Godiyal appointed Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee chief

Dehradun: Congress MLA from Shrinagar in Uttarakhand Assembly Ganesh Godiyal has been appointed the new chief of Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee.

Godiyal has been appointed to the post for a tenure of three years, official sources said here on Friday.

The Congress MLA, who takes over from BJP's Ansuya Prasad as the president of the committee also holds the charge of the state Assembly's Parliamentary Secretary.

Godiyal's appointment to the post comes after a controversy erupted over allocation of the committee president's additional charge to its chief executive officer B D Singh following conclusion of Prasad's tenure.

Terming it a violation of the Temple Committee Act, opposition BJP had threatened to take the matter to Governor Aziz Qureshi if the Act was not followed in its letter and spirit.

PTI

Badrinath highway reopens for traffic, road to Kedarnath shut

The Rishikesh-Badrinath national highway was reopened on Monday after remaining blocked for a day due to landslides.

The highway was closed at Mandia village yesterday but the debris were cleared today and traffic was allowed to move, official sources said.

However, the road leading to Kedarnath shrine was hit by fresh landslides in Rudraprayag district, blocking vehicular traffic, they said, adding that efforts were on to clear the debris and reopen the road.

The national highways leading to the two other Himalayan shrines of Gangotri and Yamunotri are open for yatra, the sources said.

Meanwhile, the weather remained largely dry in most parts of Uttarakhand with overcast sky in some areas, the Met office said.

More helicopter services to ferry pilgrims soon: Uttarakhand CM Nishank

Dehradun, May 8: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, who flagged off the new air service for the four Dhams-Badrinath, Kedarnath, Yamunotri and Gangotri shrines in the hill state, has said that more such services by private operators would be initiated soon.


Talking to reporters here on Saturday, Nishank said: "We are in the process of making helipads in 25 places which are some of the most beautiful locations on earth. Our mission is also to help people see the world's most striking locations. The Chardham Yatra has begun and we have made adequate arrangements for the same."

He said this was the first effort to connect all the four dhams with air service and would prove a boon for the people, especially the elders, who are otherwise unable to undertake the arduous journey.

Rakesh Sharma, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Prabhatam Group, a helicopter operating company said that the aerial services would be made available to pilgrims on government decided rates.

"The speciality of our service is that pilgrims can plan their trips according to their convenience. This facility is also regularly available at Kedarnath. The pilgrims would be taken their desired holy places on rates fixed by the state government. All other service operators would also have to comply by these rates and provide the facilities," he added.

The helicopter would be regularly flying at altitudes of 23,000 feet and ferry six passengers at a time across different religious sites.

Over the years the demand for helicopter services by pilgrims have witnessed a rise enabling the state government and operators to strengthen the air services.

Every year millions of the devotees from across the world throng the revered worship sites in the state like, Badrinath, Kedarnath, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Yamunotri and Gangotri.

ani

Badrinath temple reopens for pilgrims

A day after Kedarnath, the doors of the famous Himalayan shrine of Badrinath were reopened on Monday for pilgrims after a gap of six months.

Amid blowing of conches and chanting of vedic hymns and shlokas, Chief priest of Badrinath shrine Rawal Keshava Namboodiri opened the doors of the temple at 0535 hrs this morning as the palanquin carrying the idol of Lord Vishnu was taken inside the sanctum sanctorum, said Anusuiya Prasad Bhatt, Chairman of Shri Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee.

During the opening ceremony of the temple, situated at a height of 3,133 meter in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand Disaster Management Minister Khajan Das and principal secretary, Religious Tourism Department Rakesh Sharma were also present along with hundreds of devotees outside the sanctum sanctorum braving chilly winds.

Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank was also scheduled to attend the ceremony but he could not reach Badrinath due to some reason, said Bhatt.

The doors of another famous shrine of Kedarnath in Rudraprayag district were thrown open for pilgrims on Sunday and Nishank was among the first ones who paid obeisance at the temple.

With the opening of doors of Badrinath on Monday, all the four shrines collectively known as Chardham have been thrown open for pilgrims.

Landslides hit pilgrimage to Badrinath, Gangotri, Yamunotri

DEHRA DUN: Fresh landslides triggered by rains today disrupted the pilgrimage to Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri in the Garhwal Himalayas of Uttarakhand.

The landslides hit various places in Chamoli and Uttarkashi districts blocking the routes to the shrines of Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri, Disaster Management and Mitigation Centre (DMMC) said here.

