Mata Murti Temple

clear your mind of tensions of everyday life and feel at peace with your internal state of mind as you worship mata murti on the banks of river alaknanda. the temple is mostly visited on ashtami (eighth day of hindu lunar calendar), shukla tritiya (third lunar day) and chaturdashi (fourteenth day of waxing face of the moon). there is a strong conviction that if you meditate sincerely the goddess may grant you ?vairagya? or detachment from materialistic things. if you are visiting in the month of september, you may attend the ?mata murti ka mela,' which is a large and colorful fair held at badrinath temple dedicated to the worship of lord badrinath's mother. legend holds that it is on this day that river ganges descended from heaven to earth to favor humanity. the fair is a treat to experience- maha abhishek (the holy bath), gitapath and bhagayatpooja in the mornings, aarti and geeta govinda recital performed in the evening are totally mesmerizing. post the aarti, sandalwood paste is applied to the image of badrinath and taken out the next day for devotees to apply on their foreheads during the nirmalaya darshan. our religious beliefs, practices and the way we all come together and sing in praise of god, that's what unites us and keeps us strong!