Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, Bharat Mandir Rishikesh is an ancient temple that was built in the twelfth century. This temple is established by the famous saint Shankaracharya on the eve of Basant Panchami in the year 789 AD. It is situated on the banks of the Ganges River and is one of the oldest temples in the region.
The Bharat Mandir Rishikesh, situated at the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains in Garhwal, Uttarakhand and is one of the major tourist destinations. Bharat Mandir is the oldest temple in the city of Rishikesh. This temple is very beautiful. This temple is dedicated to Bharat, the younger brother of Lord Rama. It is located in the Old Town near the Triveni Ghats. However, many important things of the temple have been preserved to date after that attack.
Every year on the day of the Panchami, the priest takes the Saligram stone and a holy bath is done on the stone in the scared Mayakund. Later a grand procession carried out in the entire city. Eventually, the Saligram is again reinstalled in the temple. According to the mythological belief, any devotee goes to the pilgrimage on the auspicious Akshaya Tritiya and perform 108 Parikarma of Lord Shri Rishikesh Narayan at the Bharat Mandir Rishikesh and takes the blessings at the Lord’s feet, then all the desires of the devotee come true. The Akshaya Tritiya is the only day when the feet of Lord Vishnu are not covered. The pilgrimage to Bharat Mandir on Akshaya Tritiya is equivalent to the pilgrimage to Badrinath.
The idol of Lord Vishnu is made out of the same piece of Saligram stone that kept in the inner sanctum of the temple. The stone found in the Gandaki River in Nepal is considered sacred by Hindus as it is considered to be the counterpart of Lord Vishnu. Sri Yantra is also been kept in this temple. This sacred Hindu instrument was established by the Aadi Guru Shankaracharya in this temple. The Bharat Mandir Rishikesh was destroyed by Taimur a Muslim invader in 1398, but it was reconstructed from the fragments of the original temple. The archaeological scientist has found many ancient idols, coins, utensils and artistic objects in recent excavations. The great Hindu festival in this temple is celebrated by the great day (Panchami). The idol of Lord Hrishikesh in the temple has four arms which signify that the sage Rabiya had control over the four senses and accomplished Lord Vishnu.
Bharat Mandir Rishikesh Timings: 5:00 A.M 12 Noon, 4:00 P.M to 9:00 P.M
Bharat Mandir Rishikesh Entry Fees: Nil
