Badrinath is one of the most crucial parts of the famous Chota char dham yatra in Uttarakhand which is undertaken by devout Vaishnavites. The sacred temple is nestled among the snowcapped mighty mountains by the Holy Alaknanda River and amongst the lush greenery of the Garhwal Himalayas. The temple opens up for Darshan for a limited period of time for six months and options for accommodation in Badrinath is set up (between April / May to October / November) with the opening ceremony taking place during the eve of Akshay Tritiya and closing ceremony taking place during the onset of winter season at Vijayadashami.
If you are planning on making this journey it is vital for you to know the following importance and relevance of this extremely pious Yatra:
1- It Helps in Attaining ‘Moksha’
It is said that every Hindu must make the char dham pilgrimage at least once in their life time. Since it is mentioned in the holy books and other Hindu shastras that taking this holy yatra will open doors for moksha and help you attaining freedom from the treacherous cycle of birth and re birth hence making them attain moksha. The fast flowing river by the temple serves as one of the spots where pilgrims and devotees can take a dip in it and wash away their sins and achieve soul purity.
2- The Temple is a True Representation of Lord Vishnu
It has been mentioned in the holy Purans that in every era or ‘Yug’ will witness a massive transformation. During the era of Satyug humans used to worship Lord Vishnu in his true form, as the time moved on to Treta Yuga the priests and sadhus used to witness the Lord in person and offer their prayers directly to him. As Dvapara Yuga commenced and Lord Vishnu took the form of Lord Krishna, he made it a rule that from then on humans will be able to pay homage to him at his temple.
3- Second Vaikuntha (Celestial Abode) of Lord Vishnu
It has been mentioned in the Shastras and the holy Puranas that Badrinath temple is the second Vaikunth i.e. holy celestial abode for Lord Vishnu. The fist Vaikunth for the lord is Ksheer Sagar which is supposed to be the permanent home of Lord Vishnu and is a cosmic entity. The second Vaikunth is on earth which is Badrinath temple. It is also widely believed that initially this temple was one of the earthly homes for Lord Shiva, however Lord Vishnu asked him to hand over the temple to him.
4- The Spot for Deep Meditation of Lord Vishnu’s Twin Avatar Nar and Narayan
The char dham yatra of Uttarakhand starts off from Gangotri which is the home for Gaumukh which is the emerging point for the mighty and holy River Ganga. This river flows through Badrinath Dham which is seated between the twin peaks of Nar Narayan. It is believed that Lord Vishnu’s twin brother’s incarnation of Nar and Narayan meditated deeply here. In the next birth Nar was reincarnated as Arjun and Narayan as Lord Krishna.
5- Badrinath Akhand Jyoti
The gates of Badrinath dham remains closed off during the harsh seasons of winter, where the entire valley is clad in thick white snow making it seem like a true winter wonderland. No pilgrims or devotees are expected during this time, and the Lord’s shrine is relocated to Joshimath for Darshan. During this off time when the doors are shut there is an eternal flame burning for six months from the time of closing to reopening of the gates. This Akhand Jyoti is known to be extremely divine among devout Hindus.
6- The Future of Badrinath Temple
Joshimath temple is known for being related to the holy Badrinath temple. The shrine of Lord Vishnu is shifted to Joshimath for the convenience of the pilgrims seeking blessings from the higher power. Lord Narsimha’s statue at this temple has one thin arm which is believed to grow thinner every day. It is a widely accepted belief that the moment this thin arm of the presiding deity breaks off then the Nar Narayan mountain range will merge into one another making the future Darshan of Badrinath temple impossible since it will implode due to the impact.
7- Naming of the Temple
How Badrinath temple got its name is another interesting story. It is said that once when goddess Lakshmi was annoyed with Lord Vishnu she went to her maternal home. That is when Lord Vishnu came to this location and started his period of deep meditation and penance. When Goddess Lakshmi was no longer annoyed at him she came to this spot while searching for him. That time the entire land was covered in Badri (edible berry) trees and he was sitting amongst then and meditating. Seeing this Goddess Lakshmi named him Badrinath.
8- Future Badrinath - Bhavishya Badri
It is a widely accepted fact that after Kali Yuga a massive landslide will occur from the nearby Nar Narayan mountain which will forever block the route for the Badrinath temple Darshan since it will submerging the existing temple structure in deep unreachable snow. When this phenomenon will happen the site of Bhavishya Badri will be the new shrine for Badrinath, which is located in the lesser explored part of Dhauliganga River. All this was prophesized by Adi Shankaracharya who is credited for bringing Badrinath Dham back to life.
9- The Story of Brahma Kapal
Lord Shiva had committed Brahma Hatya which is considered to be the greatest sin in ancient Hindu mythology. He did so by cutting one of Lord Brahma’s 5 heads for being too arrogant. Lord Shiva then went to Brahma Kapal to seek penance and meditated here for a long time before he was finally freed from his sins. The spot where Lord Shiva is supposed to have meditated lies right opposite the main Badrinath shrine and is currently one of the most sacred Pind Daan sites
10- Rawals of Badrinath
The highest priest or also known as the head priest in the Badrinath temple is known as ‘Rawal’. It is extremely vital for the Rawal to belong from the clan of Adi Shankaracharya. However the Rawal does not perform all the puja rituals he gives important and relevant instructions to the other pundits who carry forward the processions inside the temple. The Rawals are expected not to marry and celibate for their whole life and even a woman’s touch is considered sin for them.
