Badrinath Temple

Badrinath Temple, also known as Badarinath, is one of the most sacred Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Vishnu in his form as Badrinarayan. Situated at an elevation of 3,133 metres on the banks of the Alaknanda River in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, it is one of the four Char Dham pilgrimage sites and part of the smaller Chota Char Dham circuit. The temple is also one of the 108 Divya Desams, the sacred shrines of Lord Vishnu mentioned in the works of the Alvars. The presiding deity is a 1-foot-tall black granite idol of Badrinarayan, believed to have been established by Adi Shankaracharya in the 9th century. The temple remains open only from late April/early May to November each year due to extreme weather at this altitude. Tapt Kund, a natural hot spring near the temple with water temperature around 55°C, is where pilgrims bathe before darshan.