While Rishikesh-Badrinath national highway was blocked by landslides at Chhinka area, Rishikesh-Gangotri national highway was hit at Karmkund blocking vehicular traffic, they said, adding the road leading to Yamunotri has been blocked at Ranachatti.

Teams comprising personnel of police, ITBP and BRO have been pressed into service to clear the debris and reopen the routes for vehicular traffic.

The rains also pushed up the water level of a pond at Dhakrani area of Vikasnagar near here damaging 15 houses this morning.

Moderate to heavy rains continued to lash most parts of Uttarakhand with Banbasa receiving maximum 117 mm of rainfall followed by Champawat with 113 mm, Nainital 102 mm, Srinagar and Rishikesh 73 mm, Haridwar 65 mm and Dehra Dun 60 mm during the past 24 hours, Met office here said.

Badrinath Temple

Badrinath is a Hindu holy town and a nagar panchayat in Chamoli district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is the most important of the four sites in India's Char Dham pilgrimage.

Badrinath temple, sometimes called Badrinarayan temple, is situated along the Alaknanda river, in the hill town of Badrinath in Uttarakhand state in India. It is widely considered to be one of the holiest Hindu temples, and is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The temple and town are one of the four Char Dham pilgrimage sites of Northern Himalayas as also one of those mentioned in Hindu religion; Dwarka,Jagannath Puri and Rameshwar being the remaining. It is also one of the 108 Divya Desams, holy shrines for Vaishnavites. The temple is open only six months every year (between the end of April and the beginning of November), due to extreme weather conditions in the Himalayan region.

Several murtis are worshipped in the temple. The most important is a one meter tall statue of Vishnu as Lord Badrinarayan, made of black Saligram stone. The statue is considered by many Hindus to be one of eight swayam vyakta keshtras, or self-manifested statues of Vishnu.[1] The murti depicts Vishnu sitting in meditative posture, rather than His far more typical reclining pose. In November each year, when the town of Badrinath is closed, the image is moved to nearby Jyotirmath.

Location : Right Bank River Alaknanda
Dedicated To : Lord Vishnu
Altitude : 3,133 mt
Built In : 8th Century AD

Badarinath Dham is considered as one of the most sacred centres of pilgrimage situated in the lofty Himalayan heights in the Garhwal hill tracks (Uttarakhand). Situated at the height of 3133 m (10248 feet) above sea level. The route to Badarinath is one of the most fascinating one due to the lofty hilly terrain, curves and cliffs amidst the most scenically beautiful place on the earth.

Throughout the route to Badarinath there are numerous pilgrimage sites at Deo Prayag, Rudraprayag, Karnaprayag, Nandaprayag and Vishnuprayag; as well as Pandukeswar where king Pandu observed Tapasya with his queen Madri and where his sons Pandavas, stayed during their pilgrimage to heaven, and the site where Bhima and Hanuman (sons of Vayu) met.

At Badarinath Lord MahaVishnu is believed to have done his penance. Seeing the Lord doing his penance in the open, Goddess Mahalaxmi is believed to have assumed the form of Badari tree to provide him shelter to face the onslaught of the adverse weather conditions, therefore the name Badari Narayan. It is believed that Lord Vishnu revealed to Narad rishi that Nar & Naryans forms were his own. It is also believed that Narad rishi, who also did his penance here, is even now worshipping the supreme God with Ashtakshara mantras.

The image of Badarinarayan here is fashioned out of Saligramam. Badarinarayan is seen under the Badari tree, flanked by Kuber and Garuda, Narad, Narayan and Nar. Mahalakshmi has a sanctum outside in the parikrama. There is also a shrine to Adi Sankara at Badarinath.

Behind the temple of Lord Badarinarayan is the Lakshmi Narsimh mandir, with shrines to Desikacharya and Ramanujachary.At Badarinath one can witness one of the greatest wonders of Nature in the Hot water springs of Taptkund on the banks of ice chilled river Alaknanda. The temperature of the water in the Kund is 55 degree centigrade whereas the normal temperature in this region for most part of the year remains at 9-10 degree centigrade to sub-zero levels. Before visiting the temple the pilgrims take a holy bath in the Taptkund.

The Temple's present structure was built by the Kings of Garhwal. The Temple has three sections - Garbhagriha (Sanctum), the Darshan Mandap, and Sabha Mandap. The Garbhagriha (Sanctum) houses Lord Badari Narayan, Kuber (God of wealth), Narad rishi, Udhava, Nar & Narayan.

