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Pilgrimage town in Garhwal
Vishnu's shrine on the Alaknanda, and the village before Tibet
Badrinath is the Vishnu shrine at about 3,300 m on the Alaknanda, one of the four Char Dham and open roughly late April to mid-November. Three kilometres on is Mana, the last village before the Mana Pass to Tibet. It is reachable by road all the way; one or two nights is enough.
Photo: Arpita Tripathy · CC BY-SA 4.0 · CommonsBadrinath sits in a wide, bare valley between the Nar and Narayan ranges, with the pyramid of Neelkanth, 6,597 m, rising behind the town. The temple, its painted facade bright red, blue and gold, faces the Alaknanda river; below it, steaming hot springs feed the Tapt Kund where pilgrims bathe before darshan. Badrinath is one of the four dhams of both the Himalayan Char Dham and the all-India Char Dham of Badrinath, Puri, Dwarka and Rameswaram.
The temple is run by a state-appointed committee, but its rituals keep an unusual link with South India. By tradition the Rawal, the chief priest, is a Nambudiri Brahmin from Kerala, a practice attributed to Adi Shankara, who is said to have recovered the Badrinarayan image from the Alaknanda. The temple opens each spring on a date announced on Basant Panchami at the old Tehri royal palace in Narendra Nagar, and closes in November, when an image of Badri is carried down to Joshimath.
Three kilometres further, at about 3,200 m, lies Mana, a village of the Bhotiya Marchha community. Mana once traded wool and salt with Tibet across the Mana Pass, until the route closed in the early 1950s. Its signboards, which once read India's last village, now call it the first. In summer its lanes sell hand-knitted woollens, and paths lead to Vyas Gufa, Bhim Pul and the long waterfall of Vasudhara. In winter the whole village moves down to lower valleys.
The temple opens before dawn for the abhishek, and general darshan runs through the day with a midday break. Queues stretch for hours in May and June. Go early or after 7 pm, and check timings and token systems at the temple committee office.
Sulphur springs below the temple at about 55 °C feed bathing tanks where pilgrims take a dip before darshan, while air temperatures stay cool all year. Separate sections for men and women; take a towel and something warm to change into.
Stone houses with slate roofs, women knitting caps and socks in doorways, and small tea shops marked first tea shop of India. Walk slowly and ask before photographing people; this is home for about 1,200 residents in summer.
Above Mana, a small cave shrine is where the sage Vyasa is said to have composed the epics, with Ganesh Gufa nearby. Below the village, a natural rock slab spans the roaring Saraswati: Bhim Pul, said to have been laid by Bhima for Draupadi.
A waterfall of about 120 m dropping off a cliff, reached by a 3-hour walk from Mana past the Saraswati temple. Pilgrims believe its spray falls only on the pure of heart. The path is stony and climbs above 3,600 m; go with water and a warm layer.
On clear mornings in May, June and October, the snow pyramid of Neelkanth, 6,597 m, turns pink above the temple at sunrise. Stand on the bridge over the Alaknanda for the classic view of temple and peak together.
Field notes
Badrinath's chief priest, the Rawal, is traditionally a Nambudiri Brahmin from Kerala, a tradition believed to have been started by Adi Shankara. He must be a bachelor with a postgraduate Sanskrit degree, and is formally approved by the former ruler of Tehri Garhwal.
Source: Badrinath Temple
In 1624 the Portuguese Jesuits António de Andrade and Manuel Marques crossed the Mana Pass and became the first known Europeans to enter Tibet. The pass remained a trade route until it was closed in 1951.
Source: Mana Pass
Badrinath takes its name from the Sanskrit badari, the jujube tree, and natha, lord. The hot springs of Tapt Kund below the temple stay at about 55 °C all year, though the air rarely rises above 17 °C.
