Guest Writer K

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Guest writer K. Ram Kumar continues his illustrated journey through the Himalayas, visitingthe ancient shrines at Badrinath, Kedarnath and more. See also A Himalayan Journey - Part I . In this part, Joshimath , Pandukeshwar and Vyas Guh are covered. Part III will coverKedarnath.

A Himalayan Pilgrimage (Part I of III)

Foreword Badrinath Antiquity The Temple Deities Legends

Temple Schedule Worship Protocol Hot Water SpringsPanch BadriAccess & Accomodation

Foreword : The Himalayas have beenrevered as the abode of divinity, since the dawn of Indian religious thought. Severalvenerated pilgrimage sites dot the foothills and the peaks of the Himalayas. TheGanges, revered as a holy river originates in the glaciers in the unsurmountable heightsof the mighty Himalayan ranges. Most noteworthy of the Himalayan pilgrimage sitesare Badrinath and Kedarnath. Accessible only for six months in a year, Badrinath isreached by a precarious motorable road, while it takes an arduous trek to reachKedarnath. Also in this pilgrimage route are several other shrines associated with theIndian epics as well as with eminent personalities such as Ved Vyas and Aadi Shankara(such as the Vyas Guh, and the Joshi Mutt). Also in the Himalayas are the Prayags orthe sacred confluences of the various rivers that feed the Ganges. In this three partfeature on the Himalayas, K. Ram Kumar of Chennai illustrates and covers several ofthe pilgrimage sites in the Himalayas. Part I features Badrinath alone. Part II willfeature Joshi Mutt and several other shrines. Part III will feature Kedarnath.

Significance: It is said that "there aremany sacred spots of pilgrimage in theheavens, earth and the nether world, butthere has been none equal to Badri, norshall there be" . Badrinath is situated in theTehri-Garhwal hill tracks (Uttarakhand) atthe height of 10,248 feet above sea level.
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This shrine has been visited in the past by religious leaders such as Sankaracharya and is one of the foremost pilgrimage centers revered all over India. Badrinath has been sung in chaste tamilverse by one of the Alwar saints of Tamilnadu (Tirumangaialwar) , in the 8 th century CE (andhas also been mentioned by Perialwar, as one of the sacred centers of Vishnu) ; is considered to

be one of the 108 sacred centers of the Sri Vaishnavite religion.

Antiquity: Srimad Bhagvatam has explained the significance of the temple and the glory of ShriBadri Narayan. However the history and origins of the temple have not been well recorded withdue authenticity. The Kings of Garhwal built the present structure of the temple about twocenturies ago. Certain beliefs consider this image to be that of the Buddha (given the seatedposture and the placement of the arms). Local legends say that the original temple wasdesecrated by Buddhists and the image thrown into Narad Kund, near river Alaknanda, to beretrieved later by Adi Sankara. The image was then restored to its original position and protocolsof worship were established.

The Temple: The temple, moderate in size, can be divided into three parts

sanctum, thedarshan mandap and sabha mandap The temple has suffered from avalanches, several times inthe past and renovated. The Kings of Garhwal renovated the present structure almost twocenturies ago.

The beginning of Guru-Shisya paramparais supposed to have its roots here. This issymbolised by two range of mountains Nar range of mountains (representing theindividual soul - Jeevatma) and Narayanrange of mountains (on which side is the

temple situated

representing thesupreme reality - Paramatma). Theseforms were used to convey theAshtakshara mantras, Vedas and theirimportance. River Alaknanda, consideredto be one of the most sacred, divides thetwo ranges of mountains.

In the backdrop of the temple and Narayan range of mountains is the NeelKant Parvat ice cladmountain which is a feast to watch in the early morning hours when it sparkles at the time of sunrise (see image above). This majestic peak of Himalayas is of 19800-ft height.

Deities : The sanctum here houses Lord Badri Narayan, Kuber ( God of wealth), Narad Rishi,Uthavar, Nar & Narayan. Lord Badri Narayan (also called as Badri Vishal) is armed with Conch(Shankh) and Chakra in two arms in a lifted posture and two more arms rested on the lap inYogamudra. The principal image is of black stone and it represents Vishnu seated in meditativepose. The temple also houses Garud (Vahana vehicle of Lord Narayan) and GoddessMahalaxmi (referred as Arvidavalli Thayar by Tamilians). Also here are the idols of AdiSankara, Swami Desikan and Shri Ramanujar.


