Badrinath

A Vishnu pilgrimage site in the Alaknanda Valley, its temple backed by the snowy peak of Neelkanth, with a walk to Mana village near the border.

Badrinath lies in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, India, at an altitude of about 3,100 m in the Alaknanda Valley between the Nar and Narayan mountains, about 40 km south of the Chinese border. It is one of Hinduism's four sacred abodes (Char Dham) as well as one of Uttarakhand's Chota Char Dham, drawing over a million pilgrims each year from May to November. The main sights are in two places: in town, Badrinath Temple, the Tapt Kund hot springs and the Brahma Kapal ghat, with Neelkanth peak rising behind; and 3 km north, Mana village, with Vyas Cave and Bhim Pul, from where you can hike to Vasudhara Falls — and fit trekkers can take on the multi-day trek to Satopanth Lake. On the way south are Pandukeshwar, Joshimath and Vishnuprayag, while Govindghat is the gateway to the Valley of Flowers and Hemkund (requiring an overnight stay in Ghangaria). The temple usually opens in late April or early May and closes in mid-November, after which the town is all but deserted for the winter. May–June and September–October have the best weather; during the July–August monsoon the highway is often cut by landslides. From Rishikesh it is about 300 km by national highway, a 10–12-hour drive, usually with an overnight stop in Joshimath or elsewhere along the way; helicopter flights are also available. Pilgrims must register in advance on the Uttarakhand Tourism website. Be prepared for big temperature swings between day and night at this altitude; food in town is vegetarian and alcohol is banned. Allow 2–3 days, plus another 2 for the Valley of Flowers.

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