.........Journey on the way of Pandavas......
According to Hindu mythology, Satopanth Tal is on the route taken by the Panch Pandavas on their Swarga Yatra. At various places their name remains as a memorial of this sacred journey. At the starting point at Mana, 3 km away from Badrinath, is the natural rock bridge, Bhima Pul. Here, Bhima is believed to have made the bridge over the river Saraswati so Draupadi could cross. At Lakshmi Ban, Draupadi is believed to have breathed her last. In the austere barren landscape at an altitude of 12600 feet, strewn with huge boulders, bhuj plants grow in the small patch of Lakshmi Ban. At Bandhar, it is said that Yudhishthir's thirst was quenched by the baan or arrow shot by Arjun which caused a stream of water to gush forth from the very Earth. At Bhimbar, the rock pillar commemorates Bhima's release from earthly life. At Chakratirtha the great yogi and warrior, Arjun gave up his body. Ahead, only Yudhishthir with his dog, who was indeed Dharma Raja himself, went in his mortal form, negotiating dangerous glaciers and hidden crevasses. At Satopanth Tal, the celestial rath or vehicle received him.
Inspired by this ancient heritage and the lofty Himalayas, the playground of the Gods, we undertook this sacred yatra.We started off from valley Of Flowers towards Badrinath...The Final Dham Of Lord Badri Vishal from where we were going to start our sacred journey towards the Path To Heaven.On the way to Badrinath from Valley Of Flowers,we experienced a heavy snow fall all along the way till Badrinath and within Badrinath.To trek towards Swargarohini we were willing to visit Badrinath first as the route passes from badrinath..and Pandavas went on this path...
We reached Badrinath on 4th September 2000,in the evening and as per our programme halted in Balanand Ashram...We were experiencing an ice fall never seen before,like a dream.It was maximum in last 5 years as per the local people.all over Badrinath.
Located only a few kilometers from the Indo-China (Tibet) border Badrinath stands first in the pilgrimage programs as it bears the highest degree of supreme faith and dedication to god. According to the Skanda Purana: "There are several sacred shrines in heaven, on earth, and in hell; but there is no shrine like Badrinath". The area around Badrinath was celebrated in Padma Purana as abounding in spiritual treasures. In the Hindu mythology, the region of the Himalayas is land of meditation "Uttra-Khand", in which the holly abode of Shri Badrinathji has been, situated in the extreme north of India at the confluence of river Rishi Ganga and River Alaknanda at a height of 3110m above sea level. A great religious importance has been attached to Badrinath Pauri which was once surrounded by wild berries or 'Badri' and so it was named ‘Badrivan’. This land has been worshipped by saints and sages as it has been the abode of yogis and great hermits. Badrinath has also been eulogized as Bhu Vaikuntha or earthly abode of Lord Vishnu.Many religious scholars such as Ramanujacharya, Madhawacharya and Vedanta Desika visited Badrinath and wrote sacred texts, such as commentaries on Brahma Sutras and other Upanishads.
After refreshing we went to Seek the blessings of Lord Badrinath...Badri Vishal,some say.Facing the temple at the bank of Alaknanda river is a hot water spring known as ‘Tapt Kund’. A bath in this spring is very refreshing. a separate tank is available for women. the temple opens every year in the month of April-May and closes during the winter around the third week of November. It is believed that worshipping at this shrine is a means of liberating the soul from the bound of transmigration.
The colourful and distinctive façade of the temple, known as Singhdwar, is crafted painstakingly. The present structure of the temple is a contribution of the Kings of Garhwal, it is said. It has three sections – garbh griha (sanctum sanctorum), the Darshan Mandap, and Sabha Mandap. In the sanctum is placed the image of Lord Vishnu as Badri Narayan (also called Badri Vishal) under a canopy covered with a sheet of gold presented by the Queen Ahilyabai.
The image of Lord Vishnu in the temple is claimed to have miraculously emerged full-formed from a Shaligram, a particular type of black stone containing fossilised ammonite, which is itself considered a "self-manifested" form of Vishnu. It represents Lord Vishnu in meditation. The Temple compound also has idols of Garud (the vehicle of Lord Narayan) and Goddess Mahalaxmi as well as of Adi Shankracharya, Swami Desikan and Shri Ramanujan.