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Legends associated with this temple: MahaVishnu is believed to have done his penance in thisplace. Seeing the Lord doing his penance in the open, Goddess Mahalaxmi is believed to haveassumed the form of Badri (elandai) tree to provide him shelter to face the onslaught of theweather conditions, hence the name of Badri Narayan.

Legend has it that Lord Vishnu identified Nar & Naryan forms to be of his own to Narad Rishi.Narad Rishi did his penance here and is believed to be worshipping these forms of supreme Godwith the Ashtakshara mantra even now.

Temple Schedule : Weather conditions are such that, worship could be offered in this templeonly for 6 months (May to early part of November - From tamil month Chittirai to Aippasi).During the winter period, the shrine remains closed (to be opened only on Chritra Pournami Full moon day of tamil month Chitrai) and during this intervening period it is believed thatDivine beings conduct poojas to Lord Vishnu. In accordance with established Hindu rituals of conducting poojas without any break, the Utsavars (bronze images) are taken with all reverenceto Pandukeshvar - abode for Lord Badri Vishal during winter. On the day of reopening of the

main shrine at Badri, these images are taken back.

Rituals offerings to pitrus (souls of the dead) are performed at Brahma Kapaalam (located at adistance of 200ft from the main shrine) on the banks of Alaknanda, by offering prasad (rice food)of Lord Badri Narayan.

Worship Protocol:

Though this shrine is located in the northern most part of India, the Chief Priest Ravalji of Keralite (Namboodri) origins - performs the rituals. Procedures of daily poojas and rituals aresupposed to have been prescribed by Adi Sankara. Unlike in most of the Hindu temples all the

poojas (including decoration of idols) are performed before the eyes of all devotees. The templeopens at 7 am each day. The following is a list of the various worship services offered here, eachday..

Nimalya Darshan : Chandan (sandalwood paste) left on the image of Badrinarayan from theprevious night, is removed to enable devotees to have full view of the image.

Abhishek Darshan : Process begins with Kalsa Pooja. Abishekam (ablution) is then carried out inthe presence of pilgrims.

Alankar Darshan : After abhishekam, the decoration process begins in the full view of devotees.

Firstly, the entire idol, excluding the face, is covered with sandal paste and followed by thedecoration with flowers & jewels.

Aarti Darshan : On completion of alankars, aarthi ( lighting of camphor) is held. This marks thecompletion of forenoon pooja rituals and will end around 11.30 am 12.00 p.m., after which thetemple is closed.


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Reopening of the temple takes place at 4.00 p.m. for commencement of evening rituals whichlasts till 8.00 p.m. During this period, Ashotothram and Sahasranamam recitations take place.Around 7.30 p.m. Mangal aarthi called as Geetgovind takes place. On completion of aarti, theChief Priest removes the flowers & jewels in the full glimpse of devotees. The image of Badrinarayan is now left only with sandal paste, to be removed only the next morning and

distributed as prasad.

Hotwater Springs: The pilgrimage centre boasts of two natural hotwater springs Tapt Kundand Surya Kund. The sulphurous waters have a temperature of 55* C. A bath in these springs isbelieved to purify the body and soul and is done before visiting the temple.

Panch Badri:

i. Vishaal Badri : Refers to the main Shri Badri Narayan Temple and is considered to be themost sacred.

ii. Yogadhyan Badri : Located at a distance of 24 kms from Badri Nath and at 20 kms from

Joshimath. This is also the place where Maharaj Pandu (father of the Pandava princes)prayed to Pandukeshwar.iii. Bhavishya Badri : This is located at 17 kms from Joshimath and is a small village.iv. Preeta Badri : Located at 17 kms from Joshimath at place called Animath. Adi Sankara is

believed to have worshipped Lord Badri Nath for some time.v. Aadi Badri : This is located at a distance of 16 kms from KarnaPrayag. Several temples

constructed during Gupta Dynasty are here of which Mana Narayanan temple isconsidered to be the most popular one.

