KARNA PRAYAG, NANDA PRAYAG, ADI BADRI, RANIKHET AND NAINITAL

Nanda Prayag

The whole land between NandaPrayag and Satopanth is known as Badri Vishal Kshetra (Badrikashrama or Tiruvaradariashramam). Nand Prayag is in the Gangetic Himalaya which is the confluence of the Nandakini River with the Alakananda River and is located at about 11 kms south of Chamoli on NH58. Some believe this place is one of the 108 divyadesam Tiruppirudi. There is a temple dedicated to Gopala (Krishna).

Once Parvati while going back to Kailash with Shiva from her father's house, became thirsty. Shiva threw his trident that struck the base of the Trishul mountain and river Nandakini merging with Alakananda (water that emerged from the feet of Sriman Narayana) came to quench the thirst of Parvati. Parvati is also known as Nanda in the Kumaon region, hence this confluence got its name.  

The noble king Nandar, performed Yagnya for the welfare of the whole humanity to live a good life and sought blessings of God. Hence this place is named after him. According to one other legend, the name derives from the Yadava king Nanda, the foster father of Lord Krishna. Ravana has also done a lot of austerities at this place. 

The place Nandaprayag is also mentioned in the Mahabharata as: "In the midst of big trees, the sacred river Malini (Alakananda) was flowing. The water of this river was sweet and sacred. This ashram of Kanva muni was spread out on both the banks of river. In this sacred river different types of birds used to come and stay. Due to the tapovanam on both the sides, the ashram was even more beautiful. Here poisonous creatures and wild animals used to stay together in peace. On seeing this, Raja Dushyanta was filled with joy and happiness." The legend also narrates that the sage Kanva did penance here.  In addition, the wedding of King Dushyanta and Shakuntala took place at this place as this place is credited to be the Ashram of Kanva muni. 

Karna Prayag

Karna prayag is the place where the Alaknanda River joins with the Pindar Ganga that originated from the pindar glacier, below the Nanda Devi hill range.  It is located at an elevation of 1451 meters above the sea level. Karna did penance here and earned the Kavacha and Kundala from the Sun god, which gave him indestructible powers. The stone seat Karnashila, is the place where Karna did his penance. The name of this place is thus derived from his name. 

Steep steps close to KarnaPrayag lead one to a very beautiful temple of Uma Devi (daughter of Himalayas). The stone temple was rebuilt by Adi Guru Shankaracharya. The inner sanctorum, has idols of Goddess Parvati, Shiva and Ganesha and many others. There is also an idol of Karna. There is an idol of Kali in outer sanctorum.

Next to the confluence site there is a large area of pasture on the bank where cows are grazed. According to legend, a local zamindar inadvertently killed a cow which led to go-hatya. The zamindar did not have adequate money to engage in acts of reparation to atone for this great offence, so he asked a visiting pilgrim from South India to help him. The philanthropic pilgrim assisted the zamindar in buying the pasture land, which was dedicated to Lord Badrinath with a vow that the land would only be used for grazing cows.

There is also a reference to Karna Prayag in Meghaduta, a drama in Sanskrit by the poet Kalidasa, who says that the Satopanth and Bhagirath glaciers joined to form the Pindar River. In his Abhijnana-shakuntala, Kalidasa mentions that some of Shakuntala and King Dushyanta's romantic pastimes took place here.

One of the local attractions near Karnaprayag is Nauti Village, home of the goddess Nanda. This place is the starting point for the Nanda Devi Raj Jat Yatra, one of the longest pilgrimage tours covered by foot in India. The yatra goes out only once every twelve years, and was last held in 2012.

Aadi Badri (Adi Badri)

Adi Badri temple is located between Lohba and Karna Prayag  -Ranikhet road and is situated in Patti Sili Chandpur and is around 17 kms from Karna Prayag. The temple complex comprises of a group of 16 temples, belonging to the Gupta period (8^th - 12th century AD). But presently only 14 temples exist. They are constructed in Katuyar Style.  Among them the chief temple is dedicated to Lord Badri Narayan (Adi Badri Narayana temple), where a black stone idol of Vishnu, three feet high is enshrined is in standing posture. This temple was sanctified by Adi Guru Shankaracharya.