Source: Badrinath Temple
Experiences
Photo: Anubha khare · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Bathe in the hot springs of Tapt Kund, then join the queue for darshan of the black stone Badrinarayan image in its gil…
Photo: Deepak 13 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Wander the stone lanes of Mana, a Bhotiya village 3 km beyond Badrinath at about 3,200 m, then climb to the cave shrine…
Photo: Gouravmsh · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
A stony trail of about 5 km from Mana past the Saraswati temple and up the Alaknanda valley to Vasudhara, a slender wat…
Real prices
Local prices change with season and fuel costs. Check current status before you travel.
Getting there
Bus
UTC and GMOU buses leave Rishikesh between about 4 am and 6 am for Badrinath, roughly 295 km and 10–11 hours via Devprayag, Rudraprayag and Joshimath. Shared jeeps run from Joshimath (45 km, 1.5–2 hours).
Road
By car from Rishikesh, most travellers break the journey at Joshimath or Pipalkoti. The road above Joshimath, past Vishnuprayag and Govindghat, is narrow and slide-prone in monsoon. Traffic is controlled at times in peak season; check current status before you travel.
Air
Dehradun's Jolly Grant airport is the nearest, about 315 km away. Seasonal helicopter charters fly pilgrims from Dehradun to Badrinath; seats are expensive and depend on weather.
Where to stay
Saver: GMVN runs Hotel Devlok and a Yatri Niwas with dorm beds, and dharamshalas run by trusts and communities offer simple rooms close to the temple at ₹300–1,500. Comfort: Badrinath's private hotels are plain but warm, at ₹2,500–6,000 for a double in peak season; ask for rooms with geysers and blankets. There is no luxury hotel here; signature trips sleep lower, at Joshimath or Auli, and visit Badrinath for the day with an early start.
Trips that stop here
Photo: McKay Savage from London, UK · CC BY 2.0 · Commons
Comfort
Private car with driver
Photo: McKay Savage from London, UK · CC BY 2.0 · Commons
Saver
UTC and GMOU buses, shared jeeps and walking
Questions
Badrinath usually opens in late April or early May, on a date announced on Basant Panchami at the Tehri royal palace in Narendra Nagar, and closes in mid-to-late November, with the date announced on Vijayadashami. Check current status before you travel.
UTC and GMOU buses leave Rishikesh early morning and reach Badrinath in 10–11 hours, costing about ₹600–950. Alternatively, take a bus to Joshimath and a shared jeep from there (₹200–350). Book the bus a day ahead in May and June.
Seasonal helicopter charters run from Dehradun to Badrinath, often as part of Char Dham packages. They are expensive and weather-dependent. Unlike Kedarnath, there is no IRCTC shuttle, because Badrinath is reachable by road. Check current status before you travel.
Yes. The temple is a short walk from the car park, with steps and a bridge. The main challenges are altitude (3,300 m), cold nights and long queues. Seniors should sleep a night at Joshimath first, dress warmly and go for darshan early.
One full day covers darshan, Tapt Kund and Mana village. Add a second day for Vasudhara Falls or a slower pace. Most travellers combine Badrinath with Joshimath, Auli or the Valley of Flowers in a 5–7 night trip.
Jio, Airtel and BSNL generally work in Badrinath town, though very crowded days slow data. There are a couple of ATMs, which can run dry in peak season. Carry enough cash from Joshimath for your stay.
In May and June days are 10–18 °C and nights 2–8 °C. October drops to 0–14 °C with frosty mornings. July and August bring rain and landslides on the road. From December to March the town is snowbound and closed.
A few homestays and guesthouses in Mana take guests in season, and the number has grown in recent years. Facilities are simple. Most travellers sleep in Badrinath, 3 km away, and visit Mana for the day.
At about 3,300 m, mild symptoms such as headache, poor sleep and breathlessness on stairs are common on the first night if you drive up from the plains in one day. Break the journey at Joshimath, drink water, avoid alcohol and talk to your doctor about precautions.
Plan with a local planner
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