Access and Accomodation:

The journey to Badri, mostly fromRishikesh, is through Rudra Prayag. Theroad from Rudra Prayag is a single wayroute, passing through mountainousranges, with the entire route fraught withdangerous curves and stone falling zones.Throughout the entire route, one one sideis the River Alaknanda and on the other -lofty mountains. Innumerable milky waterfalls add to the scenic beauty of the entireroute. During rainy days, the routewitnesses many landslides. On account of the vicinity to the international bordersand risks of landslide in the entire route,the task of maintenance of the road has been entrusted to Border Roads Organisation (BRO), aUnit attached to Indian Army. The distance from Rudraprayag to Badri is 160 kms. Travel timewill be dependent on weather conditions and landslides enroute.


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Badrinath is also connected by road to Dehradun, Haridwar, Pauri, Uttarkashi, Nainital andAlmora districts in UP Hills. Some of the major road distances are: Rishikesh 297 kms,Joshimath 42 kms, Haridwar 321 kms, Karnaprayag 123 kms, Rudraprayag 155 kms,Deoprayag 225 kms, Dehradun 343 kms.

Nearest airport - Jolly Grant AirStrip ,is located at Dehradun, which is 315 kms away. Thenearest railhead is at Rishikesh, which is at a distance of 292 kms.

The shrine is open between April and November. Trips during rainy days are not desirable andare to be avoided. One should, without fail, carry Sweaters, woollen clothing, umbrellas and anemergency supply of medicines during the trip. Minimum luggage is preferred. Onlyvegetarian food and non-alcoholic beverages are permitted here. Reasonable accommodation, atcottages managed by Temple committee. is available at Badri. Postal and Banking facilities arealso available.

Joshimath:

Joshimath, the first mutt established by Shri Adi Sankara , is located at a distance of 14kms from Helang enroute to Badri . Adi Sankara is believed to have authored the work,Sri Sankara Bhashyam here. This located at a height of 6150 ft above sea level. Here,there are separate temples for Narasimha and Vasudev (different forms of Vishnu ).This is one of the 108 Divya Desams (sung by Sacred Vaishnavaite Saints).

In the temple for Narasimha , separate statues of Badri narayan, Uthavar, Kuber,Chandikadevi, Ram, Lakshman, Sita and Garud can be seen together in the sanctumsanctorum. Outside the temple separate statues of Brahma, Krishana, Lakshmi &Anjaneya can be seen. Vyas Maharishi is believed to have worshipped GoddessLakshmi here. The presiding deity Narasimha is believed to have been established byAdi Sankara . It is widely believed that one hand of the presiding deity is gettingweakened and the day it disjoints, the way to Badri will get eternally blocked and that adarshan of Badri Narayan would be possible only from Bhavishya Badri or Adi Badri (part of Panch Badris).

The temple of Vasudev houses Vasudev in the sanctum sanctorum as well as Sridevi, Bhoodevi, Leela devi, Oorvasi devi & Balram in the outer praharam. Furtherseparate structures are available for Vinayaka, Brahma, Indira, Chandran(Moon),Navadurgas & Gauri Shankar.

(Also see: Tiruppirudi (Joshi Math) and The Abodes of Vishnu )

Pandukeshwar
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This place is believed to have been established by King Pandu , father of Pandavas. It issituated at 4kms from Govind Ghat , 219 kms from Kedarnath and 24 kms fromBadrinath . There are two temples one for Lord Yogabadri Narayan and the other forVasudev . During winter, Lord Vasudev temple will function as the abode for Badri Narayan and all the daily rituals connected with worship are performed here. Both thetemples are quite old.

Vyas Guh (The cave of the Sage Vyasa)

Vyas Guh (The cave of the Sage Vyasa)

The village of Mana , located at a distance of 3 kms from Badrinath is the last Indian

Village situated in the Indo-China Border and has gained historical importance onaccount of Vysas Caves.

