Shri Bharat Mandir

Situated in the heart of the city, the Shri Bharat Mandir is one of the most ancient as well as most famous temples of Rishikesh. It is said that the history of the temple is the history of Hrishikesh indeed. The glory of this ancient temple is also described in ‘Kedar Khand’ (Vide Chapters 115 to 120). In the 17th Manav Avtar, ‘Lord Vishnu’ pleased by the hard penance of ‘Raibhya’ Rishi himself said “I will reside here forever as ‘Hrishikesh Narayan’ and this place will be known as Hrishikesh. Those who worshiped me as Varah in ‘Satyug’, as Parashuram in ‘Treta Yug’, Vaman in Dwapar, and Bharat in ‘Kaliyug’ are certainly entitled to liberation.
Shri Bharat Mandir was founded back in the 12th century by ‘Adiguru Shankaracharya’ making it one of the oldest temples of Rishikesh. The temple houses the idol of ‘Lord Vishnu’, which is beautifully carved using a single Saligram piece. The temple features an inner canopy, which in turn features a ‘Shree Yantra’. The interiors along with the beautiful architecture of the temple, have been recorded in the ancient list of Kearkhand.

Attraction

The glory of this supreme Tirth is sung in the Mahabharat epic. It is equal to thousands of offerings of cows. Prahlad, a great devotee, on his way to the pilgrimage of Badrikashram, worshiped Lord Hrishikesh Narayan here. The temple complex has a museum that attracts many historians and archaeologists. This museum showcases sculptures, pottery, and decorated bricks found during excavation. The sculptures of Yakshini, Yaksha, and four-armed Vishnu in the temple are also worth visiting.

The Sri Yantra is worshiped and glorified by various Sampradayas (sects), Shaivs as well as Vaishnavs. This Sri Yantra is very grand and splendid and bestows all powers, prosperity, and success. It has also added to the spiritual grandeur and mystical power of this ancient shrine. This makes the temple a center of attraction for tourists as well as devotees.

History

Shri Bharat Mandir is one of the oldest temples of Rishikesh. According to some of the ancient records of Kedarkhand, the main structure of the temple was built by ‘Adi Guru Shankaracharya’ in the 8th century. This temple is said to have been devastated in 1398 AD by the attack of Timur. The main deity of the temple is ‘Lord Vishnu’, who is referred to as ‘Hrishikesh Narayan’. The idol of Lord Vishnu was carved out of Saligram, a single black stone, and has a Himalayan cast of features.
Shri Bharat Mandir finds its name in many Hindu scripts as well as epics for example Mahabharata, Vishnu Purana, Shrimad Bhagwat, Vaman Puran, and Narsingh Puran. It is also believed by the locals that the Pandavas after the Mahabharata, on the way to heaven stayed at this place and worshiped Lord Hrishikesh Narayan. Many also believe that during the reign of Ashoka, Shri Bharat Mandir and other temples in the region were converted to Buddhist monasteries. On excavation, Buddha statues and a few relics were found here. One piece can still be found under the old Banyan tree.

Inside/Outside Views

The whole temple was constructed with big stones. The walls are 7′ to 8′ feet wide. The 5′ high idol of Hrishikesh Narayan is made of a single piece of black Shaligram stone. Beside it, there lies the idol of Lord Varah on a piece of rock.
The idols of ‘Lord Tirupati’, ‘Lord Badrinath’, and ‘Lord Hrishikesh Narayan’ are carved out of the same Shaligram rock. In Badrik dham Lord Narayan lives alone and here also the four-armed idol made from the black Shaligram rock.
The outer structure of the temple was reconstructed by ‘Maharaja Yashwant Singh Mahendra Bahadur’ of Nabha state (in 1832 A.D.). The top of the dome of the temple is made of a single piece of rock (which weighs 125 tonnes). There are sixteen corners in the main temple in total. The outer structure has nine domes which stand in three lines.

However, at the beginning of the 9th century, at the time of the renovation of the temple Guru Adi Shankaracharya installed the ‘Sri Yantra’ at the sanctum sanctorum in the interior dome of the temple above the idol of ‘Lord Hrishikesh Narayana’ in order to harmonize a synthesis of 5 Vedic rituals and methods of worship between Shaiv, Shakta, Vaishnav, Ganapati, and Saur. The holy installation of Sri Yantra was performed with some distinct as well as mystical rituals and was meant for a few selected Sadhakas for their spiritual upliftment.

Opening Hours

Wednesday 5–11 AM, 1–9 PM

Thursday 5–11 AM, 1–9 PM

Friday 5–11 AM, 1–9 PM

Saturday 5–11 AM, 1–9 PM

Sunday 5–11 AM, 1–9 PM

Monday 5–11 AM, 1–9 PM

Tuesday 5–11 AM, 1–9 PM

How to Reach

By road: The Bharat Mandir is situated in Rishikesh’s Mayakund area. From the busy area of Rishikesh, Shri Bharat Mandir is only 2 kms away. Rishikesh is well connected with other major cities of the country. And from Rishikesh, you will get local transport to reach the site.

By air: The closest airport, ‘Jolly Grant Airport’, is only 18 kilometers away from this area which is in Dehradun. Apart from that, there are airports in Delhi or Lucknow to reach Dehradun by flight. From the airport, you can easily get local transport to reach the site.

By train: The closest railway station from Bharat Mandir is only 2 km away at the ‘Rishikesh railway station’. From the station, you will get local transport.

Tips for Travellers

Please wear suitable clothes according to both culture and seasons.
Don’t forget to follow the code of conduct.
If you are visiting Rishikesh for the first time, try to visit in a group for safety purposes.
Avoid the Monsoon, it’s better to avoid visiting during the monsoon season (from July to August) due to heavy rainfall, which can lead to landslides and difficult travel conditions.
If you are visiting Rishikesh for the first time, we suggest you visit in a group.