Tag Archives: Badrinath

The 2017 Travel Stories: Flashback

The year 2018 has already begun and our travel tales and road trips too. But we can’t start the new tales without reviewing the tales of the year 2017.  So, this post is all about the 2017 travel stories, just as we have the travel book for the year 2016.

We started our travel and lifestyle blog AllGudThings in September 2016 without thinking how the things will move for us and will we actually survive in this blogging race. And look today we are surviving and have come this far, writing 2017 travel stories, and are much positive for the year 2018.

2017 Travel Stories

The year 2017 was like a roller coaster for us. We bought our house, reached our dream destinations, did several trips both personal and professional, learned so much new in blogging and on the other side fought with medical issues and lost our dear ones in between. So, it was a year where we saw both highs and lows. But as Lord Buddha quotes “Without rain, nothing grows, learn to embrace the storms of your life”; so we accepted every up and down graciously and kept on moving.

In the year 2017, we never targeted where we wanted to see ALLGUDTHINGS but now we are clearer. We have set up our targets for 2018 to write more strategically, be more social and learn to monetize the blog in a better way. And the travel stories of 2017 are epic, so let’s have a look at them.

January 2017

Snow Trip with Parents to Shimla

Just after welcoming 2017 and shifting to our own place, we took a break and did a personal road trip to beautiful Shimla. The colonial town was painted in white by nature and we saw our parents living their childhood. The rich heritage & culture of Shimla introduced us to a Himachali scarf known as Dhatu or Rahide. Check about Dhatu here: Shimla Trip in style with Dhatu as a fashion accessory.

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February – March 2017

Visit to the Highest Dam in India – Tehri Dam

In the last week of February, we visited Koteshwar and Tehri Dam for professional work. The holiday started after work and it continued until the first week of March. From Tehri, we took a detour to visit Uttarkashi in Uttarakhand, which proved to be a lot more than the entrance to the Char Dhams of India. Further, the trip continued to Harsil, Gangotri and ending at Mussorie.

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The whole trip was an experience in itself as we visited one of the Char Dhams, saw second time snowfall in a row, learned about Mani stones and for the first time stayed in the hostel. You must check the Backpackers must carry essentials for a Hostel stay here.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BRK5cweBQmB/?taken-by=suruchimittal

April 2017

An hour of Patriotism at Hussainiwala Border

In April 2017 we visited our home in Punjab and for the first time we, saw the flag retreat ceremony at Hussainiwala Border, Firozpur. It was an hour of Patriotism, filled with deep emotions where just a white line and gate demarcated our country India from Pakistan.

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May 2017

Road Trip to Badrinath Dhams and the Last Indian Mana Village

In May 2017, our parents were with us, so we planned another personal road trip to the sacred temple Badrinath Dham. From here itself we further visited the last village near Indo China border Mana Village and checked out the lush green skiing slopes of Auli in summers.

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This was another remarkable and memorable trip of the year.

June 2017

June was the one month when we were actually at home and were fiddling with the ups and downs around.

July – August 2017

Dream Trip to Leh Ladakh

After a lot of stress, we really needed a long break. So, we did a 13 day long Leh Ladakh road trip from Delhi. Ladakh is also known as the land of high Passes. We took the circuit road trip at our own pace without rushing to the destinations. We checked the attractions on Srinagar Leh highway, explored hidden Leh Ladakh palaces, walked and talked with the soldier at Kargil War Memorial, got lost in the Leh Palace and tranquilized in the serenity of Hemis Monastery.

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We saw Bactrian Camels and reflection of the Himalayas in the Nubra valley, did off-roading and slept in tents near high altitude lakes like Tso Kar, Pangong Tso, and Tso Moriri.

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Do remember, you need Inner Line Permit for entering the sensitive zones in Leh Ladakh.

September 2017

Heritage Walk in the Historical Town, Mahabalipuram

After a year of blogging, we did our first FAM trip to Chariot Beach resort and explored Mahabalipuram, in Tamil Nadu to its best. The UNESCO monuments, monolithic structures, and caves, shore temple left us completely stunned with its beauty.

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October 2017

October the month of festivals in India, we decided to take a break from travels and celebrate each one of them at our new place, with our parents.

