedarnath temple. Ponies and palanquins (doli) are easily available; one can also avail helicopter services during peak season of yatra.

The hard journey till the great shrine of Shiva is well compensated with the spiritual atmosphere which is created by the unruffled, tranquil and splendid beauty of the region. The majestic Kedarnath peak (6,940 meters) stands behind the temple along with other peaks, forming a perfect setting for the holy land of the supreme deity. The conical-shaped Shiva lingam in the Kedarnath temple is a unique feature of the temple among all Shiva shrines.

LEGEND BEHIND THE KEDARNATH TEMPLE

KEDARNATH DHAM KAPAT

 Burdened with the guilt of killing their blood relatives, Pandavas sought Lord Shiva to absolve themselves of their sins. Shiva didn't want to release them from their wrongdoings so easily and disguised himself as a bull to roam in Garhwal Himalayas. On being discovered by Pandavas, Shiva dived into the ground. Bhim tried to catch him and could only get hold of the hump. Other body parts of Shiva (in the form of bull), came up at different places. Hump of the bull was found in Kedarnath, navel emerged at Madhya-Maheshwar, two forelegs appeared at Tunganath, face in Rudranath, and hair came up at Kalpeshwar. Together these five sacred places are called Panch Kedar. It is believed that originally Pandavas built the temple of Kedarnath; the present temple was established by Adi Shankaracharya who restored and revived the glory of the shrine.

WHAT TO SEE IN KEDARNATH DHAM?

   

KEDARNATH DHAM

    KEDARNATH TEMPLE:  The grand and impressive structure of Lord Shiva's shrine is made of grey stone. Steep climb stretching to 14 km from Gauri Kund brims with abundant beauty of nature. The paved and steep path gifts the pilgrims the fantastic views of snowy-peaks, alpine meadows and delightful forests of rhododendrons. A large stone statue of Nandi Bull stares at the shrine, guarding it, sitting right opposite it.

There is one Garbha Griha which houses the primary idol (pyramid shaped rock) of Lord Shiva. The idols of Lord Krishna, Pandavas, Draupadi and Kunti find a space in the Mandapa section of the shrine. The temple has withstood natural calamities like avalanches, earthquakes and floods for over thousand years and still stands as strong and elegant as it must have originally been.

With the onset of winters, the portals of the temple are closed on the 1st day of Karthik (Oct/Nov) amid elaborate rituals, and a moveable idol of Shiva is shifted to Omkareshwar temple in Ukhimath (Rudraprayag district). The Shiva idol is welcomed back and the temple is opened again after 6 months in the Vaisakh (Apr/May) period of Hindu calendar.

GAURIKUND :

GAURIKUND

It is the starting point of the trek towards the temple of Kedarnath. As per a legend, Goddess Parvati (also known as Gauri) meditated over here in order to marry Lord Shiva. It consists of natural thermal springs and offer refreshing bath to pilgrims before they embark for the holy darshan of Kedareshwar (the Lord of Kedar, Shiva).

There is also an ancient Gauri Devi temple over here, honouring the goddess. Half Kilometre from Gauri Kund is the temple of Sirkata (headless) Ganesha. According to Skanda Purana, this was the place where Shiva beheaded Ganesha and then attached the head of an elephant on his headless body.

CHORABARI TAL:

CHORABARI TAL

Fed by Chorabari glacier, the serene and pristine Chorabari Lake can be reached after undertaking a trek of less than 4 km from the Kedarnath town. It is also known as Gandhi Sarovar as some of the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi were immersed in its waters. On the way, there is a waterfall which one needs to cross. It looks amusing but care should be taken while going across it.

BHAIRAV TEMPLE :

BHAIRAV TEMPLE

In the temple complex, to the south side, there is another ancient and important temple. It is dedicated to Bhairav Nath, who is believed to be the one who guards the temple compound when the shrine is closed in the winter season.

VASUKI TAL :

Located at 3,135 meters, the crystal clear blue-water lake of Vasuki is about 8 km from Kedarnath. It is quite a difficult trek and involves going across glaciers, but the walk among the untouched Himalayas is worth every bit of effort.

HOW TO REACH KEDARNATH DHAM?

ROUTE

Delhi - Haridwar - Rishikesh-Devprayag - Srinagar - Rudraprayag - Tilwara - Agastamuni - Kund - Guptkashi - Phata - Rampur - Sonprayag - Gaurikund - Trek to Kedarnath

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  BY AIR:

  Jolly Grant airport on Rishikesh-Dehradun road is the nearest airport to Kedarnath. Hire a taxi to Gaurikund or till Haridwar/Rishikesh.
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  BY TRAIN:

  Regular trains from Delhi to Haridwar and Dehradun are available at all times of the year. Hire a cab or get a bus from here.
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  BY BUS:

  Gaurikund is connected with motorable roads, and buses and taxis from important destinations like Rishikesh, Dehradun, Uttarkashi and Tehri, Pauri and Chamoli are easily available.

