Badrinath

While the site's sanctity is described in ancient texts including the Mahabharata and the Vishnu Purana, the temple as an organised pilgrimage destination was established by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century CE. Shankaracharya is credited with discovering the image of Badrinarayan in the Narada Kund hot spring and installing it in the current temple. He also established the Rawat (priest) tradition — the Rawals, who come from the Namboodiri Brahmin community of Kerala, are the temple's head priests to this day.

The temple was rebuilt several times after damage from earthquakes and landslides. The current structure, with its distinctive polychrome facade and gold-plated roof, was largely rebuilt after an earthquake in 1803. The Garhwal rulers and later the Nehru family were significant patrons. The Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee, established under Uttarakhand state law, administers the temple.

Badrinath is the endpoint of the Char Dham Yatra road circuit and is also part of the Chota Char Dham (the four sacred Himalayan dhams: Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri). The Mana village, just 3 km from Badrinath, is the last Indian village before the Tibet border and is home to the cave of Sage Vyasa (who composed the Mahabharata) and the Bhim Pul rock bridge.