HIMALAYAN SHRINES

Panch (Five) Badris:
Considered as the holiest of the four important shrines of Hindus, Shri Badrinath ji is situated in the Garhwal region at the confluence of the Rishi Ganga and Alaknanda rivers and at an altitude of 3110 M above the sea level. A great religious importance has been attached to Badrinath Puri, which was once surrounded by wild berries or "Badri" and so it was named "Badrivan". This land has been worshipped by saints and sages and has been the abode of yogies, and great hermits over the ages.


Shri Badrinath is guarded by the twin mountain ranges of Nar and Narayan range near the towering Neelkanth Peak. The other hot water tanks are "Narad Kund" & "Surya Kund" in which pilgrims take the holy bath. Badrinath stands first in the pilgrimage programs since it bears the supreme degree of faith and devotion towards God.
Lord Badri Nath is worshipped at five different places under five different names in Uttarakhand

Vishal Badri

This place is known as Badri Vishal. At the time of prayer devotees says to each other "Jai Badri Vishal Ki". This is the main shrine of Lord Badri Nath.

Yogdhyan Badri
In ancient ages King Pandu meditated Pandukeshwar, ever since the lord is worshipped here in the form of Yogdhyan. This place is 24 K.M. from Badri Nath and 20 K.M. from joshimath.

Bhawishya Badri
This place is situated at a height of 2744 m, above sea level and 17 K.M. from Joshimath, Bhawishya Badri is worshipped in a small town.

Bridha Badri
In this temple the idol of Lord Badrinath was worshipped for a short period by Adi Guru Shankaracharya. This temple is located at Animath, which is 17 K.M. from Joshimath in the direction of Pipalkoti.

Adi Badri
Several temples of Gupta-kal are visible at this place, but Narain Temple is the main attraction because a black stone idol of Lord Vishnu. Adi Badri is situated 16 K.M. from Karanprayag on Ranikhet Route.

Panch (Five)Kedar :

Kedar:
After the war of Kurukshetra, the Pandvas set out on a yatra to Varanasi in order to be blessed by Lord Shiva and be absolved from the sin of killing their own brothers-the kauravas. Lord Shiva, unwilling to give darshan to the Pandvas, fled from Kashi to Uttrakhand and lived in Guptakashi.

On being detected by the Pandvas, Shiva went ot Kedarnath, but the Pandavas followed him. He assumed the form of a bull and started grazing amongst the cattle, but even then could not escape detection by the Pandavas, At dust, when it was time for the cattle to return home, Bhim (of gigantic stature, great courage and strength) stretched his legs across the mountains (standing on either side of the Kedamath Valley) in order to identify Shiva. All the cattle passed under his legs except Shiva, whom Bhim noticed. As Bhim bent down to catch hold of him, Shiva sank into the earth and only his back portion (the hump) was taken in Bhim's hand. Shiva being pleased with the determination of the Pandavas, exonerated them from their sin, gave them darshan and requested them to worship his hump. It is from that date the hump of Shiva worshipped in the Temple of Sri Kedarnath-in the conical Shiva pinda form.
At Kedar is the hinder part of the Buffallo (Shiva changed himself into the form of a buffallo, when Bhim chased him.)

Madhyamaheshvra
At Madhyamaheshvra is the Nabhi or the middle part of the Buffalo-Shiva. This place is 21 K.M. from Ukhimath (via Kalimatha).

Tunganath
At Tungnath is the Bahu or hand of the Buffalo-Shiva. It is just on the way to Badrinath and 37 K.M. from Ukhimatha.
 
Rudranath
At Rudranath is the Mukh (the mouth) of the Buffalo-Shiva. It is about 19 KM. from Mandalchatti.

Kalpeshwar
At Kalpeshwar is the Jata (the hair) of the head of the Buffalo-Shiva. This place is just opposite to Helangchatti at about 8.7 K.M. from Helang, on other side of Alaknada.


Panch (Five)Prayag:

Rivers in India are considered to be highly sacred in the Hindu mythology and are glorified as goddesses. And the confluence of these rivers typically represent immortal piety. Panch Prayag meaning five confluences is steeped in legends and tradional heritage. Located in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, the Panch Prayag is a must visit for every Hindu devotee while the sanctity and the glorified fame of the river confluences draws tourists from all across the globe.
Panch Prayagrefers to the five confluences of the Alaknanda river with Dhauli Ganga, Nandakini, Pindar, Mandakani and Bhagirathi in the Garhwal Himalayas. Devotees and pilgrims from all over the country and the world gather at these meeting points of rivers to worship them and to seek blessings of the respective goddesses. Given below is a list of all the five prayags in the Garhwal Himalayan region of Uttarakhand.

Rudra Prayag

Associated with a number of interesting Hindu legends, Rudra Prayaga is the meeting point of Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers. The place derives its name from Lord Shiva, also known as Rudra. Hindus believe that the sage Narad worshipped Lord Shiva here to be blessed with the mastery of music mysteries. Rudra Prayag also commemorates the event when Sati, consort of Lord Shiva, took rebirth after her self immolation. The shrine of Kedarnath is at 84 km from Rudra Prayag while Badrinath shrine is at 159 km from here.
 
Deo Prayag
Held in no less reverence than the Sangam at Allahabad, the Deo Prayag lies at a distance of just 70 km from the pilgrimage town of Rishikesh. It is at this point where meets the river Bhagirathi with river Alaknanda. According to Hindu mythology, Lord Rama (hero of the Hindu epic Ramayana) abd his father king Dashratha performed self-mortification. The Raghunath Temple at Deo Prayag is also a major attraction for tourists and pilgrims. The temple enshrines a black-granite idol of Lord Rama. The pilgrimage site is located at 618 m above sea level.

Karna Prayag
The point marks the confluence of the Pindari river and the Alaknanda river. Karna Prayag is located at an elevation of 788 m above sea level. It is surrounded by dense woods, the one time meeting ground of Shakuntala C Raja Dushyanta, immortalised the classic by Kalidasa. Tourists and pilgrims temples dedicated to Kama (after whom Karna Prayag is named), goddess Uma Devi, Narayan and Gopal, all located at Karna Prayag. For adventure lovers, Karna Prayag serves as the base from where they can start for exciting and scenic treks to Roopkund and Bedni Bugyals.

Vishnu Prayag
Located at an altitude of 1,372 m above sea level, Vishnu Prayag is the confluence of rivers Vishnu Ganga and Dhauli Ganga. After Vishnu Ganga leaves Vishnu Prayag and advances its course, it is known as river Alaknanda. Kagbhusandi Lake and Vishnu Kund are major attractions for tourists tourists arriving at Vishnu Prayag in Uttarakhand.

Nand Prayag
It is where river Alaknanda meets river Mandakini. Located at a distance of just 22 km from Karna Prayag, Nand Prayag is situated at an elevation of 914 m above sea level. The holy pilgrimage site derives its name from Raja Nanda. Besides pilgrims and devotees, a lot of trekkers can also be seen at Nand Prayag. Trekkers pass through this place on their way to Roopkund