BHAVISHYA BADRI

Bhavishya Badri (Swayambhu Murti)

Next day (Day 16) early morning from Joshimath, we headed towards Bhavishya Badri, which is nestled in the lap of Himalayas. This route is part of an ancient pilgrim route to Mount Kailash and Manasarovar. To reach Bhavishya Badri, one must take a climbing path off the road starting at Saldhar (on the route to Tapovan), and proceed about 7 km to Subhain village (which is at an altitude of 2744 meters above sea level). A Badarinath temple is situated at Subhain (some say that this is the Ardha Badri temple). One must then climb a further 2.4 km or so to reach Bhavishya Badri.  There is another route to Subhain from Saldhar (in fact, the main route). This route with stairs was broken. We therefore had to make our trek through the 7 km forest route, which was kachcha for the most part. With the help of Vedapathis, we had spoken to priest at Bhavishya Badri temple, and arranged for Abhishek and also horses for mom, my dad and me. My son Keshava who was 2 yrs old was very excited to sit on the horse (with me). My husband decided to hike all the way up. Its trekker’s paradise and one can enjoy the unspoilt beauty of Himalayas. This is one of the toughest routes in our trip but rewarded with unbeatable pleasure. It took about two hours for us to reach Subhain. 

View of valley from Saldhar

Tapta Kund

Tapta Kund holy dip place

At Tapovan right on the road there is a Taptakund (hot sulfurous spring). We waited near Taptakund for our horses to start our hike. The temperature of water at this place is piping hot (much hotter than the Taptakund at Vishal Badri). The mud around it is melted, and is considered by locals to be special for facial skin. So, it is disappearing fast. There is a separate hot water bathing place just as in Badri Vishal temple. 

The route is very picturesque and abounds with flora and fauna. As we climb up one can find floral grass as high as us. One will enjoy the tranquil beauty of this place where colorful butterflies flutter and one can enjoy the music of exotic birds and bees humming. One is advised to cover oneself completely with clothes, as there are some insects and plants, which might cause itching. The air is very pure and refreshing. One had to go very carefully as the path was very slippery due to rains and very kachcha. The weather was pleasant and a little bit cloudy. We could not get a view of Nanda Devi since it was cloudy. The green-topped mountains, and the meandering river provides beautiful scenery; one can find Buckwheat and Mustard fields on this mountain.  This place can also be called as the “Small Valley of Flowers”. Gentle breeze, lofty mountains and pleasant ambience gave us a feeling of having stepped into a paradise.

This place is not easy to reach even with a horse. Whenever we met a big pothole, we felt as though we might go flying into the air. Many times we had to mind our heads from barks of trees. When we came close to the Subhain temple, we had to get down from our horses, as they could not go further. The grasses grown there were taller than us. The soil was very soft from rains. My mom had a big fall. She fell quite a distance down, and luckily a rock stopped her, else she would have fallen into the valley. 

We reached the Badrinath temple in the village, where the priest was waiting for us. The bell at entrance attracts everyone, The fragrance of the tulsi was ubiquitous. He had finished abhishek already, as we did not reach in time. He was very kind, did Aarti, we all chanted Vishnu Sahasranamam and exchanged very good talks about Lord BadriNarayan. Black idol of Lord BadriNarayan is in meditative posture and was decked with flowers and peacock feathers. There were a few Saligrama shilas near Lord. The Narada, Kuber and Lakshmi Narayana can be found inside the inner sanctorum. Priest also explained us about the Sthala purana, and the prophecy of Bhavishya Badri. We circumbulated the temple. The prakaram contains Lakshmi Narayana temple and a Nara-Narayana temple. The priest also offered us very good and tasty tea. We were very thankful for him for having helped us to visit this temple and his nice hospitality. Beautiful floral plants surround the temple. 

According to the legend, there was an akaash vani when Adiguru Shankaracharya took Badri Vishal from Tapta kund, that when the evil transcends the world in KaliYuga, and when the hand of Narasimha shila at Joshimath falls, the Mountains Jaya and Vijaya would block up the route to Badrinath and the sacred shrine would become inaccessible. Then, Badrinath will appear at the Bhavishya Badri temple and be worshipped here, instead of the Badrinath Shrine. After Vishnu, in his incarnation as Kalki, destroys the world bringing Kaliyug to an end satyug will begin again and Badrinath Dham will be reestablished at Bhavishya Badri. Notably, the right arm of the idol of Narasingha is now as thin as a hair, which probably means there is still time for Bhavishya Badri to emerge as the new Badrinath.

The trek to main Bhavishya Badri, where Lord is emerging from a rock as a Swayambhu is further 1 hr trek above. The sky was completely dark and started to drizzle when we started our hike up. The priest had warned us that it is going to rain very heavily by the time we reach close to the temple, which was very true. One can find a few ashrams as we near the destination. It is a very steep and strenuous trek. One even gets to see cedar and pine trees on the way. The nature around is very beautiful with beds of flowers. The place is very serene and very suitable for meditation. The view of the valley down is breathtaking. The vibration of this place cannot but be felt.

Bhavishya Badri Temple 

Garhwal is definitely Devbhoomi, and one would be spellbound looking at the way Lord BadriNarayan is emerging out of rock in the Swayambhu form. Legs are already lifted off the ground and there is a hollow space below now. One can now easily see the markings of Kuber, Garuda, Nara Narayana, Goddess Lakshmi and others. One thing, which is really unforgetful about Lord BadriNarayan here, is his smile and beautiful eyes. The priest here is a Sanyasi. He with lot of enthusiasm explained all the avayams of idol and how the Lord is forming here at a fast rate with regular protrusions. He did Karpoora Aarti to Lord. There is a very basic temple with four walls and roof at this place. The building of temple was under way when we went. We felt blessed to have visited this place.

We returned from Bhavishya Badri to Subhain, and proceeded to Saldhar after a short break. Our car was waiting at Saldhar to head back to Joshimath. Though it was tiring, it was an exhilarating, unforgettable experience. One full day is required for this trip.