Badri-Narayan..
The tale before the Mahabharata Katha

“Jay Shree Badri Bishaal”,the chorus chant of the pilgrim-wave has an unavoidable power to get oneself soaked within..the magnetism has the power to get anyone drowned in it.

The story begins one sunny Sunday,just three weeks from the big day. Kedarnath was our first destination among the chaar dhaam 2years back. I was having a lazy dip within the memory…just then the idea of visiting Badrinath popped up.

Getting flight tickets,car hiring,hotel bookings and above all the GMVN pilgrim registration is a mammoth task,I must warn. Those who wants to visit Uttarakhand either for pilgrimage,or for nature trails,should always remember one thing,earlier you plan,smoother is the trip.

Lucky us,in spite of late planning,we got our desired bookings accordingly,and started off for once again..to the Deb-bhumi..through the Himalayas.

Our country is blessed to have the Himalayas as her crown n veil.
Uttarakhand,Himachal,Ladakh,Arunachal, Sikkim…you name it,all the places have one thing in common,the one and only Himalayas and its mesmerizing beauty.

Kolkata to Dehradun,to Rishikesh was our 1st day itinerary,the starter. The beautiful night view of the ghats by the Ganges was the only thing we could enjoy in Rishikesh this time.

The next day,early morning we started for RudraPrayag. Deb-bhumi has its own magical vibe of spirituality. The Mahamrityunjay Mantra is chanted here seemlessly by the Sikh driver.My English-song lover 9years old daughter listens to the Mantra with spellbound eyes,and the next morning,I hear her chanting the Mantra at the balcony of Rudra Tourist Complex facing the confluence of Alakananda and Mandakini.

Journey to Badrinath from Rudraprayag was a memorable one. As you climb the altitude,the mountains come nearer..and the vastness of the mountain exclaims and explains all the doubts. Each time I reach  the mountain,my mind feels the inner cleansing. Mind is no more cluttered with all those worldly worries and desires. One can feel the self,the inner self here all you have to do is to let the flow get into your soul with your eyes,with your ears.

The road is beautifully maintained by GMVN authority,I must say.In spite of having sudden weather upsets regularly,they have tried their best to keep the roads sound. We reached Badrinath well before time. A tip to travellers is,try to visit these places before August.After monsoon the road becomes a bit troublesome.

Badrinath,or ShreeBadriNarayan.
The place is a significant pilgrimage no doubt. But once you reach there,the natural beauty of the place gives another dimension to the trip in your mind. The temple complex,the river Alakananda,a small township surronding the temple,and some guest houses n hotels this is the landscape.But the wonder spreads wings,as you turn around this scape.The holy land is surrounded by the larger than life mountain range,snow-capped,brownish green dark hued range of Nar-parvat and Narayan-parvat. Goosebumps and exclaimations kept me awake for long,as I went through the history of ShreeBadriBishaal from the book bought that afternoon after visit to the temple.

The Puraan,the Vedas,the Mahabharata and its previous stories are kept alive in every breath of the place. Doesn’t matter,whether you are spiritual or not,you will believe each and every told tales here..the small details of every story are spread all over, in these dark snowy mountains and caves.

Early morning visit to the temple,the morning Avishek and Aarti after a holy dip in Tapt-kund(the hot springs),this becomes a pilgrim’s daily routine for the days of stay.

Those with a thirst of some more nature grazing,there are innumerable options.
Trek along the path of Maha-prasthana of the Pandavas,Mana village exploration,Vyas gufa(the Vyas cave) are some of them.

Stay here in Badrinath for at least a couple of days to feel and explore the place in whole.Ticking the bucket list should not be the aim of this game. The tale of the very beginning of life whispers here in the curves and calm of the mighty Himalayas.

People of Uttarakhand are very friendly and cordial. Their hospitality is awesome,be it the luxury of resort,or the coziness of homestays and guest houses. Just choose wisely the locations.

Chaar Dhaam Yatra should have a proper sequence,the Yamunotri,the Gangotri,the Kedarnath and then the Badrinarayan..as the so called pilgrim-routine will tell you. But,if you are a nature lover,if your trips are not only routine-bucket list ticking ones,you should visit these places as per wish. Any place in Deb-bhumi demands a calm stay of few days to dye the vibe in right hue.

Get there,stay for some days,and drench in the flavour.

All image and post credit Dr.Priyanka Dutta