Lord Badari Narayan (also called as Badari Vishal) is armed with Shankh (Conch) and Chakra in two arms in a lifted posture and two arms rested on the lap in Yogamudra.The principal image is of black stone and it represents Vishnu seated in meditative pose. The temple also houses Garuda (Vehicle of Lord Narayan). Also here are the idols of Adi Shankar, Swami Desikan and Shri Ramanujam. Guru-Shisya parampara is supposed to have its roots here.

Kapat Opening:- The Kapat of Shri Badrinath Temple has been opened on 9th May 2008 at 7:50 AM.

Best Time to visit:- The ideal time or peak season to go for a Char Dham Yatra is from May to October, except monsoons. This is because; all the four sacred sites are perched in Garhwal Himalayas, which is prone to heavy snowfall. As a result, all the passage leading to the shrines are blocked. Moreover, during the monsoon season, there is undue threat of having landslides, which can further disrupt the journey. For safety reasons, the gates of the temples are also closed for this period of time and the idols are shifted to nearby pilgrim points.

Source: http://www.badarikedar.org/

Hemkund Sahib in Uttarakhand

Known earlier as Lokpal, Hemkund Sahib has an interesting legend associated with it. According to Hindu mythology, Hemkund was the place where Lakshman, the brother of Lord Rama did his penance. The Sikhs believe that Hemkund is the place where their beloved 10th and the last Guru, Guru Gobind Singh as Dust Daman was unified with God after prolonged meditation in his previous birth. The Guru had referred to his previous birth in one of the chapters of his autobiographical poem ‘Bichittar Natak' wherein he had described a place deep in the Himalayas surrounded by seven peaks and a glacial lake where he was united with the Master after a prolong penance.

Though the Sikhs had known of the story and had tried very hard to locate the exact place, it took two devout Sikhs Sant Solan Singh and Mohan Singh extreme hard work and effort to discover the place. Soon after the discovery, Hemkund Sahib became an important pilgrimage centre and a star shaped Gurudwara was built on the very place where Guru Gobind Singh is said to have meditated.
There are places that are beautiful and easy to reach and then there are gems, hidden and far away, difficult to access; but one that will take your breath – away. The Hemkund Sahib Gurudwara is one such breath-taking destination that is simply incredible. Revered both by the Sikhs and the Hindus, Hemkund Sahib is located in the Garhwal Himalayas in Uttarakhand.

An important Sikh pilgrimage site, Hemkund is located 4329 meters above sea level in the of Uttarakhand. The Sikh community holds Hemkund Sahib in extreme respect as the place is associated with Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Guru, who founded Khalsa Panth in 1699. It is also venerated by the Hindus, for the place is also home to the Lakshman Temple. Hemkund is also the place where the mythical and rare yellow-green flower known as the Brahma Kamal, or 'Lotus of the Gods' is found

Places of Interest
Hemkund Sahib Gurudwara: Located on the banks of the Hemkund Lake, the Gurudwara of Hemkund Sahib is a star-shaped structure. An outlet behind the Gurudwara is source of the Lakshman Ganga.

The Hemkund Lake: A beautiful lake set amidst picturesque surroundings, the Hemkund Lake is about 2 km in circumference. While the lake stays snow covered during the winters one can view the reflection of the surrounding Saptashringa Peaks (5,500 m) in its crystal clear waters during the summers. The glaciers from Hathi Parvat and Saptrishi peaks feed the lake and a small stream called Himganga flows out of this lake. The abundance of beautiful and varied wildflowers and ferns that cover the banks of the lake and the cascading water falls make this place a heavenly sight.

Lakshman Temple: Located on the banks of the Hemkund Lake is a temple dedicated to Lakshman, the brother of Lord Rama. Also known as the Lokpal Temple, it was here that Lakshman did his penance. It is also believed that the Sanjeevani Bhuti that cured Lakshman was also found from this place.

Places Nearby
Valley of Flowers: A glacial corridor 8 km in length and 2 km in width that gets carpeted with beautiful wildflowers during July and August, Valley of Flowers is 8 km from Ghangaria, which serves as a base camp both for the Valley of Flowers and Hemkund Sahib. You need to veer left for the Valley of Flowers, while the straight climb leads to Hemkund Sahib. The trail to the valley is well marked. You need to register and pay a fee at the gate to enter the Valley of Flowers.

Govindghat: Govindghat located at the confluence of the Alaknanda and Lakshman Ganga rivers is the starting point for trekking to Hemkund Sahib. Govindghat is 22 km from Joshimath on NH 58 and has an imposing Gurudwara named after Guru Govind Singh, the 10th Sikh Guru.

