Amidst the dramatic mountainscapes of the majestic Kedarnath range stands one of the twelve " Jyotirlingas of Kedar or Lord Shiva. Lying at an altitude of 3584 mts on the head of river Mandakani, the shrine of Kedarnath is amongst the holiest pilgrimages for the Hindus. There are more than 200 shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva in district itself; the most important one is Kedarnath.

According to legend, the Pandavas after having won over the Kauravas in the Kurukshetra war, felt guilty of having killed their own brothers and sought the blessings of Lord Shiva for redemption. He eluded them repeatedly and while fleeing took refuge at Kedarnath in the form of a bull. On being followed he dived into the ground, leaving his hump on the surface. The remaining portions of Lord Shiva appeared at four other places and are worshipped there as his manifestations. The arms appeared at Tungnath, the face at Rudranath, the belly at Madmaheshwar and his locks (hair) with head at Kalpeshwar. Kedarnath and the four above-mentioned shrines are treated as Panch Kedar. An imposing sight, standing in the middle of a wide plateau surrounded by lofty snow covered peaks.

Population: N/A

Language(s): Hindi, English

Climate: N/A

Best times to visit:May to October

Places of Interest

Kedarnath Temple
Built in 8th centaury A.D. by Adi Shankaracharya, stands adjacent to the site of an earlier temple built by the Pandavas. The inner walls of the assembly hall are decorated with figures of various deities and scenes from mythology. Outside the temple door a large statue of the Nandi Bull stands as guard.

Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the exquisitely architectured Kedarnath temple is considered to be more than 1000 years old. Built of extremely large, heavy and evenly cut gray slabs of stones, it evokes wonder as to how these heavy slabs had been handled in the earlier days. The temple has a "Garbha Griha" for worship and a Mandap, apt for assemblies of pilgrims and visitors. A conical rock formation inside the temple is worshipped as Lord Shiva in his Sadashiva form.

Samadhi of Adi Shankaracharya
The Samadhi of Adi Guru Shankaracharya is located just behind the Kedarnath temple. It is said that after establishing four sacred Dhams in India, he went into his samadhi at an early age of 32 years.

Bhairav Nath Temple
To the south of the main temple stands the temple of God Bhairav, the deity who guards the Kedarnath Temple in winter, when it is closed due to severe winter conditions.

Excursion

Gandhi Sarovar
1.5 km. A small lake from where Yudhishthir, the eldest of the Pandavas, is said to have departed to heaven.

Vasuki Tal
6 kms away from Kedarnath is a picturesque lake, 4, 135 mts above sea level is encircled by lofty mountains and offers a commanding view of the Chaukhamba peaks.

Gauri Kund
It's the trekking base for to Kedarnath. The village has a temple dedicated to Gauri and hot water springs.

Sonprayag
At an elevation of 1829 mts and on the main Kedarnath route, Son Prayag lies at the confluence of river Basuki and Mandakani. The holy site of Son Prayag is of immense religious significance. It is said that a mere touch of the holy water of Son Prayag helps one to attain the " Baikunth Dham".

Triyuginarayan
According to legend, this was the place where the wedding of Lord Shiva and Parvati was solemnised. In front of the Shiva Temple is an eternal flame, which is said to be a witness to the marriage. It can be reached by a 12 km drive from Sonprayag.

GuptKashi
49 km. Famous for the temples of Ardhnarishwar and Vishwanathji.

Ukhimath
Winter home of the deity at Kedarnath temple and the seat of the Rawal of Kedarnath. Connected by bus services to Rudraprayag and other major centres

Madmaheshwar
One of Panch Kedars, the temple of Madmaheshwar is located at an altitude of 3,289 mt above sea-level, on the slope of a ridge, 25 km north-east of Guptkashi. There is a motorable road from Guptkashi to Kalimath. The best statue of Har Gauri in India measuring over a metre high is found in the Kali temple. The trek from Kalimath to Madmaheshwar is distinguished by wild unparalleled scenic beauty and engulfed by Chaukhamba, Kedarnath and Neelkanth peaks. Gaundar at the confluence of Madmeshwar Ganga and Markanga Ganga, is the last settlement before one reaches Madmaheshwar, the place where Lord Shiva is worshipped in the form of belly.

Tungnath
The arms of Lord Shiva came out as per the Kedarnath myth at Tungnath. He is worshipped here as one of the Panch Kedars. Tungnath Temple at an altitude of 3,680 mt, is the highest Shiva shrine among the Panch Kedars but the easiest to reach from Chopta, the nearest road head.

How to get there

By Road

Kedarnath is approachable on foot from Gaurikund, which is connected by road with Rishikesh, Kotdwar, Dehradun, Hardwar and other important hill stations of Garhwal and Kumaon hills.

Local Transport

Horses, Dandies and Ponies are available at Gaurikund for going and carrying luggage to Kedarnath.

By Air

Nearest Airport, Jollygrant, 239 kms.

By Rail

Nearest Railway station, Rishikesh, 221 kms.