The temple is open for six months of the year – from April-May to October-November, but its day of opening is determined on the day of the Basant Panchami (in February-March), in accordance with astrological configurations. Pujas are held during the opening and the closing of the temple.After consultations with pandits and astrologers, between them and the former Maharaja of Tehri Garhwal, and a brief ceremony at Narendra Nagar on the day of Basant Panchami, a suitable day is fixed between the last week of April and the first week of May for opening the temple. On this day, the sesame oil prepared in Narendra Nagar, is traditionally handed over to a representative of the Temple Committee, for balming the idol of Lord Vishnu right through the year. The first ceremony on opening is the darshan of the Akhand Jyoti (eternal flame) in an ancient lamp which has remained lit all through the year, even when the temple closed for the winter. The Puja is performed in the darshan mandap which can only accommodate a few people while the devotees stand in the outer or sabha mandap for the holy glimpse while the puja is being performed after a dip in the holy Taptakund.
The chilly winds and near zero temperatures at Badrinath, combined with the fact that we would begin early on the trek the following day, called for an early night. We woke up to our first view of Mt. Neelkanth (21638 feet) between Nar and Narayan Parbat from our window in the Hotel. The first lights of the sun glowed on the tip of the peak and we watched in awed as the colours changed on the mighty snow peak.
I got speechless to look at that mesmerizing, amazing, gorgeous peak. The Neelkanth peak which was not visible the other day because of cloud cover was shining like an orangeish tube light when the first ray of sun fell on it. Popularly known as 'Garhwal Queen', Neelkanth is a pyramidal snowy peak towering above Badrinath
I got so much captured by the beauty that I didn’t even blink my eyes and kept standing over there until I got out of that effect of hypnotization.At the back side of Badrinath temple a valley open to Neelkanth peak, which embodies all the divinity of this divine land..We started towards Mana..Ancient .Manibhadra Ashram
The quaint little village of ‘Mana’ (माणा) lies three kilometers north of Badrinath (बद्रीनाथ). It has not compromised with time. It has the distinction of being the last Indian village on the Indo-Tibet border. The villagers of Mana are semi-nomads who fled Tibet during the Chinese occupation. Come winter they move down to Gopeshwar (गोपेश्वर), literally lock stock and barrel, with even the little local school. They are ineluctably linked with the rich religious heritage of Badrinath. On the occasion of the closing ceremony of the shrine every year at the onset of winter, the villagers of Mana offer a wooleen shawl woven by the girls of the village for the deity.
Slate roofed little houses in that village looked beautiful and some people I saw were engaged in agro horticulture activities. I have seen people very inspirationally hard working in the Himalayan region and people in Mana were no different. I came to know Mana is also a pass, in the times Tibet was in existence this place was a route for traders to carry their stuffs to Tibet and stuffs from Tibet.Prior to Indo-China war of 1962 Mana was a prosperous place. But After the war, now when there is no Tibet and only China, people of Mana have lost their major source of income and their occupation. They only earn these days by being a guide, poter or by selling home made stuffs. It is sad but a war not only kills people but also kills culture, society and occupation.
In a narrow cemented path I was walking and enjoying the wonderful village blessed with so much natural beauty. On one side flawless river Alaknanda enchanting as always flows, and the village was surrounded by beautiful gorgeous snowy mountains. I was having a time of life.
I could see from the boards that I was heading towards Vyas Gufa. It is believed that Rishi Vyas while residing in a cave created Mahabharata and the cave now is known as Vyas Gufa
I was astonished to look at that cave from outside; the hill was in a structure of a massive book, even the pages were visible. The hill is called Vyas pothi on the accounts of river Saraswati and it is believed to be the book of Mahabharata.I was witnessing the place which has so much importance in mythology and believe me I never believed the place referred in the mythology exists for real.
I went inside the cave and saw an idol of rishi Vyas installed .Vyasa wrote the 18 Puranas and Mahabharata. He also propagated the Four Vedas from here, through his disciples. He spread Vedas through his disciples like Jaimini, Sumantu, Pyla, etc. Vyasa means segregating or dividing. He segregated Vedas into Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharvana and so he is Veda Vyasa. In spite of all such great works, he had dissatisfaction. Vedas, though useful, could not be understood by all. So, he wrote Mahabharata, which is claimed as the Fifth Veda [Panchamo Veda:]. Brahma's son was sage Vasishta, whose son was Shakti, whose son was Parashara, whose son was Vyasa. His son was sage Suka Brahmam. What a great family with lineage! He wrote Mahabharata, which has 125,000 slokas, in 18 Parvas! What is not in Mahabharatha would not be anywhere! Such a great epic was written from this cave! From outside this cave appears as an assembly of palm leaves manuscripts! This is called Vyasa pothi.
