According to Hindu mythology, the god Vishnu once meditated at a place now known as Badrika Ashrama. During his meditation, Lakshmi, his consort, protected him from the cold weather by taking the form of a Badri tree (also known as jujube or Indian date, called 'ber' in Hindi). Vishnu was pleased with Lakshmi's devotion and named the place after her. However, the jujube forest that once existed in the area is no longer there, according to Atkinson (1979). The temple at Badrinath depicts Vishnu in the form of Badrinath sitting in the padmasana posture. Legend has it that Vishnu went to Badrinath to perform austerity after sage Narada chastised him for allowing Lakshmi to massage his feet. Vishnu meditated for a long time in Padmasana. Another version of the origins of Badrinath is narrated in the Vishnu Purana. It states that Yama, the god of death, had two sons named Nara and Narayana, both of which are modern names of the Himalayan mountains. They chose Badrinath as the place to spread their religion and each of them wed the spacious valleys in the Himalayas. After searching for an ideal place to set up a hermitage, they came across the other four Badri of the Pancha Badri, namely Bridha Badri, Yoga Badri, Dhyana Badri, and Bhavisha Badri. Finally, they found the hot and cold spring behind the Alaknanda River and named it "Badri Vishala."

The Badrinath throne was named after the presiding deity. It was customary for the king to receive ritual obeisance from the devotees before proceeding to the shrine. This practice continued until the late 19th century. During the 16th century, the King of Garhwal moved the murti to the present temple. When the state of Garhwal was divided, the Badrinath temple came under British rule, but the king of Garhwal continued as the chairman of the management committee. The selection of priests is done after consultation between the Garhwal and Travancore royal families. Due to its age and damage caused by an avalanche, the temple has undergone several major renovations. In the 17th century, the temple was expanded by the Kings of Garhwal. After significant damage during the great 1803 Garhwal earthquake, it was largely rebuilt by the King of Jaipur. The temple was still under renovation as late as the 1870s, but these were completed by the time of the First World War. At that time, the town was still small and consisted of only the 20-odd huts housing the temple's staff. However, the number of pilgrims usually ranged between seven and ten thousand. The Kumbh Mela festival, held every twelve years, raised the number of visitors to 50,000. The temple also enjoyed revenue from the rents owed to it by various villages bequeathed by various rajas.