Perched at an altitude of 3,380 ft above sea level, the Charanpaduka boulder is considered a spiritual site. It is believed that this boulder has the imprints of Lord Vishnu's feet that were etched when he had stepped down from Vaikunth (celestial abode of the lord) and set his divine feet on earth. Another story recounts that Lord Krishna had suggested his minister Uddhav to visit Badrinath with his slippers or charanpaduka on, and that is how his footprint got etched in the boulder. This incident also finds a mention in the Bhagwat Purana.

The boulder lies about 3 km away from Badrinath Temple. A steep climb will take you to the spot surrounded by a beautiful meadow filled with colourful flowers. It takes around an hour to reach the spot after completing the 3 km uphill trek.