November 2017

Road trip to the colonial town: Mukteshwar, Uttarakhand

In November 2017, we did another FAM trip with Club Ten Pine Lodge to the colonial Mukteshwar town in Uttarakhand. We got lost in the beauty of Himalayan peaks during sunrise and sunsets; & trekked to explore the hidden gem – Bhalu Gaad waterfall.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BcsB5xYHHKO/?taken-by=suruchimittal

December 2017

Road Trip to Kasauli & Rajasthan

The last month of the year is always special as it is Tashi‘s birthday and we celebrated it in the hills of Kasauli. The last month also put us into the thoughts of our activities and achievements for the previous year. But simultaneously we also start deciding the place to celebrate the coming New Year. And, this year we decided to end 2017 and welcome 2018, in Rajasthan exploring the Sariska Tiger Reserve and one of the most haunted places in India – Bhangarh Fort. The stories are yet to come, so tuned.

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Conclusion: 2017 Travel Stories

That was our 2017 travel stories. It seems like a year was dedicated to the road trips especially to the hills traversing Himachal, Uttarakhand and Leh Ladakh. Overall, we did 9 trips, including personal, professional and FAM trips extending from 4 days to 15 days covering multiple destinations. We are really grateful as we got good health & the opportunity to make these trips and write 2017 travel stories. We wish to travel more and continue the travel stories in 2018.

Thanks for taking out the time to read our travel stories. Have the wonderful year 2018 ahead…
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Badrinath Dham: The Road trip to one of the four Dhams

Badrinath Dham: Road trip to one of the four DhamsSince childhood, I was hearing from my parents about the four Dhams of Hindus and the perception for the same was Ok! I will travel to these places, once I am old. But there are some things or trips in life which are bound to happen and you can’t change them. In fact, such things and trips change your mindset and you feel why you didn’t do this earlier. Last week, my parents were here and they wanted to travel to Badrinath. And we being the quick planners; planned and packed everything in an hour and took off for another long Road trip to Badrinath Dham.

Badrinath Dham, Uttarakhand

Distance to Badrinath from Delhi: 538 Kms via Haridwar and 576 Kms via Lansdowne

Route from Delhi to Badrinath Dham: We went from the route:  Delhi – Noida – Najibabad – Kotdwara – Lansdowne – Srinagar – Chamoli – Joshimath – Badrinath; And came back from Badrinath – Joshimath – Chamoli – Srinagar – Rishikesh – Haridwar – Muzaffarnagar – Meerut – Delhi

Total Time to reach Badrinath Dham: Almost 16 -17 hrs

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Stoppages on the way: We halted at Lansdowne that covers almost 1/3rd of the total journey Or one can opt to stay at Srinagar.

Best time to visit: Between May – October; as the temple is open only during this period for 6 months.

Road Conditions: Excellent except 4-5 broken patches.

The Badrinath Dham

The Badrinath Dham is located in between the folds of Garhwal hills of Uttarakhand along with the banks of river Alaknanda; at an elevation of 10,000 feet. In fact, the whole of the Badrinath town is encircled around the Badrinath or Badrinarayan temple; dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Badrinath temple is also known as Vishal Badri.

Badrinath Town around Badrinath Dham

History behind Badrinath Temple

The temple is believed to have Buddhist origin and later in the 8th century was converted to Hindu temple by Adi Shankara. I somehow too felt its colorful facade and architecture resembles Buddhist temple. Look at the image isn’t it resembling the Buddhist Vihara (Temple).

Badrinath Dham in Uttarakhand
Badrinath temple During Night

According to the Hindu Legends, Lord Vishnu sat here in the midst of Himalayas for meditation (Mudra position); being completely unaware of the harsh weather conditions. His consort Goddess Lakshmi couldn’t stop herself seeing this and she protected him by forming Badri tree. The Badrinath town used to be rich in Badri till 1979  which bear Jujube or Indian Dates. Seeing the devoutness, Lord Vishnu got pleased and named this place as Badrika Ashram.

My impression seeing the Badrinath Temple

The Badrinath temple architecture and convention of bright colors completely captivated me and left me awestruck. I was literally staring at the decorations of the temple for almost half an hour; without even winking my eyes. In fact, the pristine temple enclosed between the series of Himalayas, do all justice for the long drive. One actually forgets everything and get lost in the aura of this place. The only word I could utter out was WOW!!

Badrinath Dham, uttarakhand

The temple stands proudly on the plinth; between the two mountains Nar & Narayan, overlooking River Alaknanda. The arched windows and doors, facade and the intricately designed carvings around the pillars each speak for themselves.

