God is within easy reach for all

We forget that in order to attain freedom from rebirths, we need to keep thinking of God. When asked to go and pray to Mahavishnu, man said, Öh, He is in Heaven, how can I go there?” Taking pity on man, Mahavishnu descended to Par kadal (Milky Ocean), but again man made a fuss, saying, “I can reach the Milky Ocean only after my life on earth is over and even then I cannot go in human form.” Appreciating the point, God decided to come down as avtara purushan and took form as Rama, Krishna and others, in order to live with man and show him the ways of dharma. 

However, man again demurred, saying, “Rama lived eons ago, I do not know if I lived near Rama or not. Who is blessed enough to remember one’s past lives?” God 

then said He would appear in the heart of a devotee if he led a spiritual life. However, only those who undertook severe tapas (penance), renounced family and material ties succeeded in having God appear to them in their heart and mind( Andar yamithvam ). “How can I renounce family life when I have so many responsibilities?” asked man when  shown the Andaryamithvam path. Seeing the logic in it, Vishnu descended on earth, Archai avatar, and took the form of an idol in Badrinath first and many other places subsequently. 

In this form, He is seen in various postures— like the anatasayan am in Srirangam - in numerous temples across India. In fact, an ancient Tamil proverb says, “Do not reside in a town where there are no temples.” As Vishnu, He has taken the Archai avatar in thousands of places in India, where He is consecrated. It is recommended that people go on a pilgrimage to these temples at least once in their lifetime. Interestingly, while praying to Vishu is considered to be the ultimate goal, it is important to pray to Mahalakshmi as well, as She alone dispenses prosperity. This is the main reason for the presence of a separate sann adhi for Thayar. 

In Badrinath, He is seen as Badri Narayana with His consort Aravindavalli inside the temple, while Nara Narayana is seen under the jujube tree. Badri Naryana is seen in a yoga mudra (Padmasana), with matted hair and armed with Sanku and Chakra. A speciality of the temple here is that all the offerings and even thirumanjanam (holy bath) are conducted in the open, unlike other temples where a curtain is drawn, screening the devotee from God while He is being dressed or when the food is offered to Him. 

To the right of His sannadhi lies Kubera (God of wealth)’s sanctum. It is considered an auspicious move to leave currency coins at Kubera’s feet and later distribute them to one’s relatives, after visiting Badri. These coins are said to bring wealth to those who preserve them properly. 

A puzzling aspect (to many devotees) of Badrinath is the mystery behind the Taptakundam (hot springs), while the rest of the are is freezing cold. Pundits attribute this phenomenon to the power of Nara Narayana’s tapas. 

Apart from Kubera’s sanna dhi, there is a separate temple for Lakshmi Nrisimha behind the temple. Swami Ramanuja and Swami Vedanta Desikan also have a sann adhi each, dedicated to them here. A visit to Badrinath brings untold peace and prosperity to a devotee. 

In fact, one should visit as many temples as possible, since merely visiting the consecrated idols confer peace upon one.