Kedarnath Temple
Sited at an altitude of 3,584 meters above sea level on the banks of the Mandakini River, this has attracted hundreds of devotees every year. The area’s historical name is Kedar Khand. Kedarnath is one of the twelve sacred Shiva sites known as Jyotirlingas, located in the state of Uttarakhand, and this Temple is part of Char Dham as well as it is part of the Panch Kedar. Kedarnath Mandir is also one of the more than 200 Shiva temples situated in the Chamoli area of Uttarakhand.
The revered Kedarnath Temple was constructed by Guru Shri Adi Shankaracharya in the initial years of eighth century A.D. This site is closer to the one at which the Pandavas had the temple built earlier. Adi Shankaracharya then restored the glory of the Kedarnath Temple amongst 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva across the country.
Myths and Legends Related to Kedarnath Dham
Nara and Narayana’s Wish
Nara and Narayana incarnations of Vishnu began intense penance towards Lord Shiva in this place known as Badrikashram. Their loyalty was so great that Shiva appeared before them and offered them the opportunity to ask for a desire. They pleaded with him to stay at Kedarnath as Jyotirlingam so that all people who pay obeisance to him there would not be troubled by such evils. Shiva agreed and Kedarnath turned into a pilgrim site.
The Pandavas and Lord Shiva
Once the Kurukshetra war was over, the Pandavas had a desire that they should approach God for pardon for having killed so many of their akin and priests. The Pandav brothers had angered lord Shiva and so to escape from them, he went to the area now known as Garhwal in the appearance of a bull. Bhima found the bull near Guptakashi, but Shiva disappeared into the ground, reappearing in five places: Kedarnath, Tungnath, Rudranath, Madhyamaheshwar, and Kalpeshwar. These, called Panch Kedar, turned into temples erected by Pandavas.
The Layout of the Kedarnath Temple & Its Architecture
The splendid temple of Kedarnath, devoted to Lord Shiva is more than a thousand years old. The remaining structure of the temple of Kedarnath raises questions about how these bulky, massive, evenly carved grey stone slabs were transported in the past.
Inside this assembly hall, there are depicted many gods’ sculptures images, and scenes in mythology. Any planning to visit the sacred temple is welcomed by the beautiful statue of the Nandi Bull at the entrance. ‘Garbha Griha’ may also be used as the place of reception for the pilgrims and other guests in the temple. On its premises, there is a conical rock as an idol of Lord Shiva in Sadashiva form.
Restoration of Kedarnath Temple After the 2013 Flood Disaster
The Kedarnath temple complex was well-built and reconstructed during the disaster of the Year 2013 Flood at Kedarnath. The Kedarnath renovation involves expansion of the pilgrim tracks, construction of new and better guest house accommodations and residences for Pujaris and Pilgrims, construction of noteworthy new bathing ghats, and construction of new helipads, and the main Kedarnath temple building complex is structurally sound.
The location where Lord Shiva is shown blessing is perceived as being the Kedarnath Dham in the Rudraprayag District of the state of Uttarakhand. This is how it is connected to major cities of India.
By Rail : Kedarnath is a place that is close to the popular town of Rishikesh and also has the nearest railway railway station. Rishikesh Railway Station is 216 km distance from Kedarnath. Roads by railways connect Rishikesh to other metropolitan cities of India. The frequency of trains is a common observation in Rishikesh. Besides, the roads that link Rishikesh with Gaurikund through the means of public as well as private transport make Rishikesh – Gaurikund travel quite simple.
By Road : However, the route to Kedarnath ends at Gaurikund from where one has to trek 14- 14 kilometers to the main shrine. Metalled roads connect Gaurikund with principal towns and cities in the state of Uttarakhand and the other northern Indian states.
At ISBT Kashmiri Gate, Delhi, one can travel to Rishikesh. Depending on all the regions of Uttrakhand like Dehradun, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Pauri, Tehri, Uttarkashi, Srinagar, Chamoli, etc transport facilities like buses and taxis are easily available.
By Air : Jolly Grant airport is the nearest airport which is at Dehradun, from Kedarnath Temple about 238 Km km away from the temple. To go to Gaurikund from here arrange for a bus or taxi.