Ganesh Gufa is where Shri Ganesh Bhagwan used to sit while Vyas Rishi was dictating the great epic Mahabharat to Shri Ganesh Bhagwan.
So naturally Ganesh Gufa is below Vyas Gufa. It is said that Vyas Rishi wanted someone to write so fast that he would not need to repeat a single word, so he asked Ganesh for the job. With this condition of Vyas Rishi’s Ganesh put his own condition that he would do the job only if the Mahabharat is dictated in one go. That means Mahabharat was dictated in one go and without being repeated a single word to Shri Ganesh.
While Vyasa was writing Mahabharata, river Saraswati was flowing with great noise. Since that was disturbing him, Vyasa requested Saraswati to flow calmly. She refused, which angered Vyasa and diverted Saraswati's course. We can see Saraswati river upto a point and then she disappears and joins Alakananda at Keasava prayag. Then the river is called Alakananda only. Then she flows as Antarvahini [hidden river] and mixes with Ganga and Yamuna at Prayag or Allahabad. Because of Veda Vyasa's ire, Saraswati river flows as hidden river. Vyasa completed Mahabharata and made available for public. But, instead of being proud of having authored a great epic, Vyasa was in agony. That time sage Narada came.He inquired about worry of Vyasa. Vyasa replied that though he completed the epic, he had a dissatisfied mind. Narada answered that other than the Lord, any other topic would not satisfy the mind. So, he advised Vyasa to compose a work only on the Lord and Dharma. Vyasa did accordingly and Srimad Bhagavatam was born.
After worshiping Lord Ganesh and Veda Vyasa in their respective caves, we have now come to a nearby rock. This is called Bhim pul or Bhima Shila.According to legend Pancha Pandavas and Draupati, in the end, started their journey to heaven. After crossing Vyasa cave, they found Saraswati river was flowing aggressively. Crossing that river was the way to Swarga or heaven.
Draupati being a woman was finding it difficult to cross. Bhima requested Saraswati to narrow down a bit for Draupadi to cross over, but she refused to oblige. The enraged Bhima kicked at a rock and fell it across the river for Draupadi to cross. It goes by the name of ‘Bhim pul’, the river Saraswati rises from near the Mana pass on the border to emerge here only to disappear to emerge finally to merge with Ganga an Yamuna at Allahabad.River Saraswati emerges from a glacier about 3km for Mana and the confluence of river Alaknanda and river Saraswati is known as Kesshav Prayag.
The sight of the huge mountain and the steep valley, and the rushing Saraswati river, all made us nervous! This bridge connects one mountain to another.And the ancient path lead towards vasudhara...the original patha of Pandavas To Swargarohini...the Fierce and gushing holy River Saraswati with her tremendous force and sound was making us to tremble..from here she falls down in a deep gorge to vanish and meet up with Alaknanda and flows all along with the name of Alaknanda till Alahabad...Prayag.The Scene was making us weak...and this was happening with every person standing there....
To worship Saraswati...here is a small temple @ Keshav Prayag..To make her at peace...To worship her for not to be so fierce,forceful...To calm her...
Inside this small temple a small idol of Devi Saraswati has been placed.every visitor seeks the darshan and blessings of this Goddess Saraswati...After taking darshan of All places in Mana we returned to Badrinath for the remaining places to be visited and we were returning tomorrow here on this way only to begin towards Swarga Rohini...
On The Way To Vishnu/Charan Paduka..
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.
.Charan Paduka of Lord Vishnu...
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.
Mata Murti Temple...