Door, Windows, Facade of the Badrinath Dham

Every year almost 12 -13 Lakh pilgrims pay a visit to this temple, but still, there is calmness and serenity in the air. This place is a perfect example that how nature replenishes the valley itself during the winters.

Mountains behind the temple at Badrinath Dham

Just outside and below the temple, there is a Tapt Kund (hot water sulfur spring); separate for both men and women. The water of this Kund is believed to have medicinal properties and pilgrims prefer to take bath in it before visiting the temple. Interesting is the temperature of the spring is around 55 degree Celsius throughout the year whereas outside temperature in Badrinath is around 17-18 degree Celsius.

Tapt Kund at Badrinath Dham

Inside the temple, the main shrine houses 1 meter tall Black stoned image of Badri Vishal, housed in a gold canopy under the Badri tree. While circumambulation around the main shrine; we too observed certain more idols of Goddess Lakshmi, Garuda, Lord Hanuman etc. There are two more ponds in the temple known as Narad Kund and Surya Kund.

Temple Timings

The Badrinath temple opens from 4:00 am to12 noon and 3:00 pm -10 p.m.

Badrinath Temple during winters

The temple opens only for a period of 6 months, during summers and for the rest 6 months; the deity of Lord Badrinarayan is taken to Narasimha temple at Joshimath. Amazing is before closing the temple doors, priest lightens up an Akhand Jyot (Diya) filled with ghee to last for 6 months and locals told that when the door are reopened the Diya/lamp is seen flickering.  Isn’t that Interesting!

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Important points while visiting Badrinath Dham

  1. Photography is prohibited inside the temple, so don’t try to attempt it.
  2. There are fixed timings for opening and closing of the temple, do make a note of it for convenience.
  3. One is allowed inside the shrine only for 10-20 seconds.
  4. Avoid taking Prasad inside the temple, as half of it is thrown on the floor and it really irritates your feet while walking. And I too believe it is an insult to the Prasad and God.
  5. Always keep woolens handy with you, because the temperature here dips anytime during the day.
  6. On an average, Badrinath temple receives 8000- 10,000 pilgrims per day, so be prepared for the queue and the rush you have to face.
  7. There are more devotees on Saturdays and Sundays as compared to the weekdays.
  8. Nothing is free inside the temple. I mean for Prasad too, you need to shed some money from your pocket.
  9. Take bath inside the Tapt Kund, it really soothes out your body. Initially, I too was skeptical and felt the water smelly and never wanted to go inside the Kund for the bath. But after my mother’s decision, I felt my body was feeling relaxed.
  10. Make a visit to the temple at night after it closes down, to capture good bright shots.
  11. You will find too many Sadhus and Saints sitting on the roads. Don’t try to encounter or get into their talks with them.
  12. Bargain while buying souvenirs outside the Temple.Market in Badrinath Dham

Interesting facts about Badrinath Temple

  1. Badrinath and Kedarnath Temple are run by the Government body and there is a special act for these temples known as Shri Badrinath and Shri Kedarnath Temple act.
  2. The head priest of the temple is a Nambudiri Brahman and he is always chosen from the Kerala state. There are strict norms for him while servicing.
  3. On an average 20 crore, rupees are donated to the temple which literally goes in the maintenance and salaries of the priests.

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Places to stay at Badrinath Dham

For budgeted stay, there are many Dharamshalas, guest houses, and hotels around the temple. The price for the double room with the geyser in hotel varies from Rs. 1800-2500. Whereas, for a luxurious stay; one can opt to stay at Sarovar Portico. And if you are traveling in season; prefer to get your bookings done prior hand as 10,000 is a huge no for a small town with limited options.

Hotel Sarovar Portico at Badrinath Dham

Food in the Badrinath town

One can find a variety of Dhabas and restaurant serving Indian food, but don’t expect the quality to be too high. So, just look for a clean place and feed yourself and do ask or check the prices before ordering.

Another option to travel to Badrinath Dham

There are several private as well as government companies running Char Dham yatra service by helicopter. And the prices for each vary drastically. Here is the link for Uttaranchal Tourism.

Road Trip to Badrinath Dham

Overall, I will say the Badrinath Dham is a must visit. Don’t wait for the old age. Go, when you are young because there is so much around to explore and see. When around also visit Mana Village and Valley of flowers.

You can read about Uttarkashi: the entrance to Char Dhams of uttarakhand here.