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On a mystical expedition

Take a trip to Badrinath and feel rejuvenated

One for the soul Scenic views of the Himalayas

We were all set to leave Delhi for Hardwar.Riding our motorbikes to get to Hardwar was smooth but muscle-wrecking! Choosing to stay at the Leisure Hotels’ Haveli Hari Ganga was about the best thing we could do for our aching muscles.

Rejuvenated, we were ready to take on the next leg of the journey to Joshimath. Morning on the next day saw us through the 11-hour taxi drive to Joshimath along the Ganga. En-route we stopped at Devaprayag which has a spectacular view of the confluence of the River Alaknanda, which originates from Badrinath, and the Bhagirathi, which issues from the Gangotri glacier to form the sacred River Ganga.

We reached Joshimath at around 7 pm and camped at the Chardham Camp.What more could one ask for after the voyage but a hot water bath, a good meal and a good night’s sleep in the tent under the starlit skies! But the next morning had an unpleasant surprise in store. At 6.00 am we realised the driver who was supposed to give us company till Badrinath had bolted and gone back to his base camp at Hardwar.

We panicked, as the gates which open at stipulated timings for the one way track to Badrinath would close after 6.30 a.m., to open again only at 9.00 am. Here’s when the panditji who does the daily morning and evening arti at the camp came to the rescue. He guided us through the back lanes down to the bus stand so that we were able to board a bus going to Badrinath in the nick of time. At Joshimath, a visit to the Narsimha temple is not only mandatory but also essential to understand the legend behind it. This visit should ideally be undertaken before one leaves for Badrinath. This temple is dedicated to Lord Narasimha. The idol of Narasimha Saligram, which is about 10 inches high and remarkably detailed, is said to have been installed by Shankaracharya. The left wrist of Narasimha is said to be getting thinner every day. It is said that at the end of Kaliyug, the wrist will break, and the mountains Jaya and Vijaya will collapse and block the present road to Badrinath. The new Badrinath, according to legend, will be relocated to Bhavishya Badri, about 23 km South-east of Joshimath.

From Badrinath, the scenic beauty of the heavily iced Alaknanda, with a backdrop of majestic mountains, is breathtaking. Encircled in a beautiful valley with the snowy peaks of Neelkanth, Nara and Narayana visible, the ancient historical temple of Badrinath dates back to the Vedic times and was rebuilt by Shankaracharya in the 8th century A.D. The temple complex has 15 idols.

Situated to the left of the main temple is the temple of Lord Adikedareshwar. Legend has it that when Shiva lived here with Parvati, Vishnu came in the form of a small child whom Parvati in her compassion took into her home.They went out, leaving the small child, and returned to find that the child was none other than the Lord Narayan himself, who had taken over their dwelling. Shiva shifted his abode to Kedarnath, where he is worshipped as one of the 12 Jyotirlingas. When Badrinath closes in winter, the priests from the Badrinath return to Joshimath and continue to worship at the Narasimha temple. The utsava-murti (moving deity) of Badri Vishal is brought to Pandukeswar for worship.

A Char Dham camp

We lingered on for a while in Badrinath, stopping at a langar for the sadhus.One of the sadhus obligingly posed for a picture and invited us for the prasad. A 15-minute walk downhill from Badrinath is all it took for a visual treat – thick glacial ice on Alaknanda melting away. The spiritual presence at Badrinath was awe-inspiring. Back at Joshimath, we encountered a self-proclaimed Baba Narmada Nath who smoked his chilam, also savoured by most of us. Lea ving Joshimath for Hardwar, we were engulfed in a feeling that could only be described as mystical.

GAURAV SCHIMAR

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