If you are planning on making this journey it is vital for you to know the following importance and relevance of this extremely pious Yatra:
1- It Helps in Attaining ‘Moksha’
It is said that every Hindu must make the char dham pilgrimage at least once in their life time. Since it is mentioned in the holy books and other Hindu shastras that taking this holy yatra will open doors for moksha and help you attaining freedom from the treacherous cycle of birth and re birth hence making them attain moksha. The fast flowing river by the temple serves as one of the spots where pilgrims and devotees can take a dip in it and wash away their sins and achieve soul purity.
2- The Temple is a True Representation of Lord Vishnu
It has been mentioned in the holy Purans that in every era or ‘Yug’ will witness a massive transformation. During the era of Satyug humans used to worship Lord Vishnu in his true form, as the time moved on to Treta Yuga the priests and sadhus used to witness the Lord in person and offer their prayers directly to him. As Dvapara Yuga commenced and Lord Vishnu took the form of Lord Krishna, he made it a rule that from then on humans will be able to pay homage to him at his temple.
3- Second Vaikuntha (Celestial Abode) of Lord Vishnu
It has been mentioned in the Shastras and the holy Puranas that Badrinath temple is the second Vaikunth i.e. holy celestial abode for Lord Vishnu. The fist Vaikunth for the lord is Ksheer Sagar which is supposed to be the permanent home of Lord Vishnu and is a cosmic entity. The second Vaikunth is on earth which is Badrinath temple. It is also widely believed that initially this temple was one of the earthly homes for Lord Shiva, however Lord Vishnu asked him to hand over the temple to him.
4- The Spot for Deep Meditation of Lord Vishnu’s Twin Avatar Nar and Narayan
The char dham yatra of Uttarakhand starts off from Gangotri which is the home for Gaumukh which is the emerging point for the mighty and holy River Ganga. This river flows through Badrinath Dham which is seated between the twin peaks of Nar Narayan. It is believed that Lord Vishnu’s twin brother’s incarnation of Nar and Narayan meditated deeply here. In the next birth Nar was reincarnated as Arjun and Narayan as Lord Krishna.
5- Badrinath Akhand Jyoti
The gates of Badrinath dham remains closed off during the harsh seasons of winter, where the entire valley is clad in thick white snow making it seem like a true winter wonderland. No pilgrims or devotees are expected during this time, and the Lord’s shrine is relocated to Joshimath for Darshan. During this off time when the doors are shut there is an eternal flame burning for six months from the time of closing to reopening of the gates. This Akhand Jyoti is known to be extremely divine among devout Hindus.
6- The Future of Badrinath Temple
Joshimath temple is known for being related to the holy Badrinath temple. The shrine of Lord Vishnu is shifted to Joshimath for the convenience of the pilgrims seeking blessings from the higher power. Lord Narsimha’s statue at this temple has one thin arm which is believed to grow thinner every day. It is a widely accepted belief that the moment this thin arm of the presiding deity breaks off then the Nar Narayan mountain range will merge into one another making the future Darshan of Badrinath temple impossible since it will implode due to the impact.
7- Naming of the Temple
How Badrinath temple got its name is another interesting story. It is said that once when goddess Lakshmi was annoyed with Lord Vishnu she went to her maternal home. That is when Lord Vishnu came to this location and started his period of deep meditation and penance. When Goddess Lakshmi was no longer annoyed at him she came to this spot while searching for him. That time the entire land was covered in Badri (edible berry) trees and he was sitting amongst then and meditating. Seeing this Goddess Lakshmi named him Badrinath.
8- Future Badrinath - Bhavishya Badri
It is a widely accepted fact that after Kali Yuga a massive landslide will occur from the nearby Nar Narayan mountain which will forever block the route for the Badrinath temple Darshan since it will submerging the existing temple structure in deep unreachable snow. When this phenomenon will happen the site of Bhavishya Badri will be the new shrine for Badrinath, which is located in the lesser explored part of Dhauliganga River. All this was prophesized by Adi Shankaracharya who is credited for bringing Badrinath Dham back to life.
9- The Story of Brahma Kapal
Lord Shiva had committed Brahma Hatya which is considered to be the greatest sin in ancient Hindu mythology. He did so by cutting one of Lord Brahma’s 5 heads for being too arrogant. Lord Shiva then went to Brahma Kapal to seek penance and meditated here for a long time before he was finally freed from his sins. The spot where Lord Shiva is supposed to have meditated lies right opposite the main Badrinath shrine and is currently one of the most sacred Pind Daan sites
10- Rawals of Badrinath
The highest priest or also known as the head priest in the Badrinath temple is known as ‘Rawal’. It is extremely vital for the Rawal to belong from the clan of Adi Shankaracharya. However the Rawal does not perform all the puja rituals he gives important and relevant instructions to the other pundits who carry forward the processions inside the temple. The Rawals are expected not to marry and celibate for their whole life and even a woman’s touch is considered sin for them.
0 comments:
Post a Comment