This village, located on the banks of River Saraswathi (only place where this river canbe seen) is very beautiful. Vyas Maharishi (Sage), author of Mahabharata is believed to have livedin the caves named after him. It is said that, Vyasa Maharish, upon being requested by hismentor Kalpatru Maharishi in his dream, composed the Mahabharata, the eternal epicof Hindus depicting the history of Pandavas, Kauravs including Kurukshetra War andmost importantly Bhagawad Geeta (Chapter 18 of Mahabharata) believed to havebeen revealed by Krishna (reincarnation of Vishnu).

Ganesha , the elder son of Shiva & Parvathi, is said to have helped Vyas Maharishi incomposing this epic in written form the beginning of education in written form. Inaddition to Mahabharata , Vyas Maharishi composed 18 puranas (legendary stories),Brahma Sutras and classified the Hindu Vedas into 4 parts Rig, Yajur, Sama andAtharvana. Legend has it that Adi Sankara met Vyas Maharishi in this cave, anddiscussed his Bhashyam (explanatory notes) for Brahma Sutras.


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The rock formation inside the Vyas Guh appears to resemble the orderly stacking ofpalm leave manuscripts oldest writing material and is worshipped as "Vyas Pusthak".Vyas Maharishi is also considered, by some, as reincarnation of Vishnu.

Another Cave called as Ganesh Guh (cave) is also located in this village.

The village also boasts of Keshav Prayag Sangamam (confluence) of Rivers Saraswathi and Alaknanda . Vasudhara Falls & Bhimpul Falls are nearby. Like Badrinath, thevillage becomes inaccessible during winter (almost 6 months) and the entire villagevacates and moves to a safer place down the hills.

Guest writer K. Ram Kumar continues his illustrated journey through the Himalayas, visitingthe ancient shrines at Badrinath, Kedarnath and more. See also A Himalayan Journey - Part I and Part II .

Kedarnath Temple is situated at 11500 ft above sea level in the Tehri-Garhwal range ofHills. Pilgrimage to this abode of Lord Shiva is considered to be the toughest, next onlyto Mount Kailash. Kedarnath is also one of the 12 Jyothirlingams held in reverence.Adi Sankaracharya is said to have worshipped Shiva here. The Tamil Saint PoetsThirugnansambandar and Sundarar have sung pathigams in praise of this deity.

(See Also: Abodes of Shiva , 12 Jyotirlinga Shrines of Shiva , Mount Kailash , All about Shiva )

Antiquity: The age of the temple is traced to Mahabharatha period. The originalstructure is believed to have been built by Pandavas . Janameyjayan , son of Parikshit

Maharaj, is said to have constructed the Mandap (Hall) before sanctum sanctorum. Thepresent structure is a result of renovations over a period of time.

This moderately sized temple consists of a sanctum and a hall in front. Outside thetemple, in the open sky, there is a majestic Nandi (Bull vehicle of Shiva) facingShiva. Just at the entrance, there is Vinayaka - with a human face in a posture ofprayer. The mandap, houses the images of Pandavas and their wife Draupadi original
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builders of the temple besides Krishna (mentor of Pandavas a reincarnation ofVishnu ) and Kunti (mother of Pandavas ). While Yudhistir , eldest of the Pandavsstands symbolising Dharma , Arjun is dressed for performing penance. Others Bhim ,Nakul & Sahadev stand duly armed with their respective traditional arms.

In addition, there is also a small bull and Swami Veerbhadra inside the temple. Justbefore the sanctum sanctorum , an image of KedarGauri , consort of Shiva is locatedfacing west. Shiva is worshipped in the form of a Shiva Lingam , facing South. There isalso a small temple for Bhairav , to the south of main temple, who is said to guard theKedarnath temple when it is closed for worship during winter.

Legend associated with this temple: After winning the Kurukshetra war, Pandavas feltremorseful for having killed thousands of lives including those of their cousins. In orderto seek salvation from the sins of war, they sought the advice of their mentor, Krishna .


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closure, the temple remains submerged in snow and regular poojas are conducted atUkkhimath . It is believed that during winter, Divine beings perform poojas to LordShiva as is being done by Humans- earthlings during summer.