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• BEST TIME TO VISIT

• The best time to visit the Kedarnath temple is from April/May to June and September to October/November.

  (Monsoon brings the threat of landslides and floods while winters bring heavy snowfall and below zero temperatures.)

  

AULI, UTTRAKHAND (INDIA)

AULI.https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7378527272356919537#editor/target=post;postID=6571896598726719422;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=1;src=postname

Auli is a ski destination in Chamoli district in the Himalayan mountains of Uttarakhand, India. Auli, also known as Auli Bugyal, in Garhwali, which means "meadow", is located at an elevation of 2,500 metres (8,200 ft) to 3,050 metres (10,010 ft) above sea level. After the creation of the state of Uttarakhand, formerly part of Uttar Pradesh, Auli was marketed as a tourist destination. Auli lies on the way to the Hindu pilgrimage destination of Badrinath. It is surrounded by coniferous and oak forests, with a                                                                                           panoramic view of the peaks of the Himalayas.
The slopes are intended for both professional skiers and novices. The Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam Limited (GMVNL) a state govt agency which takes care of this resort, and Uttarakhand Tourism Departmentconduct winter sports competitions at Auli to encourage skiing in India. It has a 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) cable car, a chairlift and a ski lift, along with a maintained trek route. There is a training facility of Indo-Tibetan Border Police. A small Hindu templeconnected with the Hindu epic the Ramayana is also present.

Here are some of the best places to see in Auli:

1. Auli Artificial Lake

The highest manmade lake in the world, the Auli artificial lake is one of the best places to visit in Auli. The lake was built with a view of creating perennial artificial ski slopes at this adventure destination. 

The water from this freshwater reservoir will be used to fuel the snow guns that have been stationed along the ski slopes to provide an even surface and extend the season of skiing even if there is less snowfall. Situated next to the Clifftop club Hotel, it is a pioneering effort to encourage tourism. 

The sight of the lake looming large at the base of the mountains like Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers is truly majestic and royal. Often called the ‘Switzerland of India’ it defines the nomenclature in the truest way with sights such as these.

Check out the list of things to do in Auli, it has emerged out to be the new favorite skiing destination for Indians, and also, for foreigners. 

2. Auli Ropeway

AULI ROPEWAY.

Connecting the hill stations of Joshimath and Auli, Auli Ropeway is one of the tops draws when it comes to the topnotch places to visit in Auli. The highest and the longest ropeway in India after the one at Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir, it covers an approximate distance of 4km and presents the traveler with gaping views of the snowy valleys and verdant meadows below. Also called ‘Gondola’, it travels at a height of 3,010m above sea level. 

The Auli Ropeway operates with a ski lift and a chairlift that rest on 10 steel towers. This bi-cable contraption was built in order to present travelers to Auli with a scintillating experience. It ascends gradually to a height of 1,110m. In the skiing season, it presents exciting views of the skiing competitions that are organized by government’s tourism department. 

You can board the ropeway at either Auli or at Joshimath and the cost of it approximately 400/- INR.

3. Joshimath

Joshimath.

Located in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand is one of the best city that is in close proximity to almost all of the Auli tourist places; Joshimath. Also known as Jyotirmath, this small town is the beginning point of many Himalayan expeditions, including the ropeway to Auli, and the trekking trail to Badrinath. 

Home to Shankaracharya Math and Tapovan Natural Hot Springs, one has to surely pass this town to get to Auli. Apart from the religious significance of this place, it is also a hotspot for adventurous activities popular in this place, the foremost being trekking followed swiftly by camping in Joshimath.

Location- Chamoli District, Uttarakhand

Distance from bus stand- 3 km

4. Gurso Bugyal

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For those who are looking for an offbeat options for places to visit near Auli. A short but adventurous trek of 3km will land you at the mysterious Gurso Bugyal.  The trail passes through the valleys between the mountains of Nanda Devi, Trishul and Dron. The views of these majestic mountains while walking along the nature trails is truly majestic! 

During the spring season, the region transforms into a huge green carpet under your feet and the clear blue sky over your head. Rising at a level of 3056m above sea level, it is decked up in pine, oak, rhododendron and conifer. Being just 1.5km from the last stop of the Auli Ropeway, it is an easy travel up to this gorgeous meadow which should definitely be on your list of places to visit in Auli.

