Badrinath

Stories say that Lord Vishnu/ Narayana ousted Shiva & Parvati and occupied this place to do penance. Sri Lakshmi out of sheer love converted herself to Badari tree to protect and provide shade to Lord Vishnu from the nature’s fury.

Reaching Him today is much easier. It could have been possible only to saints like Sri Madhwa Acharya to reach there those days! They should have had mighty powers indeed!

I really wonder how they have constructed these roads with limited equipments. I remember my grandfather had traveled to Badri by road, some 30 years back! The people who work on these roads should be very close to the Lord. Everyone, who passes these roads can’t stop admiring and praising the efforts put by these people. Such is it!

A vaishnava’s dream to see Him and purify his soul. And He doesn’t disappoint! The way to reach Him from Rishikesh is a fulfilling experience! A feast to the eyes! Soothing to the heart! Enlightening to the mind! And a reconciliation to mortal body! The faith will be built in the form of love to an atheist. And to the believer every step in this direction means increase in his faith more than 1000 times.

Badri - you will fall in love with this place. “Swargakke moore genu” – three feet away from the heaven! I feel that you are already in the heaven! The temple is good. Shri Badari Narayan’s idol isn’t very big but his fame has no end! Murti chikkadaadaru keerti doddadu!

Surroundings

The mighty Himalayas don’t stop growing and the clouds after terrible fight, fail to stop their growth. Necks pain to continuously see their heights. Majestically they stand making us realize how small we are and how we should behave!

Alakananda accompanies you through-out. She’s in such a hurry to reach her destination that her speed can reel any one’s head especially when she’s flowing down from Himalayas!
She shows that a delicate, sensitive, fragile river can be strong, threatening, and strapping!
Sometimes she’s a feast to the eyes and sometimes a scare!
Suddenly she looks simple and at once she threatens you to the core with her speed!
She has the capability to withstand the strong wind and change its direction!
She is adorable but you can’t play with her!
She makes sure that you know to respect her and not take advantage of her!

After she joins Bhagirathi at Dev Prayag, she becomes Ganga, the mother of all sacred rivers, who purifies the mortal soul with a single touch! She tries to pacify the ferocious Alakananda not to be so.

Saraswati seen only at one place in Mana village, near Badari deafens one’s ear. Her speed, milk-like water, roaring speed threatens one’s existence! Her force of attraction is such that being at a distance you feel like you are pulled to her and in a millionth of second your existence would have ceased! She would have created havoc, if she had to flow over-ground with these characteristics. Guess that’s the reason she flows underground and reaches her destination!

Traveling to Badri? Read more details here and here.