On the other side of Alakananda, we can see Mata Murti temple.The Lord Narayana is Omnipresent.. But when He took avatar as Sri Rama, Kausalya was His mother. Devaki was the mother of Sri Krishna. Similarly, there was a mother of Sri Narayana and Sri Nara, and there is a temple for her.The idol is of the woman, who gave birth to this world, Sri Nara and Sri Narayana! The idol is small. During the month of Avani, on Shukla paksha Dwadasi, Sri Badrinath arrives here to pay respects to His mother! This festival is celebrated annually, and the Lord is taken on a grand procession! It is celebrated as Sri Mata Murty mela and Badarikashram wears festival look! After a day's stay in this temple, the Lord returns to Badarikashram by evening. Usually, this festival is celebrated a few days before Sri Krishna Jayanti [Gokulashtami or Janmashtami].
Tapt kund...
Down the steps from the temple, above the river bank are the thermal springs, their steam visibly from the opposite bank. It is a wonder that such hot water springs are found in such cold areas at all. The pilgrims take a bath here before visiting the temple. In fact, this bath is one pilgrimage that bears immediate fruit – instantly rejuvenating the traveller’s tired body.
Narad kund...Narad Kund is formed from a recess in the bed of the river, close to Taptakund. This is sheltered by a bare rock whose projecting angle breaks the force of the current and renders the place fit for bathing. It is said to be very deep and it is from here that the idol of Lord Vishnu was recovered first by Brahma and then by Adi Shankracharya. The hot water springs comes out from beneath the Garud Shila and falls into a tank. Darshan of Badrinath is always preceded by a holy dip in this kund. The water in this pool is very hot so it is good idea not to stay in it too long.
Urvashi Mandir...
Badrivishal, the ashram of Nar and Narayan, where both performed penance and now, in the shape of mountains, guard the temple, was also the scene of their temptation. While they were in deep meditation, Lord Indra sent a group of celestial maidens or apsaras to distract them. Narayan tore his left thigh and out of the flesh, created several nymphs each more beautiful than the other. The most ravishing of all of them – Urvashi -- led the nymphs to Indra and shattered his pride near a small pond in the Charanpaduka, 2 kilometres from Badrivishal. The pond bears the name of Urvashi; and there is a temple on the outskirts of Bamni village dedicated to the lovely nymph. In the sanctum sanctorum, a celestial nymph sits on the left thigh of Narayan.
Shesh Netra...
On the opposite bank of the Alaknanda, between two seasonal lakes, a boulder carries the impression of Shesh Nag, the legendary snake. This large boulder, located on the way to Mana village just outside the town, has two eyes which have been naturally created on in. They are said to belong to Shesh Nag, who, ever vigilant, protects the Badrinath Shrine.
Hike to the foot of the mountain Nilkant, Badrinath, actually requires a special permit (according to locals). On the other hand, there were no posts and booths to check this Permita, and after 3 hours on foot rests on the dead-end wall of proper foot Nilkantha, mountains 6558 meters high (at least some reliable information a little more than 7000 meters). Nilkanth - the abode of Shiva and Siddha-sthala, or place of power. The word "Nilkantha" in Sanskrit means "Blue-" is an epithet of Shiva swallowed the poison halahala to save the Creation during the churning ocean of milk - a legendary history, standing at perhaps half of the legends of the origins of Hinduism.
Panch Dharas..
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The Panch Dharas (five streams) which are part of the Badrinath site-seeing are Prahlad, Kurma, Bhrigu, Urvashi and Indira dhara. The most striking of these is the Indira dhara, about 1.5 kilometres north of the town Badripuri. Bhrigudhara flows past a number of caves. The one on the right of river Rishi Ganga, originally from the Neelkanth range is Urvashi dhara. Kurma dhara’s water is extremely cold whereas Prahlad dhara has lukewarm water, which glides majestically down the rocks of Narayan Parvat.
Panchshila
It seems there is great importance and sanctity attached to the figure panch (five) in Garhwal, and so one finds many places such as Panch Prayag (five confluences), Panch Kedar (five Kedars), Panch Badri (five Badris), etc. Similarly, in Badrinath, there are the panchshila (five rocks)
Leela Dhongi....
Badrinath is the area that Lord Shiv originally chose for his tapasya. However, Lord Vishnu decided that he wanted to meditate here so he assumed the form of a little child and lay on a rock and cried. He refused to stop even when Parvati tried to console him. In the end, Lord Shiv could not stand the child’s wails and decided to shift to Kedarnath. The rock on which Lord Badrinath is said to have played this trick is called Leela Dhongi and is located on the way to Bamni village.
