Badrinath

Badrinath, village (uninhabited in winter) and shrine in northeastern Uttarakhand state, northern India. It is situated in the Kumaun Himalayas along a headstream of the Ganges (Ganga) River, at an elevation of about 10,000 feet (3,000 metres). It is located along the twin mountain ranges of Nar and Narayan on the left bank of Alakananda River.

Badrinath gets its name from badri, a type of wild berry that once grew there in profusion. Badrinath is the site of a temple that contains a shrine of Badrinatha (one of the many names of the Hindu deity Vishnu) and has been a well-known pilgrimage centre for more than 2,000 years. The temple is believed to have been built by Adi Shankaracharya, a philosopher-saint of the 8th century. Badrinath Peak (23,420 feet [7,138 metres]) is 17 miles (27 km) west.

Other sights at Badrinath include Tapt Kund, a hot spring on the bank of the Alakananda; Brahma Kapal, a platform used for rituals; Sheshnetra, a boulder that is believed to contain an imprint of Sesha Nag, the legendary serpent; Charan Paduka, which, according to legend, holds the footprints of Lord Vishnu; and Neelkanth, the snowy peak that towers over Badrinath and is known as the “Garhwal Queen.” To the southeast lie Valley of Flowers and Nanda Devi national parks, which collectively were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1988. Pop. (2001) 1,682; (2011) 2,438.