The salient features of this style of architecture are the lotus-shaped roof, lion over the elephant which is projected over the lower Shikhara normally covering the audience hall and outer wails executed either in Panch Rath or Sapta Rath pattern, giving the temple a cylindrical shape. The main temple is invariably surrounded by a couple of smaller temples, which house deities of Shri LakshmiNarayana, Annapurna, Surya, SatyaNarayana, Ganesha, Parbrahma, Shiva, Garuda, Durga and Janaki.

Adi Badri, also known as Helisera, is a tiny temple complex enclosed within a space of 14 metres (46 ft) X 30 metres (98 ft). The height of the temples vary from 2–6 metres (6.6–20 ft). The chief temple is dedicated to god Vishnu, which is built over a raised platform, with a small enclosure in a pyramidal form. The sanctum holds a black stone 1 metre (3.3 ft) image of Vishnu. The image depicts Vishnu holding a mace, lotus and chakra. Just above Adibadri is the small Lake of Benital.

Ranikhet Jhula Devi Mandir

From Adibadri we left for Ranikhet (Queen Rani Padmini’s meadow). Ranikhet is a hill station in Almora district. It is at an altitude of 1869 meters above sea level and covers the western peaks of the Himalayas. Ranikhet hosts charming and majestic views of the pine trees, oak trees and Deodar forest. It hosts a wide array of flora and fauna. The Kumaon and the Naga Regiment of the Indian army maintain this place. The salubrious atmosphere, tall conifer trees, green meadows and placid surroundings make this place a unique hill station. We stayed at Chevron Rosemont hotel at this place, which was built in 1900AD, which reminds us of the British era. This hotel was once a colonial bungalow of the British.

Early morning we went to Jhula Devi temple, which is situated at a distance of 7 km from the town of Ranikhet near Chaubatia. It is said that the dense jungle near the temple was once full of wild animals, leopards and tigers used to attack local villagers and take away their livestock. The villagers prayed to goddess Durga for protection, and one day Goddess Durga came in a shephard's dream and advised him to excavate her idol. The temple is built at the same site where idol was found.  Goddess is seated here on a wooden jhula (swing). The current temple complex was constructed in 1935.

When wishes of piligrims get fulfilled they come back to thank Jhula Devi Maa by offering a bell to the temple. The popularity of the temple can be realized by number of bells hanging over the temple walls. This place has a calm environment and a sense of spiritual peace to it. The reverberations of these bells are heard till a very long distance. From here we left for Nainital to visit Naina Devi temple.

Nainital
Nainital is a hill station situated at an altitude of 2,084 mts above sea level. It is set in a valley containing a pear-shaped lake, approximately two miles in circumference. The two ends are Malli and Thalli taal. Nainital is surrounded by mountains, of which the highest are Naina (2,615 m on the north, Deopatha (2,438 m) on the west, and Ayarpatha (2,278 m) on the south. From the tops of the higher peaks, magnificent views can be obtained of the vast plain to the south, or of the mass of tangled ridges lying north, bounded by the great snowy range which forms the central axis of the Himalayas.

It is said that the shimmering green waters of the Naini jheel is a reflection of the emerald green eye of Sati. It is also believed that The Naini Lake is one of the Shakti Peethas, where Sati's left eye (or Nain) fell, came to be called Nain-tal or lake of the eye. The goddess Shakti is worshipped at the Naina Devi Temple on the north shore of the lake. 

After crossing the main gate, there is a big Peepal tree on the left side. On the right side of the temple there are idols of Lord Hanuman and Ganesh. After reaching the main entrance of the temple, there are two statues of lions. The presiding deity of the temple is Maa Naina Devi represented by two Netras or eyes. Goddess Naini Devi, is accompanied with Lord Ganesha, the God of Wisdom, and Goddess Kali, the Goddess of Death and Destruction. Nestled in the serene and peaceful hamlet of beautiful lake and mountains, it is beautiful to watch the sun rise and set over the mountains of Nainital. The temple was rebuilt by Moti Ram’s son Amarnath Shah, when Naina Devi appeared in a dream and told him the whereabouts of her idol in the landslide debris of 1880.

