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One celestial day in heavens, Vishnu was reclining on his shesha shaya on the banks of celestial lake, whilst the Goddess Laxmi caressed his feet, Narad a Doyen of the high learning, happened to pass that way and seeing the blissful scene, rebuked Vishnu for stopping to the ways of worldly comfort, horrified Vishnu sent Laxmi away to the nagkanyas and himself disappeared into the Himalays isolation in a valley covered with wild berries (Badri) on which he fed himself, assumimg a Yogdhyani posture, he meditated for several years Laxmi returned and finding her Lord absent, set out in search, finally she reached Badri van and begged Vishnu to give up “yogdhyani” posture and assume original “Sringaric”form, Lord Vishnu agreed to do if the valley of Badrivan remained a valley of meditation and not worldly pleasures, that he be worshipped in both Yogadhyani and Sringaric forms. The Goddess Laxmi sitting on his left side in the first and on his right in the second, As the spouse of Lord Vishnu Laxmi should be on the left in the singaric form, her being placed on the right instead, carries a meaning, they are both now worshipped as a divine couple but as individual deities with no maritial relations, it is for this reason That the Rawal ( head priest) of the temple must not only be a namboodripad Brahmin from kerala, but also celibate, strict adherence has been given to the three stipulations laid down by the Yogadhyani. during the summer, Vishnu is worshipped in the sringaric form by the pilgrims and in his Yogdhyani during the winter by the Gods, Goddesses and sages.

The Narparbat, over which the Neelkanth peek looms. Almost directly above is beleaved to contain riches beyond belief the wealth of Gods diamonds, rubies, and emeralds, is called Kuber Bhandar treasure of Lord wealth, Kuber idols has pride of place on the right of the Lord in the sanctum Sanctorum, where sits Maha Vishnu, calm serene and in deep meditation.

Samrat Ashok who discarded war as an instrument of conquest, the doctrine swept the land and the Badrinath temple became Buddhist shrine, though the exact date is not known, it is mention in the scriptures.

In the 8th century A.D Adiguru Shakaracharya while meditating at Astha khand an Akashwani said to him that the idol of Lord Vishnu lies asleep in the narad kund. The Adiguru dived in the Narad Kund recovered the Idol of Lord Vishnu, duly enshrined it once again and The temple of Badrinath became a Hindu shrine, made of shaligram(Black stone) the details are not well defined.

Opinions differ as to wheather the Idol is of Vishnu or the Buddha, who is always depicted in an akin posture called the Bodhisattava.

Hindu mythology says the Buddha is the Ninth incarnation of Vishnu so could be considered another form of Badrinath.

Hindu philosophy is a guide to the path of life, the elasticity of the faith permits devotees to see in the idol, Bramha, Vishnu, Shiva, Kali, Mahavir Guru or Buddha. The Shankaracharya preached the docterine of Advaita Vedanta, or unqualified Monism, as apposed to the dualism of matter and sprit, according to him all being may ultimately, refer to once category, idelism, panthonism and materialism are monism.Dualism preached the entire separation of sprit and matter and the two distinct principles of good and evil, shankaracharya achieved the revival of orthodox Bhramanism, and the death in India of Buddhism.

The idol with palms locked in meditation, siddhasna and with matted hair flowing was recovered and installed first at Gurudakoti, hostile elements who disagreed with the Adiguru,s teachings removed the ikon and threw it in to the bog, hoping it would disappear for over, but it reappeared after a few centuries and was reinstalled at Sri Badri Narayan, in the inner most part of the temples three parts, the garb griha, or the sanctum sanctorum, the ikon of Maha Vishnu, or Lord Badri Vishal under a canopy covered with a sheet of Gold presented by the queen Ahalayabai.