Vridha Badri Temple

Vridha Badri Temple

Vridha Badri is located at Animath in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. The Vridha Badri temple dates back to the times when it India was ruled by the Gupta Dynasty. The Vridha Badri is one amongst the “Sapt Badri” temples in the Badrikshetra.

The Vridha Badri holds a very high significance in the Hindu mythology. The name of Vridha Badri is derived from the form of an old man in which Lord Vishnu is worshiped here. It is situated ahead of the Kalpeshwar Mahadev Temple, ahead of Helang. The elevation of Vridha Badri is of 1,380m in Animath.

The legend of Vridha Badri says that when the great sage Narad decided to perform a penance at this place to please Lord Vishnu. Delighted by the penance Lord Vishnu appeared before Narad disguised as an old man and answered his prayers. Thus, an idol of Lord Vishnu in the form of an old man was created by Vishwakarma, the architect of Gods and Goddesses.

The idol of Lord Vishnu stayed in Animath until it was flooded. It was found in the 8th century by Adi Shankaracharya who was spreading the tenets of Hinduism to every remote corner of Bharat. He discovered the idol of Lord Badri in the form of Vridha Badri and reinstalled it in the temple premises. It is also believed that the original idol of Lord Vishnu made by Vishwakarma is now enshrined at the main Badrinath temple.

It is believed that when Badrinath becomes inaccessible during the winter season, Lord Badri (Vishnu) is worshipped at Vridh Badri.