Kedarnath is another major Hindu pilgrimage dedicated to Lord Shiva. Every year, Kedarnath Yatra is undertaken with religious fervor and faith. Read on to find out why this temple is regarded the way it is.

Indian Religions : Indian Temples : Kedarnath

Kedarnath

Located 3584 metres above sea level, Kedarnath is a scenic small town in the Himalayas and lies in the state of Uttarakhand, India. Being a part of the Chota Char Dham (Mini Four Abodes, a form of Hindu Pilgrimage), Kedarnath temple is held in very high regard and reverence by the Hindus. Owing to its scenic beauty, Kedarnath attracts many travellers and adventurists from all over the world. The difficult hilly terrain makes it a favorite destination for trekking and other adventurous sports while its snow-covered peaks, rushing rivers and many Kunds (pools) of religious significance give it an aura of spirituality and faith. The journey to Kedarnath is a wonderful experience and with the River Ganges flowing along the road, following you up to the holy land, it becomes even more revered. There are more than 200 shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva in this region but the most important is this Sri Kedarnath Temple which has a rich history attached to it. Read on to learn more about this humble, yet highly holy, abode of Hinduism.

History
According to the legends associated, this place derived its name after the Satya yuga king, Maharaja Kedar. It is also believed that his daughter Vrinda was a partial incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi.

Kedarnath shrine also has a legend associated with it, which connects the place to the Hindu epic, Mahabharata. After returning victorious from the Kurukshetra battle, the Pandavas, guilt-ridden of killed their own brothers, worshipped Lord Shiva for redemption but he kept evading then. Realizing that the Lord is hiding from them, the Pandavas started searching for him around the Himalayas and reached Gaurikund, where they saw a unique bull. Bhima, the strongest of all Pandavas, went with his mace to catch the bull and hit it on its back. Consequently, the bull hid its face in earth and as Bhima started to pull it out, a tug-of-war ensued. Sometime later, a holy Jyotirlinga appeared from the hindmost part of the bull and showed Lord Siva to the Pandavas. He absolved the brothers from their sins. Since then, it is believed that the back part of Shiva lies in Kedarnath as Kedareshwar. This temple, believed to be built by the Pandavas, is about 10000 years old while the new temple, located near the old temple, was built in the 8th century under the initiative of the famous Hindu philosopher, Sri Shankaracharya.

Another legend associated with Kedarnath is that of Nara and Narayana, the two incarnations of Lord Vishnu, who practiced severe penances here. After testing them for long, Lord Shiva finally appeared before them. They requested him to take up a permanent abode in the form of a Jyotirlingam in Kedarnath and bring about prosperity to the whole world.

Major Attractions
Located in the lap of Himalayas, Kedarnath offers many attractions to an enthusiastic traveller or a pilgrim.

Kedarnath Temple: The shrine is supremely holy for Hindus and is home to one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. The temple walls are inscribed with pictures of various Hindu deities and scenes from epics. A huge statue of the Nandi Bull, the mount of Lord Shiva, is placed outside the main door and is believed to be the guard of this holy shrine. Considering that this structure was built of extremely large and heavy stony slabs, it evokes wonder as to how these slabs were handled in those days, without any technical assistance. There is a conical rock inside the temple which is worshipped as Sadashiva, a form of Lord Shiva.
Shankaracharya Samadhi – The tomb of the famous Hindu philosopher Shankaracharya, who overlooked the construction of the new Kedarnath temple in the 8th century, is located just behind the temple premises.
Trijuginarayan is believed to be the sacred wedding venue of Lord Shiva and Parvati. The eternal flame kept in front of the temple is believed to have witnessed this holy wedding.
Ukhimath is considered Kedarnath’s (or Lord Shiva’s) winter home. The deities in the Kedarnath temple are brought here during winter and worshiped for six months.
Bhaironathji temple is located temple near the Kedarnath Temple and is dedicated to Bhaironathji, who is said to be the protector of the land when the temple closed during winter. Bhaironathji is ceremonially revered at the opening & closing times of Kedarnath temple every day.

The ideal time to visit Kedarnath is from May to October, except Monsoons. The temple remains closed during winters due to heavy snowfall and landslides are very common in monsoon which can further disrupt the journey.

How To Reach Kedarnath

Situated in a difficult terrain, Kedarnath calls for a tedious journey. Various means of transport can take you to the base camps from there you need to trek up the mountain.
Roads take you till Gaurikund; after this there is a steep 14km trek to the main shrine. Gaurikund is well-connected with Rishikesh, Kotdwar, Dehradun, Haridwar and other important towns of this region. Daily buses/taxis are available from all these places to Gaurikund. You can either go on-foot or alternatively, hire horses and palanquins.
The nearest railway station is Rishikesh which is about 221km away from Kedarnath.
Nearest Airport, Jollygrant Airport Dehradun, is located about 239km from Kedarnath. You can also hire helicopter service during peak tourist season.

Kedarnath is one of the most important Hindu shrines with great mythological importance. It is mentioned in epics and many other religious scriptures with great reverence and is considered as a spot for salvation.

Kedarnath

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