Hanumanchatti

Mythology and Legend

According to the mythology, it all began with Draupadi’s demand for the Saugandhika flower. Into Draupadi’s hands came a beautiful lovely lotus flower while the five Pandavas and she were in exile in the forest and wandering around the Himalayas. Delighted by the beauty and heavenly fragrance of the flower, Draupadi requested Bheema to bring her more of them. Bheema, always willing to fulfil every wish of his beloved wife, went out in the search of flowers. He wandered through the forest for a long time and saw many beautiful flowers but he couldn’t find the flower that his wife requested. In the search of that flower he reached the place which is known as Hanuman Chatti today. Bheema was set out on the search for the flower on the Gandhamadana peak. But drowned in his pride he killed numerous animals on his way. Hence, to break his glass-like pride Lord Hanuman decided to teach him a lesson.

There he saw an old monkey lying across his path blocking the way with his tail. Bheema approached and tried to scare the monkey. But all in vain. Monkey just told him that no human was allowed to go further on this path. Bheema was irritated with the old monkey’s talk and requested him once again to move. After a long discussion, the monkey told Bheem that he is very old and weak and can’t move. So he asked Bheema just to move his tail and place it by the side so he can go forward. Bheema grabbed the monkey’s  tail and tried to move it. He tried very hard but failed to move it. Ashamed and humiliated, Bheema realised that he was not dealing with an ordinary monkey. Then he asked the old monkey to reveal his true identity. Realising that the old monkey was Hanuman, Lord of the monkeys, who just wanted to teach his younger brother a lesson, Bheema realised his mistake and begged him for forgiveness. Hanuman blessed him and instructed him how to reach Kubera’s garden where he would find a flower he was searching for.

As per another legend, It is also said that Lord Hanuman meditated and pleased Lord Badrinath at this place.

Temple in Hanuman Chatti (Badrinath)

In the Garhwal Himalayas, there are two villages by the same name of Hanuman Chatti. Of the two, one is situated on the way up to Yamunotri and the other one is on the Joshimath – Badrinath route.

To the left of the Hanuman temple, there is a Samadhi of Himalaya Giri, a saint who lived and meditated in Hanuman Chatti. On top of the shrine, there is a Shiva Ling. The obvious implication is that the people revere the saint as Lord Shiva himself.

Hanuman Chatti is an important stopover on the way to Yamunotri or Uttarkashi.

Location & How to Reach Hanuman Chatti (Badrinath)

This temple is located on the main road and you can stop over to visit this temple during your Badrinath Dham Yatra or during your Char Dham Yatra. Hanuman Chatti of Badrinath is located just 11 kms before Badrinath and 10 km from Pandukeshwar, 16 kms from Mana Village, 34 kms from Joshimath, 13 kms from Govindghat.
There is no direct bus or train service to Badrinath. It is well connected to Haridwar, Rishikesh, Dehradun, Dev Prayag, Rudra Prayag, Kotdwar, Joshi Math and other hill stations of Garhwal and Kumaon region.

By Air: The nearest airport from Badrinath is the Jolly Grant Airport near Dehradun, about 317 km from Badrinath. From where you can take a taxi or a bus as per convenience. There are many providers of helicopter service from Dehradun to Badrinath. The distance by a helicopter journey is hardly 100 km.

By Bus: Badrinath is easily accessible by road. It is located at a distance of 525 Km from Delhi & 296 Km from Rishikesh. There are regular buses operating to Badrinath from Delhi, Haridwar and Rishikesh. Regular buses also operate from Rishikesh bus station to Badrinath and start very early before dawn. The road is narrow after Joshimath and travel is not permitted on the road after sunset. Therefore if one misses the bus for Badrinath at Rishikesh bus station, one has to go only up to Rudraprayag, Chamoli or Joshimath and spend the night there to take the early morning bus for Badrinath.

The national route NH58 connects Delhi to Mana Pass in Uttarakhand, near the Indo-Tibet border, and from there to Badrinath. There is no direct route by Air and Railways between New Delhi and Badrinath. However, if you have your own vehicle, you can drive directly to the venue.

By Train: The nearest railway stations to Badrinath are at Rishikesh (297 kms), Haridwar (324 kms) and Kotadwar (327 kms). Rishikesh is not connected by fast trains and Kotadwar has very less number of trains. Thus Haridwar serves as the best railway station if you are visiting Badrinath by train. Haridwar is connected by many trains from all parts of India.

