Badrinath Dham is one of the most popular pilgrimage destinations in India. A story related to it tells how Lord Shiva lost his home and came to this place, where he now lives permanently.
Lord Shiva is one of the three supreme gods of Hinduism. He is known for his powers of destruction and creation, and is often revered as the god of transformation. He is also the god of meditation and yoga, and is associated with the Himalayas. The story of Lord Shiva and Badrinath begins many centuries ago.
Let’s take a look at the story.
There’s a story about Badrinath Dham. Badrinath Dham is said to have been the home of Lord Shiva and Parvati. It is situated on the majestic Himalayas at an elevation of 10,000 feet above sea level and offers stunning views of the surroundings. One day, they went out for a stroll and left their infant son behind at home. Just as they were returning home, Parvati noticed a very small child crying on the doorstep. The child looked so sad that she couldn’t resist picking him up. But Lord Shiva told her not to touch it; he said it was dangerous.
Lord Shiva said, “This isn’t a good baby. How did he come to our doorstep? There are no footprints in the snow from his parents. This isn’t a child.” However, Parvati replied by saying, “I don’t care. The motherly feeling within me cannot abandon this child like this.” Saying this, she picked up the child and carried him inside the house. The child became very comfortable and started staring happily at Lord Shiva. Shiva knew what would happen as a result of this decision, but he only replied with “All right; let’s see what happens.”
Parvati then quieted the baby, gave him some milk, and he fell asleep. She then left the baby to go for a shower with Shiva in the nearby hot spring. When they returned home, they found that no one had opened the door from the inside. Parvati was surprised and said to Shiva, ‘Who could have shut the door from the inside?’
Shiva replied, ‘I told you not to pick up that child, but you brought him home anyway, and now he has shut himself in!’
Parvati asked, ‘What should we do now?’ Lord Shiva had only two choices – he could burn down the house, or find a different way and move on their way. He said, ‘Let us go somewhere else. He is your sweet child; that’s why I cannot touch him.
In this manner, Lord Shiva lost his own house and both Shiva and Parvati became trespassers in their own home. They kept wandering until they finally settled in Kedarnath. You might wonder how they didn’t know, but we often let ourselves be led astray by our own blind assumptions.
Today, Badrinath is one of the four sacred pilgrimage sites of India. It is believed that anyone who visits Badrinath will be blessed with peace and prosperity. Every year, thousands of devotees from all over the world visit the temple to pay their respects to Lord Shiva and seek His blessings. The story of Lord Shiva and Badrinath is an important part of Hindu mythology and is still remembered and celebrated by Hindus all over the world.