Vridha Badri also spelled as Vriddha Badri or Bridha Badri - an austere shrine, is located in the Animath village ( 1,380 m (4,500 ft), above sea level) 7 km (4.3 mi),
from Joshimath on the Rishikesh–Joshimath-Badrinath road.The Vridha Badri legend says that Vishnu appeared in the form of a Vridha or old man before sage Narada who performed penance here. Thus, the idol installed at this temple is in the form of an old man.
According to legend, the image of Badrinath was carved by the divine craftsman Vishwakarma and worshipped here. At the advent of Kali yuga, Vishnu chose to remove himself from this place, later Adi Shankara found the partly damaged image in Narad-kund pond and established it at the central Badrinath shrine.According to legend, Badrinath was worshipped here by Adi Shankara, before his enshrinement at the Badrinath temple. The temple is open throughout the year. Brahmins from South India serve as chief priests in the temple
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About Vriddha Badri
History of Adi Badri
Adi badri is a remains of 16 small temples. Seven among them are ancient ones, belonging to the late Gupta period.Adi Badri is on it’s way to Ranikhet from Karnprayag 
by a motorable road .It is sais that Adi Guru Shankaracharya had built these temples. The main temple belongs to the Lord Vishnu and it is distinguished by a raised platform in the pyramidal from where the idol is enshrined. sculpted out of black stone, the idol of Lord Vishnu is a metre high.
Adi Badri is located 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) from Chandpur fort or Garhi located on the hilltop, which was built by the Gorkha kings to fight the British. Adi Badri is an hour’s drive from Karnaprayag and close to Chulakot on the way to Ranikhet. On shifting of Badrinath (also known as Raj Badri) to Bhavishya Badri, Adi Badri will be called the Yog Badri.
Narad Kund History
Narad Kund is a recess in the bed of the Alakananda River which forms a pool and is close to the Tapta Kund. It is sheltered by a projecting rock which breaks the force of the river and allows people to bathe in it. Adi Shankaracharya knew this by his great powers and retrieved the idol from this pool. He is the one who has laid down the rules by which the Lord is to be worshipped. He decreed that the Rawal or chief priest of the temple should come from the state of Kerala, far down south. He also decreed that the chief priest of the temple of Rameswaram in the south, should be from the state of Garhwal. Thus he ensured that there was a good interchange between the north and south of this holy land. This tradition is followed to this day and the Rawal of Badrinath is always a Namboodiri Brahmin from Kerala, the land of Adi Shankara’s birth.
A short distance below the temple is the hot water pool known as Tapta Kund, fed by a sulfur spring which is said to be the abode of Agni, the god of fire. This water has a temperature of 130 degrees. To the left of this pool is the Surya Kund fed by a branch of the same thermal spring. These waters are said to be very nourishing to the body. The Alakananda flows swiftly just below these kunds and the boiling water falls into the icy waters of the river giving rise to clouds of steam.
