Of all
the chardham pilgrimage sites, Kedarnath has
the remotest location, a 2-day journey from
Gangotri in Uttarakhand. The sanctity of the
site also lies in the fact that it is one of
the twelve jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva, a
powerful deity of the Hindu Trinity. The
temple town of Kedarnath is snuggled up at
an altitude of 3,584 meter above sea level.
Picturesque mountain ranges and snow-laden
peaks wonderfully circle the pilgrimage town
of Kedarnath. The shrine of Kedarnath is at
the source of the Mandakini River, near the
Indo-Chinese border.
 The
ideal time to visit Kedarnath is anytime
between the months of May and October.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Altitude: 3,584 mts
Climate: Summer: Cool during the day
and cold at night.
Winter: Snow-bound touching sub-zero.
Clothing: Summer-Light woollens,
Winter- Heavy woollens.
Languages: Hindi, Garhwali, English.
HOW TO REACH US
Air: Nearest Airport is Jolly Grant,
251 kms Dehradun.
Rail: Nearest railhead is Rishikesh
234 kms, Haridwar 254 kms.
Road: Road Approachable on foot form
Gaurikund, which is connected by stations of
Garhwal and Kumaon region. Kedarnath is near
to Rishikesh 234 kms. and Dehradun 250 kms.
POPULAR PLACE
Panch (Five) Kedar
There are Five Kedars in all including
Kedarnath. The origin of the Panch Kedars
has an interesting legend associated with
it. Hindu mythology states that when the
Pandavas wanted to perform penance in the
wake of the great battle of Mahabharat, they
came here looking for Lord Shiva. Seeing
that Shiva has taken up the form of bull,
Bhim followed Shiva but all he could get
hold of was his tail. Shiva emerged, with
the remaining parts of his body, at the four
other kedars.
Kedarnath
It is the first of all the Kedars. It was at
Kedarnath that Bhim, the most powerful of
all the Panadava brothers, grabbed hold of
Shiva's tail, after the latter transformed
himself into a bull, known as Nandi in the
Hindu mythology.
Madhyamaheshvra (or
Madhyamaheshwara)
Lord Shiva's navel appeared at this place.
Madhyamaheshwara (one of the Panch Kedars)
can be reached by covering a distance of 30
km from Guptkashi. Around 6 km of the route
is motorable while the rest 24 km can be
covered by trekking. While you travel here,
do remember to visit the Shiva Temple,
located at 3,490 m above sea level.
Tunganath
It is the site of the Tunganath Temple.
According to the legend, Lord Shiva's arms
appeared at Tunganath after he dived into
the ground at Kedarnath. The temple stands
at a height of 3,680 m above sea level. This
Kedar also happens to be the most elevated
of all the Five Kedars or Panch Kedars.
Rudranath
It is the Kedar where emerged the face of
Lord Shiva. To commemorate the legend, Lord
Shiva's face is worshipped at the Rudranath
Temple. If you are reaching Rudranath from
Gopeshwar, you need to cover 5 km by a
private vehicle and the rest 18 km by
trekking. Rudranath feature many sacred
tanks or kunds and also affords absorbing
views of the surrounding peaks. The
Rudranath temple is at an elevation of 2,286
m above sea level.
Kalpeshwar
The place is dedicated to Lord Shiva's hair.
The name Kalpeshwar has been derived from 'kalpvriksh'
tree. Sage Durvasa is also believed to have
meditated under the Kalpvriksh tree here.
The Kalpeshwar temple lies at an altitude of
2,134 m above sea level on the banks of
River Kalpeshwar. The Badrinath Kedarnath
Mandir Samiti looks after this temple. |
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