Helicopter Services to Kedarnath Temple
The round trip to Kedarnath Mandir which is 14 km can be on foot, palanquin, or a set of mules. To avoid this, you could use the flights in the helicopter to Kedarnath in case the harshness of a mountain trek has made you weary. These services are provided from many Helipads such as Guptkashi, Sersi, Phata, and some more.
To know how much you are likely to be charged for hiring a helicopter, look for the price of services that deal with helicopter renting and the firms that provide these services.
Schedule of the Kedarnath Temple : Daily and Seasonal
During the opening of the Kedarnath Dham Shrine every year there are thousands of devotees present to witness the auspicious ceremonial puja. Several pilgrims who visit Kedarnath from different parts of the country and the globe consider the times of Kapaat’s opening as one holy time.
Seasonal Timings : Kedarnath Mandir remains closed for the winter season and is open on the day of Akshay Tritya. Every year the idol of Lord Mahadev is brought back from Ukhimath to Kedarnath (Kedarkhand) in the first week of May. Finally, after the determination of the Panchang by priests at the Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath a day is selected when the Kedarnath shrine would open. The Kedarnath Mandir gets closed for winter after the next day of Diwali after the morning pooja archana for the temple is performed.
Daily Timings : Rawal, who is the chief priest of Kedarnath Temple belongs to the Veerashaiva community. At Kedarnath Mandir, devotees can perform specific types of pujas (which are also available online).
Aarti Times in Kedarnath : The stream of the general public gets allowed entry to the temple at 6:00 am. There is a break between 3 and 5 pm. At the Kedarnath Mandir, public darshan is available until 7:00 p.m.
It also means that the timings concerning the darshan of Kedarnath Temple will be set as decided by Rawal and the other members of the committee. People may come and take blessings and do Ghee Abhishekam before 3 p.m.
What to Know About Kedarnath Dham – Best Time to Visit
Kedarnath is located at a high altitude and therefore the conditions over there are characterized by frequent change of weather. Bad roads and landslides are expected in the monsoon due to its heavy rainfall. Kedarnath Mandir is not very suitable for tourists during the monsoon season. The temperature at Kedarnath Mandir during monsoon is considerably low with frequent showers throughout the period stretching from mid-June to early September.
This is due to the fact that within the month of May and June, the region receives a hot dry climate with the average temperatures rising to 17oC. This can only mean that now is the best time to go sightseeing near Kedarnath and to visit Temple.
Situated in the lap of the majestic Himalayas, Kedarnath is more than just a pilgrim site that’s a key to the Himalayan trails of history, peace, and mythology. The travelers will also be able to exercise spiritualism in the temple premises along with listening to myths of Panch Kedar and touching the beauty of untouched Garhwal. Apart from the temple, one can enjoy calm nature trails, splendid rivers, and aesthetically satisfying sites making it the spiritual tourism center cum thrilling destination.
Gauri Kund : This beautiful village with the temple of Goddess Parvati, is utilized as a starting point for the trek to Kedarnath/Gauri temple. Legend has it the goddess meditated here in order to calm Lord Shiva. The natural thermal hot springs are tourist attractions for Gaurikund. Consequently, the pilgrims take a hot spring before commencing the sacred journey of Kedareshwar.
Triyuginarayan : In the paradigmatic Universe, Triyuginarayan is a fabulous place where the God Shiva married Parvati. It is just 5-kilometre trek from Sonprayag. Until today there burns an eternal fire, which is said to have seen the marriage, in front of the temple.
Guptkashi : Popular for its Ardhnarishwar temple, and Vishwanath Ji temple. Third however, legendary lore has it that Lord Shiva chose this place for concealment for some time from the Pandavas.
Deoria Tal: This beautiful lake is on the Chopta – Ukhimath motorway and stands at a height of 2440 metres from sea level. A number of peaks are covered with snow, one can clearly see these ranges reflected on the water’s surface, especially early in the morning. Also, this lake is a perfect spot to do birding since it is a birder’s paradise.
Chandrashila : Sited at 3679 meters, it is among the famous trekking sites within the region. This is good for trekking and related activities except for December and January.
Agastyamuni : 17.8 Km away from Rudraprayag, located at an altitude of 1000 m along the river Mandakini there is a place where Rishi Agastya chose to meditate. Important also from an archeological perspective the temple of the sage Agastya called Agastheswar Mahadev has figures of Gods and Goddesses of stone.
