Badhri Narayanan temple, Hindu temple in Madurai District, India

Badhri Narayanan temple is a Hindu shrine in Madurai District featuring a central sanctuary where Lord Balaji sits in a meditative pose. An idol of Adi Shankaracharya stands near the entrance of Alagar Koil, marking the temple's layout and religious focus.

The temple was built in the style of the Badrinath temple of Uttarakhand, from which it takes its name. An idol of Adi Shankaracharya, the 8th-century saint, stands beside the shrine. Its main image of Vishnu in a meditative posture is flanked by Nara-Narayana, and the grounds also hold images of Lakshmi, Garuda, Anjaneya and Ganesha.

According to local legend, Kallalagar crosses the Badri Narayanan shrine on the eve of the Chittirai festival on his way from Alagar Koil to Vandiyur, near the Vaigai River east of Madurai. Believing he is late for his sister's wedding, he refuses to cross the river and returns to Alagar Koil. Daily pujas and monthly bhajans are held here.

The temple stands at the entrance to Alagar Koil, on the road that Kallalagar's procession takes toward Vandiyur and the Vaigai River. Daily pujas and monthly bhajans are held on the premises, so check with the priests at the gate for the day's timings. During the Chittirai festival the shrine lies on the procession route and the approach is crowded.

The large date tree stands directly behind the Badri Narayana idol in the rear of the shrine, not in the courtyard, so it is easy to walk past without seeing it. The sources record no planting date or age for the tree, and no ritual is attached to it; it is simply noted as a feature of the shrine's rear.