Kedarnath Temple is a famous Hindu temple located in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand state of India. Lakhs of devotees come to Kedarnath Dham every year. The doors of the Dham are opened every year in April or May and are closed for winter on Bhaiya Dooj. Many stories related to the history of the temple are also popular. Kedarnath Dham is mentioned in the Kedar section of Skanda Purana. It is said that the temple is constructed in Katyuri style. Janmejay, a descendant of the Pandavas, had established this temple here. Later it was renovated by Adi Shankaracharya. Everyone must have seen the devastating flood in Kedarnath in 2013. During this period there was 375% more rainfall than average. The ensuing flood killed "5748 people" (government figures) and damaged 4200 villages. Indian Air Force airlifted more than 1 lakh 10 thousand people. Everything was taken away. But even in such a severe flood, the entire structure of Kedarnath temple was not affected at all. The gushing waters on both sides of the temple took away everything but the temple and the people taking shelter in the temple remained safe and were airlifted by the Indian Air Force the next day. The question is not whether faith is to be believed or not. But there is no doubt that the site, its direction, the same building materials, and even nature were carefully considered for constructing the temple which would retain its culture and strength for 1200 years. We are stunned to think about the huge effort of ancient Indian science. How the stone that was used to build a 6 feet high platform was brought to the temple site. Today after all the floods, we are once again in the hands of those scientists of Kedarnath. We bow before the construction of the Jyotirlinga, which will get the honor of being the tallest among the 12 Jyotirlingas with the same grandeur.
There are many beliefs prevalent regarding the temple. It is believed that after Mahabharata, Pandavas wanted to take refuge in Lord Shiva to get rid of the sin of killing their Gotra brothers. And for this, he went towards the Himalayas to search for Lord Shiva. Then Lord Shiva disappeared and settled in Kedar. Pandavas also followed them to Kedar Mountain. Then Lord Shiva, seeing the Pandavas coming, took the form of a buffalo and went among the animals. To get the darshan of Lord Shiva, Pandavas made a plan and Bhima took a huge form and spread both his legs on either side All the animals passed between Bhima's feet, but Lord Shiva in the form of a buffalo emerged from under Bhima's feet. Then after recognizing Lord Shiva, Bhima tried to catch the buffalo and it started sinking into the earth. Then Bhima tightly held the back part of the buffalo. Lord Shiva was pleased with the devotion of the Pandavas and appeared to them and freed them from their sins. It is said that since then Lord Shiva has been worshiped here in the form of a buffalo's back. It is believed that the head of this buffalo originated in Nepal, where Lord Shiva is worshiped in the form of Pashupatinath.During the disaster in 2013, the entire complex of Kedarnath Dham except the temple was damaged. Since then, reconstruction work has been going on in the Dham. Kedarnath reconstruction is also included in the dream project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He himself keeps an eye on the reconstruction work happening in the Dham. The first phase of work has been completed in Kedarnath at a cost of more than Rs 225 crore. In which reconstruction of Shankaracharya's Samadhi, protection of Saraswati and Mandakini rivers and their ghats, residences of pilgrim priests have been constructed. Along with the construction of a 60-meter-long bridge on the Mandakini River, the Aastha Path has also been constructed.
There are some nearby places to visit in Kedarnath.
Vasuki Tal is a high glacial lake located at an impressive height of 14,200 feet above sea level in Kedarnath Dham, Uttarakhand. You can see Brahma Lotus and other Himalayan flowers blooming all around the serene lake, making the aura divine.
This village is situated between Rudraprayag and Gaurikund on Kedarnath road. Sonprayag is 4 km before Gaurikund. Buses go till here only. Beyond this, small vehicles are available for a distance of 4 km to Gaurikund. After taking a bath in the hot water source of Gaurikund, the 14 km-long climb to Kedarnath begins. Sonprayag is situated at an altitude of 1829 m. Here Basuki and Mandakini rivers meet. This place has immense religious importance due to the sacred waters of its rivers situated on the route to Kedarnath.
Lord Kedarnath is worshiped as the protector. Let us tell you that Bhairavnath is worshiped here as the protector of Lord Kedarnath. The tradition of opening and closing the doors of Bhairavnath on the same day, which is the first Tuesday or Saturday after the opening of the doors of Kedarnath and before the closing of the doors, has been going on for centuries.
Gaurikund is a pilgrimage site for Hindus which is located in Uttarakhand. It is also called Parvatikund. Here Vasuki Ganga joins Mandakini from Kedarnath via Vasuki Tal, this town is the motor vehicle peak for Kedarnath.
Regarding Vishwanath Temple, it is believed that this temple was established by Parashurama. Here the stone Shivalinga is 56 centimeters high and inclined towards the south. In the sanctum sanctorum, Lord Gajanan and Mother Parvati are seated in front of Shivling. Nandi is waiting in the outer house.
The best time to visit Kedarnath is the summer season, from April to June. You can also plan the Kedarnath Yatra during the pre-winter months, September-October. This sacred Dham or Temple remains closed from November to March (winter) due to extreme cold and heavy snowfall.
The distance between Delhi to Gauri Kund (Kedarnath) is 431 km and takes around 11 to 12 hrs. You can travel to Kedarnath by road.
To reach Kedarnath from Delhi, you can take a flight to Dehradun or take a train to Haridwar. From there, you can hire a taxi or take a bus to Kedarnath. It's a beautiful journey.
Ans: Latest Kedarnath Yatra Trek Guide 2023 The trek takes about 6-8 hours to complete, and the difficulty level is moderate. It's important to note that the altitude of Kedarnath temple is over 3500 meters, so you need to be physically fit and acclimatize properly to avoid altitude sickness.
Ans: However, the most famous attraction of this town is the Kedarnath Temple, which is situated near the Chorabari glacier. It is devoted to the Hindu God, Lord Shiva and its unique architecture with huge, evenly shaped grey slabs lure tourists and devotees from across the country.
Ans: Legend has it that the original Pandavas built the temple of Kedarnath and the present temple was established by Adi Shankaracharya, who restored the glory of the shrine in the 8th century A.D. The temple is said to be more than 1,200 years old and one of the 12 jyotirlingas in India.
Ans: It is said that each of these sites is dedicated to a part of the Lord - Kedarnath (the hump of Lord Shiva), Madhmaheshwar (His belly button), Tungnath (His arms), Rudranath (His face), Kalpeshwar (His jata or hair).
Ans: The Pandavas built temples at these five places – the Panch Kedars - for worshipping Shiva. This freed them from their sins. Lord Shiva further promised to stay in the sacred spot as a triangular jyotirlinga. This is why Kedarnath is so famous and revered by.
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