As per Manas Khand of Skanda Purana, Nainital lake (Naini Jheel) is called Tri-Rishi Sarovar, of three sages, Atri, Pulastya and Pulaha, who, upon finding no water in Nainital, dug a large hole at the location of the present day lake and filled it with water from the holy lake Manasarovar in Tibet. According to lore, a dip in Naini Lake, "the lesser Manasarovar," earns merit equal to a dip in the great lake. 

From Nainital we proceeded to Mathura, braj bhoomi the Janma-Bhoomi of Lord Krishna.

Copyright 2017 by Jayashree Badarinath

Unauthorized use and/or duplication of these photos and material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to tirtha-yatra.blogspot.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. This blog provides general travel information only. It is not intended to solicit business

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. 

VISHNU PRAYAG AND DHYANA BADRI (URGAM GAON)

Vishnu Prayag

We left Badarinath reluctantly.  On our way back, we visited Vishnu Prayag. Here, the Alakananda River confluences with the DauliGanga River originating from Niti Pass in Chamoli District. Dauli Ganga is also called as Devadarshini Ganga. Vishnu Prayag is situated 10 km from Joshimath, on the Joshimath->Badrinath road. It is located at an elevation of 1372 meters above sea level. The scenery and the confluence at Vishnu Prayag are breathtaking and one can notice very strong water currents. Just by bathing in this Tirth, one is praised in the realms of Lord Vishnu. Brahma and various divinities got great siddhis here.

Vishnu Prayag

As one enters the archway at Vishnu Prayag, there is a temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu is in the black marble form in sitting posture. The diety is very beautiful. The maharani of Indore, Ahalyabai Holkar, built this temple. After having our darshan at Vishnu Prayag, we got down the stairway, which leads to Vishnu kund. At the sangam, there is a temple dedicated to Narada Maharshi, as he worshipped lord Vishnu at this Prayag. Narada worshipped Lord Vishnu after incurring the wrath of Brahma, which led to his birth in human form. Narada got the siddhi of knowing everything in the world from Lord Vishnu at Vishnu Kund. There are Shivakund, Ganesha Tirth closely located to Vishnu kund.

"Alakananda flows from the southern side of Brahmapuri. Passing over the tops of mountains in various lands, it falls down with fierce force upon the peaks of the mountains Hemakuṭa and Himakuṭa. After inundating the tops of those mountains, the Ganges falls down onto the tract of land known as Bharata, which she also inundates. Then the Ganges flows into the ocean of salt water in the south. Persons who come to bathe in this river are fortunate." 
(Bhagavata-purana 5.17.9)

Close to VishnuPrayag, there is Kagbhusandi Lake, which is famous and of religious importance with emerald green waters. The lake can be approached from Vishnu Prayag in addition from Bhundar village near Ghangaria.

In the Sanath Samhita, it is mentioned that when the arm of the Narasimha idol at Joshimath falls off then the Jaya and Vijaya mountains at Patmila near VishnuPrayag merge, making the present shrine of Badrinath inaccessible. After this, worship of Lord Badrinarayan will begin at Bhavishya Badri near Tapovan.

Dhyana Badri 

We then left for Dhyan Badri located at Urgam valley, close to Kalpeshwar. We got details about Dhyan Badri and Bhavishya Badri from Vedapati’s at Badri Vishal Mandir. With their help we got arranged for special pooja as well as horses to go upto Bhavishya Badri. Our sincere regards to them having helped us have darshan at these places.

Dhyan Badri is located at 2135 meters above sea level in the beautiful Urgam valley. As one reaches the mountain lap we were surprised to see the height of parthenium encroaching our Himalayas. Government should take good care of not letting these spread at the rate they are spreading. Moreover, the jeepable road to village was really in pathetic condition. The potholes were so huge, that our car could not go up at all after a point how much ever pressure was applied. Indica or Indigo cars are not suitable to get to this place.