Best Time to Visit Hanuman Chatti / Badrinath

The best visiting season for Badrinath is summer months from May to November with May to June being the most crowded months when the pilgrim rush is at its peak and September to October being ideal for a more relaxed journey.

Due to heavy rainfall in the area, visitors may face difficulty reaching the temple during monsoon season (late June to Aug).

March to June are very pleasant with moderate climate, with average around 18°C. Summers are ideal for all sightseeing and pilgrimage. July to mid-September are accompanied with scanty rains and also temperature drops down to 15°C. The region is prone to occasional landslides and travelling can be difficult. November to April are chilly days with average minimum touching near 5°C.

Minimums can touch sub zero levels and snow falling is seen very often during winters. Badrinath temple is closed during winters for 6 months.

You can visit the shrine during these festivals for more enriched experienced:

1. Badri Kedar Festival – This eight day festival is celebrated in Badrinath and Kedarnath in the month of June. In the festival artists from across India are invited to showcase their art.
2. Mata Murti ka Mela – It is celebrated on Bhavan Dwadashi. In the festival devotees sing holy songs, dance and worship Shri Badrinath’s mother Ma Murti.
3. Janmashtami – Janmashtami is celebrated very vibrantly in Badrinath. Devotees gather and celebrate the birth of Lord Krishna.

What is Hanuman Chatti (Temple) Famous for?

This temple is famous for a variety of reasons:

1. Hanuman Chatti might be a really small temple yet it is significantly known for its natural surroundings and serene atmosphere. The temple provides a sense of peace to the devotees.
2. It is considered a supremely sacred place among the devotees of Lord Hanuman.
3. The main festival celebrated at Hanuman Chatti is; Hanuman Jayanti: The day records the day of birth of Lord Hanuman. Hence, on this day devotees of Lord Hanuman flock to the temple to celebrate his birth and seek his blessings. Moreover, they also make offerings at the temple and receive the pious prasad. The day observes the devotees of Lord Hanuman singing Hanuman Chalisa. Moreover, devotees also read excerpts from Ramayana that remind of Lord Hanuman’s heroic deeds, devotion and bravery.
4. The trekking tour to Hanuman Chatti from Dodital also holds a lot of thrill and excitement for trekkers.

Places To Visit in Hanuman Chatti

These temples are also a part of the Char Dham Yatra destinations of Uttarakhand. Some of the temples near Hanuman Chatti (Badrinath) are:

1. Bhavishya Badri : Ranked fourth among the ‘Sapt Badri’ temples, lying 51 kms away from Hanuman Chatti, is considered to be the future abode of Lord Badri at the end of the Kalyug.
2. Yog Dhyan Badri : Sitting fifth among the ‘Sapta Badri’ temples, is, according to the Hindu mythology, the birthplace of Pandavas. It is also the place where Pandu attained salvation and died.Yog Dhyan Badri has a bronze image of Lord Vishnu in the state of meditation in this temple which is only 9 km away from Hanuman Chatti.
3. Badrinath Temple :  approximately 11.7 km away from Hanuman Chatti is situated the Badrinath Temple which is one of the shrines in the Char Dham pilgrimage, Uttarakhand.
4. Dhyan Badri : Amongst the ‘Sapt Badri’ temples, Dhyan Badri falls in the sixth position. It is known to have an image of Lord Vishnu which was established by Urvarishi which is a four-armed and constructed of black stone.

Tourists Can Visit This Temple During Their Char Dham Yatra

Among the countless religious sites and circuits that devotees visit in Uttarakhand, one of the most prominent is the Char Dham Yatra. This Yatra or pilgrimage is a tour of four holy sites – Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath – nestled high up in the Himalayas. The Yamunotri temple, lodged in a narrow gorge close to the source of River Yamuna (the second-most sacred Indian river after River Ganga) in Uttarkashi district, is dedicated to Goddess Yamuna. The district of Uttarkashi is also home to Gangotri dedicated to Goddess Ganga, the most sacred of all Indian rivers. Located in the Rudraprayag district lies Kedarnath, dedicated to Lord Shiva. Badrinath, home to the sacred Badrinarayan Temple, is dedicated to Lord Vishnu.

There is a Hanuman chatti on the way to Badrinath as well. People take the blessings of Lord Hanuman here while proceeding to Badrinath.

There is another Hanuman Chatti. Yamunotri is a 10 km trek from Hanuman Chatti temple. Moreover, the temple is located at the head of a very popular trekking destination i.e. Yamunotri. Moreover, it is considered a supremely sacred place among the devotees of Lord Hanuman.