Sri Badrinath-The Moksha Dham

The temple of Sri Badrinath situated at an altitude of 10300 ft above sea level, deep in higher himalayas, close to the border of India with Tibet. Although the tradition attributed its estabilishment in Satya Yug to Brahm, the first in the divine trinity, as the seat of lord Vishnu, the second in trinity, it was re-established in its present form by Sri Shankara Bhagvatpada. According to Skand Puran, the idol of lord Krishna was retieved from Narad Kund by Sri Sankara and installed on the top of Bhairvi Chakra where it is worshiped today. In the Sthal Purana, in Satya Yug, the name of the place is mentioned as Muktipad, one that gives Moksha the deliverence. The temple of Badrinath is situated on the western bank of the holy river Alakhnanda between the Nar and Naryan peaks.During the Satya Yuga, the rishis Nar and Narayan,, the prophet of the Sanatan Dharam, did their penances on the twin mountain named after them. Overcome obstructions mounted by Indira who sent apsaras to distract them. Narayana created the eternelly beautiful apsara Urvashi from his thighs in this place challenging Indira with the impossible task of creating more beautiful women. Nar and Narayan were reincarneted as Lord Krishna and Arjun in Dwapar Yug.
In Treta Yug, according to the Ramayan,Lord Ram sent Swayamprabha to Badrinath , then known as Yogaasidhita, to reside in his eaternal presence as reward for helping the Vanara Sena of Lord Hanuman to reach Lanka
In Dwaparayug,according to Sri BhagwatPurana, Lord Sri Krishna at the time of his departure from this earth,sent his minister and friend Sri Uddhav, the only surviving yadav to proceed to Badrinath,then known as Vishala with his Charan Paduka and assured him that the very sight of Alakhnanda would wash off his all sins.
According to the Skand,Sthal and Srimad Bhagavat puran ths place is known as Badrikasharam in Kaliyuga, the present age.Rishi Ved Vayas, also known as Bahdarayana lived here and compiled Vedas,wrote Bramha Sutra,Mahabharata and took the initiation of Srimada Bhagvat Purana from Saint Narad.According to the Sthal Purana, Lord Vishnu is worshiped at Badrinath by the human beings for the period when these mountains are free from snow and by Saint Narada when it snow heavily during winters.
According to Srimada Bhagvat Puran, saint Narad worshiped lord Vishnu at Sri Badrinath with the following prayer:
OM NAMO BHAGVATEUPASANA SEELAYO PARATANATMYAYA NAMO KINJANAVITHAYA RISHI RISABHAYA NARA NARAYANA PARAMAHAMSA PARAMA GURUVE ATMAARAMADHIPATAYE NAMO NAMA-Srimada Bhagvata 5th canto 19th chapter 11th hymn
(I offer my respectful obeisance and surrender myself to Nar Narayan the greatest of all saintly graces, the supreme personality of Godhead who is in the state of equilibrium and self realized free from all false prestige and who is the asset of person who have no meterial possesions(or the wealthiest of the wealthy).He is the spritual master of all paramahamsas, who are the most exalted human beings and he is the master of self realized, who are all self absorbed in the eternal bliss. Let me offer my repeated obeisance at his lotus feet)
The 300 km himalayan road to the temple town of Sri Badrinath starts from Rishikesh in the foothills where river Ganges flow into the plains of India.One can also trevel to Sri Badrinath from Kothdwar via Karnaprayag,distance of about 250 km. The entire journey from Rishikesh to Sri Badrinath is along the river Ganges (upto Devprayag where Alakhananda merges with Bhagirathi to form Ganges)and Alakananda from Devprayag onwords. Alakhananda the main stream of Ganges, is also known as Vishnupadi Ganga. An all weather mountain road, presently undergoing widening, covers the entire distance-described by Prabhat Tandon, Bareilly UP India