The Soulful Journey to Serene Yog Dhyan Badri Temple in uttarakhand

The Yogdhyan Badri temple that is situated amid the lush green meadows and the exquisite mountains is popular among the pilgrims. And, the journey to reach this sacred place is even more thrilling. The astounding place is filled with a sense of beauty that refreshes your mind & soul. Yogdhyan Badri which is located in the close proximity to the villages of Hanuman chatti and Govind Ghat, is surrounded by pristine natural Himalayan beauty and this temple remains open throughout the winter months. Moreover, the entire valley where this temple is located is extremely scenic and one of the most picturesque places to be in Uttarakhand. In addition to this, there are several scenic places to explore around Yogdhyan Badri for every type of traveler including the Charanpaduka, Saraswati River, charming and glorious trek of Satopanth Tal among others. Joshimath is also a significant pilgrimage town in Uttarakhand and allows you to savor some of the most spellbinding vistas which the entire state is blessed with. So, if you aren’t blown away by the spirituality that this temple is ingrained in itself then, you’ll definitely be blown by the mesmerizing views of the mountains.

The Yog Badri temple was constructed by King Pandu for getting rid of the curse bestowed upon him. The father of Pandavas, “King Pandu” lived and meditated here before God Vishnu to atone his sin of killing two mating deer, which were in reality ascetics in their previous lives. As a result of his severe penance, Lord Vishnu, appeared before Pandu after his meditation and blessed him. The idol of Lord Vishnu, in Meditation has been carved from Shaligram stone, and therefore, the names Pandukeshwar and Yogdhyan remained thereafter. Moreover, the Pandavas were conceived here and also King Pandu died and attained salvation here. All the Pandava brothers, after defeating their cousins Kauravas in the Mahabharata war, came here to penance. From this place, the Pandavas after giving their kingdom of Hastinapur to their grandson Parikshit had gone further to Swargarohini for their atonement and finally reaching heaven. Moreover, it is one of the Sapta Badri’s which makes it all the more important.

Apart from the above, Kunti ‘the mother of Pandavas’ was wedded to Pandu at Pandukeshwar. There can also be found some copper plate engravings that reveal rule by early Katyuri Rajas. At that time the place was called as Panchal Desh. One of the engravings mentions the land being given by the courtesy of King Nimbarana. Another part of this memorable temple is the Surya Kund which is a heated water spring. Located over the icy mass of Milam glacier, it is here that Kunti gave birth to her son Karna from  Surya Dev, the Sun God, before her marriage to Pandu.

It is considered as the winter abode for the festive-statue of Lord Badrinath. During winters when Badrinath is closed it becomes the home of Utsava Murti as the statues of Lord Kuber Ji and Uddhav Ji from the Badrinath Temple are brought out from the sanctum of Badrinath and placed in Yogdhyan Temple. The devotees present at Pandukeshwar welcome Lord Kuber and Uddhavji's doli with zest & zeal with flower garlands. After that day, winter worship of Lord Kubera and Uddhav ji is done in Pandukeshwar itself.

Two major festivals are celebrated with all the zeal in Yog Badri. These include Devwar, the day when the idol of Uddhav Ji and Kuber Ji leaves the Yogdhyan badri temple and taken back to Badrinath. Another festival is celebrated on the day when the idols of kuber ji & uddhav ji come back to Yogdhyan Badri Temple during winter months.