5. Nanda Devi Peak

Nanda Devi. The name of the peak itself stands for bless giving Goddess and it is this very meaning that you will see in its greatest measure as you catch a sight of its towering peaks from Auli. The Nanda Devi National Park that surrounds the peak is also a place where you can explore and discover a stirring range of flora and fauna and biodiversity. This is characterized by mostly mountainous fowl, tall trees of oak, deodar, pine, conifer, rhododendron and many others. It is this very variety and diversity which has led to it becoming a part of the World UNESCO Heritage sight. The seconds highest mountain in India, NandaDevi towers to an elevation of 7,817m and the very view of it is humbling.

6. Chattrakund

Walk into this stunning watershed of crystal clear blue waters, the lake of Chattarkund is located just minutes ahead of Gurso Bugyal. 

This fairytale place of picturesque views will enchant you to no end as it will enchant you with its peace and serenity. Put this place on your map of Auli Sightseeing and feel the calm and placid landscape.

7. Chenab Lake

In the Garhawal Himalayas, there are still some areas which are virgin and unexplored. One such trail is the one that will lead you to Chenab Lake. It is here that you can embark on serene and stunning trekking roads; it is especially perfect for those adventurists who love the company of untouched nature. 

The area is off the beaten track and is almost inaccessible by motor vehicles or bikes. The best way to experience the untouched beauty of its serene nature is to start off on a trek of the valley or set up camp amidst the greenery.

8. Auli Ski Resort

Being such a coveted destination in terms of Skiing in India, it is imperative that Auli has resorts that can provide accommodation to ski enthusiasts visiting this place during the peak months of tourism here. That is what Auli Ski Resort provides here every year. 

Surrounded by the unmatched scenic beauty of the Garhwal district, the hotel provides all the basic amenities that one expects here, alongside all the scenic views of the areas around the place. With a close proximity to the bus stand, the resort is also close to many other sightseeing and adventure locations of Auli, completely fulfilling its purpose as a premier skiing resort.

Location- Ski Resort, GMVN Ltd, Joshimath, District - Chamoli, Auli

Distance from Bus Stand- 13 kms

9. Trishul Peak

There are a few peaks in the Garhwal and Kumaoni Himalayas that are as pretty and majestic as the Trishul Peak. The peak is so called because is presents not one but three distinct faces and facets of the mountain that can be clearly seen with the naked eye. It is the main meeting place where skiing enthusiasts gather for annual skiing events and competitions.

The Trishul Peak is situated in the Kumaaon region. The peak rises to a level of 23,940ft and is the prettiest sight in the Himalayan Ranges where skiing is practiced professionally. The peak is also encircled by a national park and also has the Roopkund Lake at its base. Trishul peak is the perfect place to visit in Auli.

10. Vishnuprayag

Ideally placed in the mountains, Auli is also the base town to travel to the holy town of Vishnuprayag, where one can clearly see the two tributaries of Alaknanda and Dahuliganga merging together to form one single river. Vishnupruyag is actually one of the five places (Panchprayag) where the river meets its sister tributaries before transforming into the mighty Ganga River. 

Vishnuprayag lies in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand and is located at an elevation of 1,372m above sea level. At the banks of this majestic sight, one can also see a famous Vishnu temple that was built by the Maharani of Indore way back in 1889. You can spend hours here as you marvel the confluence point of these two water bodies which appear clearly in distinct colours. 

This sight bordered by the tall Hiamalayan mountains and meadows is indeed a must visit on Auli Sigtseeing tour as it is just about 25km away! In the vicinity, you can also be charmed by the sight of the Kagbhusandi Lake, which is a stunning water body filled with emerald green water.

11.Badrinath

After a brief stopover in Auli, you can embark on a journey to one of the most pious pilgrim centers of India, Badrinath. The most important of the Char Dhams (Four Holy Places) in India, it lies in the shadow of the Nar and Narayana ranges below the mighty Nilkantha peak. 

Situated on the banks of the Alaknanda River, it is one of the best places to visit near Auli. There are various legends surrounding the temples of Badrinath. The hike to this holy place usually begins from Joshimath. There are many sights to see around Badrinath that will just astound you! Thermal springs, Neelkanth Mountain and the confluence points of the huge Ganga River are just a few that will take your heart away.

 Transportation;

The nearest airport is Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun, about 270 kilometres (170 mi) from Auli. The airport operates daily flights to Delhi, The nearest international airport is Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, about 480 kilometres (300 mi) from Auli. The nearest railway stations are Rishikesh railway station (250 kilometres (160 mi)) and Dehradun railway station (290 kilometres (180 mi)). Nearby attractions include Vishnu Prayag, Gorson Bugyal, Kuari Pass, Joshimath, Badrinath, and Tapovan Auli and Dehradun hosted the First South Asian Winter Games in 2011.

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