Kedarnath Temple of Uttarakhand is considered to be one of the most sacred pilgrimage centres of the country. Kedarnath Shrine is scenically located amidst the snow-shrouded mountains and grassy expanses covering the valleys in the Rudra Himalaya range. Keadrnath is situated near the river Mandakini and it is one of the four major sites in the Chota Char Dham pilgrimage of the Northern Himalayas. Kedarnath contains one of the twelve Jyothirlingas of Lord Shiva and it is one of the Panch Kedars.
Kedarnath Temple History
As per legends after the war of Kurukshetra the Pandavas felt guilty for killing their own brothers and sought the blessings of lord Shiva for liberation. Lord Shiva was unwilling to give darshan and eluded them and lived in Guptakashi. On being detected he went to Kedarnath and disguised himself as a bull and started grazing among the cattle. But when Bhim who was the strongest amongst pandavas detected the lord he dived into ground leaving behind his hump on the surface. Shiva was then pleased with the determination of the Pandavas and absolved them from their sin. He also gave them darshan and requested them to worship his hump. It is from that date the hump seen as a conical rock formation inside the temple is worshipped as Lord Shiva in the Temple of Sri Kedarnath.
The present temple stands adjacent to the initial temple built by the Pandavas. The present temple was built in 8th century A.D. by Adi Shankaracharya.
When lord Shiva dived into the earth in the form a bull only his hump was left behind on the surface in Kedarnath. 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.
Architecture of Kedarnath Temple
Kedarnath temple is considered to be more than 1000 years old and is situated at an altitude of 3584 m. Set against an impressive backdrop of snow-capped peaks the temple is built of massive stone slabs over a large rectangular platform At the entrance of the temple is the statue of Nandi, the celestial bull of Shiva. The wall within the temple is ornately carved with images of various deities and scenes from mythology. There is a ‘Garbha Griha’ in the temple where devotees worship the Lord in the form of a conical rock formation. There is also a mandap in the temple premises, where various religious ceremonies are held. The devotees are permitted to do poojas of their own. It is a belief amongst people that touching the deity would relieve them from all their sins.
Kedarnath temple opens only 6 months a year. At the onset of winter in the month of November, the sacred statue of Lord Shiva is brought down from Kedarnath to Ukhimath and is reinstated at Kedarnath in the first week of May. The shrine closes on the first day of Kartik and reopens in Vaishakh every year. During the winter months the temple is covered in snow.
The temple is not directly reachable by road and can be reached by a 14 km uphill trek from Gaurikund.
How to Reach Kedarnath
The way to Kedarnath is opened from May to October only. Nearest railhead at Rishikesh 221 km away from Kedarnath. And Kotdwar at a distance of 260 kms. Taxi as well as bus facilities are available from the rail head. The nearest airport, Jolly Grant, is situated at a distance of about 239 km from Kedarnath. Domestic flights are available from this place to several other locations in the country. Chopper services available from Rishikesh and Kedarnath. Nearest International airport is Delhi which is 458 km away. Kedarnath is well connected through road. Kedarnath is reachable from Gaurikund by a 14km trek. One can also rent horses or palanquins too. Gaurikund is further connected by buses to Rishikesh, Dehradun, Kotdwara, Haridwar etc.