The Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and is one of the sacred 108 Divya Desams as per the Vaishnavaite tradition. The Badarinath temple was established more than 2500 years ago by the seer Sri Adi Sankaracharya Hiself! The idol of Lord Vishnu in this temple is believed to be 'Swayam Vyakta' (self- manifest) and is made of black Saligram stone. This place also forms a part of the celebrated Hindu pilgrimage, including Rameshwaram (South India), Badarinath (North India) Puri (East India) and Dwarka (West India). This temple is open only six months every year between the end of April and the beginning of November, due to the extreme harsh winters in the Himalayan region.The pilgrims visiting this sacred shrine can visit the legend rich Pancha Prayag, comprising of Deo Prayag, Rudra Prayag, Karna Prayag, Nand Prayag and Vishnu Prayag, enroute to Badarinath. At Badarinath it is widely believed that Lord Maha Vishnu Himself performed austerities for hundreds of years!
As per the temple Legend once, upon the advice of the divine sage Narada, Lord Vishnu descended upon Earth to do penance. He chose the holy land of 'Badarinath' or 'Badarikashram' ( as it was called in the ancient times). As the Lord sat in the Padmasana posture for doing penance, His Consort Maha Lakshmi took the form of a Badari Tree and sheltered Him from the adverse weather conditions of the Himalayan Region. Henceforth , the Lord came to be known as 'Badari Narayan' down the ages!
The Badarinath temple was buit by the Kings of Garhwal in the sixteenth century.The temple is stone walled, around 50 feet tall with arched windows and has a small Cupola on the top, covered by a Gold Gilded roof. The main entrance has a board stairway leading to a tall arched gateway. The Badarinath temple is divided into 3 sections:- Garbha Griha( Sanctum), Darshan Mandap and Sabha Mabhap. The Sanctum has the idol of Lord Badarinath. This idol Depicts Lord Vishnu in a seated and meditative posture , under a Badari tree, surrounded by other Hindu deities like, Kubera, Narada , and the divine sages Nara and Narayana.The devotees get thrilled when they have the divine darshan of Lord Badari Narayan in the Badarinath temple. There is a seperate shrine for Goddess Maha Lakshmi in the Parikrama path.
One spectacular feature of the Badarinath temple unseen in other Indian temples, is the Nambudiri tradition being followed here for hundreds of years. The Head Priest (also called as Rawal) at the Badarinath temple is a traditional Nambudiri brahmin priest from Kerela, India's southernmost state. This tradition was first started by the Seer Sri Adi Sankaracharya Himself and is being followed meticulously till date! When Badarinath temple is closed during winter moths, the head priest either stays in Joshimutt or goes back to his ancestarl village in Kerela.There are two prominent festivals in which devotees can participate ar Badarinath - the 'Mata Murti Ka Mela' in the month of September and the 'Badari - Kedar' festival in thhe month of June. The best time to visit the Badarinath temple is between the monhs of May and October, except during the monsoon period. It can be said with certainity, that a single visit to the Badarnath temple in the uttarakhand bestows on earnest devotees the spiritual fulfilment necessary for an entire lifetime!