The Temple compound also has idols of Garud (the vehicle of Lord Narayan) and Goddess Mahalaxmi as well as of Adi Shankracharya, Swami Desikan and Shri Ramanujan.
Bramha Kapal...
Legend has it that when, for some reason, Lord Shiv chopped off the head of Lord Brahma, the head stuck to the former’s hand and brahm-hatya (the curse of killing Brahma) befell him. Lord Shiv then went to all the pilgrim places but the curse did not go away. At last, when he came to Badrikashram, not only was he freed of Brahma’s head but was also relieved of the curse. Today, at the spot about 300 metres away towards the river’s source, is a rock known by the name Brahmkapal (Brahma’s head). Here, the pilgrims perform propitiating rites and rituals for their dead ancestors and offer pind daan.
On The way to Charan Paduka...Trek uphill.
The beautifully lightened temple was looking fabulous and the river Alaknanda’s enchanting flowing sound was synchronizing with the sound of the bells and Mantras enchanted in the temple which gave a feeling of tranquility. One can feel the power of mantras orchestrated by bells and natures own music.The temple is managed by the Shri Badrinath Mandir Samiti, constituted in 1939 by the Badrinath Temple Act 16, 1939. The Head Pujari of the temple, a Namboodri Brahmin, is known as the Rawal, and is appointed jointly by the former Maharaja of Tehri Garhwal and the Temple Committee. He is the only person who is allowed to touch the idol of the deity. He is assisted by a naib Rawal, who is also a Namboodri Brahmin and the Rawal’s successor. Well versed in Sanskrit and puja rituals, the Rawal must also be celibate and loses his position if he gains a wife.
Near the mandap is located a headless statue of Ghantakarn, who is considered the dwarpal (guard) of the area. According to Harivansh Puran, Ghantakarn was a demon and an ardent devotee of Lord Shiv. In fact, he did not accept any other god, and was particularly opposed to Vishnu. He wore large bells in his ears so that he did not hear the name of Vishnu. After thousands of years of worshipping Shiv, the latter granted him a boon, but all that Ghantakarn wanted was mukti (release).
Expressing his inability to fulfil his wish, Shiv said that only Narayan (Vishnu) could grant mukti. Ghantakarn then began worshipping Krishna, who was at Badrikashram at the time. Pleased with his worship, Krishna advised him to give up his violent ways, and thereafter Ghantakarn remained here as kshetrapal (the region’s protector). There are temples to Ghantakarn in many parts of Garhwal but it is only at Badrinath that he is worshipped as a kshetrapal.
After entering the dharsan mandap I could look into the Garbha Griha where the beautiful Devine idol of lord Badrinath was placed under the canopy covered with gold sheets. Aarti was going on and I got totally mesmerized in that Divine atmosphere.
To the left of Maha Vishnu are Narayan and Nara. The Uddhav (Utsav or decorative idol of Lord Krishna’s closest friend) idol stands in front of the Lord flanked by silver images of Garud (Lord Vishnu’s vehicle) and Narad. Above is placed Krishna's Sudarshan Chakra also crafted in sliver.
Nobody was supposed to stand there for more than a minute to enable people in the queue to have dharsana. I got out of the temple and the aarti was still ringing in my ears then. From very childhood I have heard the aari but never felt the power in it as I felt it in the temple.We returned to our Ashram as we have to prepare for the long, fierce trek towards Satopanth...Swargarohini Trek..tomorrow onwards..
Shri Badrinathji the lord of Himalayas is being worshipped all the time by sheshnag the snake’s lord. Even the lord of lords, lord Shiva is always busy in your meditation. The God of creation, Brahma, and ancient holly book, Ved, have habitually been enchanting hymns in praise of Lord Badrinath.
Next morning after taking this beautiful photo of the Gadhwal Queen we set off towards Mana....Swarga Rohini...Path Towards Heaven... Not knowing What Will Happen On This Scary Path...We Will Succeed To Complete The Trek?...Or not...A Question Of Life And Death...But Courageously We Walked...And...
शेष सुमिरन करत निशिदिन |
धरत ध्यान महेश्वरम |
श्री वेद ब्रह्मा करत स्तुती |
श्री बद्री नाथ विश्वंभरम |
||शुभम भवतु||
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