Joshimath: The nearest town to Hemkund Sahib, Joshimath is located on the confluence of the Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers. It is associated with Adi Shankaracharya, who built a temple here in the 9th century. The temple of Ugra Narasimha- the half man, half lion avatar of Lord Vishnu is also situated here.

Auli: A picturesque ski resort located 9,000 feet above sea level, excellent for winter sports and views of the Himalayas is just 8 km from Joshimath. An interesting way to reach Auli is to take the cable ropeway.

Badrinath: One of the Chardhams of India, Badrinath is 30 km from Govindghat and is the seat of Vishnu. Badrinath was established as a major pilgrimage site by Adi Shankara in the 9th century. The Badrinath Temple is the main attraction here, which houses the black stone image of Lord Badrinarayan made of Saligram stone. The image was found by Adi Shankaracharya in the Alaknanda River.

Ghangharia: Ghangharia serves as a base for visiting Hemkund Sahib as well as the Valley of Flowers. It is the last human habitation in the valley. A Tourist Lodge, log huts, tents and a Gurudwara provide comfortable accommodation.

Stay Options
There are rest houses run by the Hemkund Sahib Trust all along the way from Rishikesh and Joshimath to Hemkund Sahib. Here devotees are provided with food and accommodation free of charge. Ghangharia, the base camp for Hemkund Sahib has several tourist lodges, hotels and rest houses. There is a Gurudwara in Ghangaria that accommodate thousands of pilgrims.

However, it is at Hemkund Sahib that the facilities become limited. While only the granthis and the sevadars who work at the shrine are allowed to stay there for the night; pilgrims are expected to go back to Ghangharia before nightfall.
Click here to check stay options for Hemkund Sahib

How to reach
By Air: Jolly Grant Airport at Dehradun, 268 km from Hemkund Sahib via Gobindghat and Rishikesh, is the nearest airport. The airport is not operational yet.

By Rail: Rishikesh Railway Station at 200 km from Hemkund and 175 km from Gobindghat is the closest railhead. Haridwar and Dehradun are other near by railway station.

By Road: Joshimath at 40 km from Hemkunt Sahib is the base from where one needs to take a bus or hire a taxi to reach Gobindghat. Gobindghat is also well connected by road with Rishikesh, Kotdwara, Dehradun, Haridwar, Nainital, Ranikhet etc.

It is also on the bus route to Badrinath from Rishikesh. From Gobindghat, one needs to trek 14 km to reach Ghangharia via Vishnuganga River and Bhyundar Valley. Ghangharia, at the confluence of the Pushpavati and the Lakshman Ganga rivers is the last base before the steep 6 km climb to Hemkund and the Valley of Flowers.
In Short: Joshimath- Gobindghat- Ghangharia-Hemkund Sahib/ Valley of Flowers

Best Time to Visit
Mid July to September when the weather is relatively pleasant and the flowers are in full bloom. However, it is essential to carry woolens and good sturdy trekking shoes. It may also rain, a good rain coat is recommended though one can buy cheap plastic rain coats on the way to Hemkund Sahib.

http://www.oktatabyebye.com/travelogues/314-uttaranchalslashalmost-heaven---valley-of-flowers-(part-1).html

Heavy rains claim 10 lives in Uttarakhand

Heavy rains claim 10 lives in Uttarakhand

Dehra Dun (PTI) At least 10 people, including two Hemkund pilgrims, were killed in heavy rains and landslides in Uttarakhand that have also disrupted the Gangotri yatra.

Two pilgrims returning from Hemkund Sahib in Chamoli district died when landslides hit Rishikesh-Badrinath Highway yesterday, police said on Friday.

They have been identified as Amarjit Singh and Sona Singh from Muktsar area of Punjab.
In another incident, three persons were killed when their car fell into the Ganga river at Pali Pani area after a portion of the road caved in on the Rishikesh-Badrinath Highway.

Three members of a family were among four killed when a heavy boulder fell on their car yesterday near Kaladhungi area in Kumoan region.

One person identified as Rais was washed away in the Kolhu river on Haridwar-Bijnor Highway.
Heavy rains continued to lash Uttarakhand today, triggering landslides at several places.

Hundreds of pilgrims were stranded at the Gangotri shrine after landslides hit Sukhitop area on the Uttarkashi-Gangotri Highway last evening. Efforts are on to clear the debris.
Source: http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200806201340.htm