On the way to the temple is "Uthank Kund" a perennial water source. It is believedthat drinking this water as prasad from this Kund, will only complete worship at Kedar.

Similar to Badrinath, Adi Sankara is said to have worshipped here and formulated theworship protocols. It is further said that Adi Sankara attained Samadhi here (noauthentic proof is available) and to symbolise this is the Samadhi (final resting-place)located behind the Kedarnath temple. As prescribed by Adi Sankara, the Chief Priest ofthis temple is a person from Kannadiga Lingayat community (from the State ofKarnataka). The Chief Priest is required to be strict bachelor.

Worship Protocols:

The services offered to Lord Shiva include Suprabadh (at 7 am) followed by Balbhog,Mahaabishek, Rudrahishek and Ashotar in the morning and in the evening Shiv Ashotatram , Sahasranamam and other archanas and in the end Ekantha Seva & Aarthi at 8 pm.

When the temple is opened in the morning, devotees are allowed to enter the sanctumto have darshan at close quarters and also personally perform poojas. Unlike in most ofthe temples, devotees are allowed to touch the presiding deity and offer prayers here. Itis believed that touching the idol of Lord Shiva by hand and placing ones head on the


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lingam, in reverence, enables one to achieve Mukthi (salvation) from the sins of living,and liberates one from the cycles of birth and rebirth.

Annual festivals celebrated include Badri-Kedar Utsav and Doli Yatra of Kedarnath.

Associated Temples

Panch Kedar

When Shiva sank himself into the earth to escape from Pandavas , Bhim managed tohold on to the hump. However, it is believed that different parts of the bull emerged atfive different places (including Kedar ) as described in Padma Purana . The mythologicaldescription of these Kedars are explained below:

1. Kedarnath : The hump or the hinder part of the bull which washeld by Bhim is worshipped as Lord Shiva.

2. Maddhyamaheshvra : Nabhi or the middle-part of the bull isworshipped as Lord Shiva. This is located at 21 kms fromUkhimath the abode for Lord Kedarnath during winter.

3. Tungnath : The Bahu or hand of the bull is worshipped here asLord Shiva. It is located enroute to Badrinath and is 37 kms fromUkhimath, on a mountain in between Chamouli and Ukkhimath.

4. Rudranath: The Mukh or the mouth of the bull is worshipped asLord Shiva here. It is about 19 kms from Mandal Chatti.

5. Kalpeshwar : The Jata or the hair of the head of bull is worshippedas Lord Shiva. This place is located about 8.7 kms from Helang, onthe other side of the river Alaknanda.

TRIYUGINARAYAN : This is a mythological venue, at a distance of 25 kms fromKedar and at a short trek of 5 kms from Sonprayag. It is believed that the wedding ofShiva with Parvathi was solemnised here . An eternal flame, said to be a witness forthe above wedding, burns in front of the temple even today.

Access and Accommodation: Upto Gaurikund,(14 kms from Kedar) the place isaccessible by motorable roads. Regular bus services and private taxies ply in this route.However the route is prone to landslides and is difficult to navigate. Thus, any travel

during rainy season should be completely avoided. State road authorities maintain thisroad. On the entire route, while mountains follow on the one side, River Mandakiniflows in full form on the other side.

The stretch of 14 kms from Gaurikund to Kedar is very difficult to trek and can coveredonly by foot or on ponies (mules) or dolies (palanquin bearers). Natures beauty in theentire route from Rishikesh to Kedar, will be a treat to watch and will be an experienceof different kind which can not be explained.


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The nearest airport is Dehradun Jolly Grant AirStrip and is located at a distance of 239kms. Nearest railhead is situated at Rishikesh 221 kms from Kedar (of which 207 kmsis motorable upto Gaurikund ).

During summer, postal and banking facilities are available at Kedar . There is also asmall Government Dispensary at Kedar.

Like Badri , non-vegetarian food and consumption of alcohol is strictly prohibited atKedar. Local eateries / Dhabhas offering vegetarian food are available.

Private Hotels, Dharmasalas and Guest House maintained by the Temple Committeeare available for stay.

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Guest Writer K