Dhyan Badri can be reached from Helang chatti by a 12 kilometers trek en-route to Joshimath from Badrinath. People are very good and have a helping nature. We had to first make a very steep climb to reach the road, as it was broken. Then we started to walk. We asked our parents and my son to wait for us down in the car, as it would have been hard for them to climb. To our surprise after having walked for 1hr 15 minutes, we found them also coming by bike. Then they said the locals, really insisted that they come and helped to a very large extent to climb the steep climb and then they brought them by motorbike. It was bit of a hiking adventure for them. They even took our parents and kid till the temple. Such was their interest for any devotee to come and have darshan of Lord BadriNarayan. We are really grateful to them for helping us out. It took nearly more than two hours to walk to the temple. But every second we were immersed in the natural beauty of the surrounding place. The mountain is filled with flora and fauna.

Dhyana Badri temple 

View from temple

Mukhota inside inner sancotorum used for dance

It was not too hot or cold; by afternoon time, the weather was as though it was a pleasant evening. The sun peeping through the clouds gave a special look to the mountain, which is indescribable by words. The Urgam valley is a dense forest area. The valley has apple orchards and terraced fields where potato is grown extensively. Grains are also grown to a large extent. While we were walking we started collecting some nice flowers to offer to the Lord.

Saina is the first valley one reaches, next is Lyari where one finds Panch Dhara (five small stream), representing Pancha Pandavas. There are many small ancient temples in Urgam Valley mostly founded by Adi Guru Shankaracharya. Urgam is lush green valley with fascinating scenery. One will have to cross a beautiful suspension bridge, before getting to the temple. The locals also mentioned there are two other very beautiful temples dedicated to Lord Vishnu here. One is Phoolya Narayan, where the rock idol of Lord Vishnu is believed to be as light as a flower and a small temple of Nanda Devi. It is a very serene place for meditation. Bansi Narayan is a thrilling trek route, which is 10kms from Devgram village. Bansi Narayan is a temple dedicated to Lord Krishna where he is seen playing Raas Leela with his friends. One who trusts in Krishna can unconditionally hear the voice of Bansi (flute). We hope to cover this place during our next trip to Uttarakhand.

Finally, we reached Dhyana Badri temple by afternoon. The pujari's son at temple were waiting for us to come as we had informed them earlier. The legend of Dhyana Badri (meditating Badri) is linked to the Urvarishi, son of king Puranjaya of the Pandavas lineage who meditated in the Urgam region and established the temple for Vishnu. The image of Vishnu is four armed, made of white stone and in a meditative posture. He is holding Shanka and Chakra in His hands. One can similarly find Nara Narayana, Kubera, Garuda and other deities similar to Vishala Badri temple. Serenity of the place is very beautiful even for meditation. One specialty of this temple is there are stone human faced masks of Pandavas, which are used to dance and perform during the (mukhota dance) mela on the walls in the inner sanctorum. There are several shaligrama shilas placed near Lord Badri Narayana as well. Around the temple, there is Kashi Vishwanath linga to west side, Gantakarna temple in the north, Chandika temple in the south and Kuber Dhara to the east.

There is also a temple to Lord Shiva built by Adi Shankara. Kalpeshwar, one of the panch Kedar sacred temple of Shiva is situated 2 kms away from Dhyana Badri. One will have to carry pooja samagris collected before itself as there is no provision for getting them near the temple.  On the bridle path from Helang to Kalpeshwar, the enchanting confluence of the Alaknanda and Kalpganga rivers is seen. Kalp Ganga river flows through the Urgam valley.

We stayed at Joshimath at a very good hotel Himalayan Abode.

Copyright 2017 by Jayashree Badarinath

Unauthorized use and/or duplication of these photos and material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to tirtha-yatra.blogspot.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. This blog provides general travel information only. It is not intended to solicit business