A Complete Travel Guide to Kedarnath

Are you planning a spiritual tour to Kedarnath? If yes, then this article is going to be quite informative to you as it contains all those useful information which a tourist must know before visiting a new place.

Overview

Kedarnath is a sacred holy town which has been named after Lord Shiva and so the Kedarnath Dham is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is considered as one of the most prime destinations where Shiva worshippers come in a huge number to pay their homage and to seek the blessing of Lord Shiva. One of the highest Jyotirlingas among 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva in India and one of the most important and the third stopover of Char Dham Yatra, Kedarnath is located in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand. The pilgrimage is thronged by millions of devotees every year especially from May to October and the temple gets closed during the winter season due to unfavorable climatic conditions and heavy snowfall in the region.

Location

This Shiva temple is situated in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand and is elevation at a great altitude of around 3584 meters above the sea level. Kedarnath is nestled amidst the snow-capped Himalayan mountain ranges near Mandakini River. The shrine is located opposite to the imposing Kedarnath Peaks and is beautifully adorned with snow-clad mountain peaks, lush green meadows, and the enchanting Mandakini River.

History

According to Hindu mythology, Kedarnath was established during ancient times. It is believed according to a hagiography that famous Hindu philosopher Adi Shankaracharya died at Kedarnath during the 8th century. Although there is no concrete evidence of the construction of Kedarnath Temple like who constructed it according to the mythologies based on Mahabharata, it was Pandavas who had contributed towards the construction of this temple but it is to be very clear that in Mahabharata, there is no mentioning of Kedarnath. According to Bhatta Lakshmidhara who was a Gahadwala minister, Kedarnath had become one of the most prime pilgrimage destinations in Uttarakhand during the 12th century and he has mentioned the same in Kritya Kalpataru.

Legends Behind the Kedarnath Temple

Likewise other spiritual places, Kedarnath also has myriads of legends and interesting tales where each adding more religious significance to the pilgrimage.

Legend 1: According to a very popular legend, the two incarnations of Lord Vishnu Nar and Narayan performed deep atonement in front of Shivalingam at Badrikasharaya to please Lord Shiva. Their deep devotion and penance pleased Lord Shiva and he granted their wish of taking a permanent abode at Kedarnath. They wanted Lord Shiva to take a permanent stay at Kedarnath so that people visiting there can be freed from their greed and miseries.

Legend 2: This famous legend is associated with Mahabharata and its famous characters, Pandavas. It is said that Pandavas were filled and depressed with the guilt of killing their cousins in the war so to get freed from their sin they performed severe penance to please Lord Shiva. However, Lord Shiva didn’t want to absolve their sin so easily and he hid at Guptkashi in the form of a bull. Bheema (a Pandava brother) recognized him and tried to chase him but Lord Shiva submerged himself in the ground. Bheema got the hold of the hump of the bull and his parts were scattered at different places. This is how since then Lord Shiva is being worshipped as a bull hump at Kedarnath.

Significances of the Temple

• This is one of the high altitude located Jyotirlingas which means the lingam where Lord Shiva manifested himself into a Linga and not by someone else.
• It is counted as one of those 275 temples which altogether constitute Paadal Petra Sthalams. It is believed that these temples were established during the 6th to 9th century by Shaiva Nayanars.
• Kedarnath along with Badrinath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri completes the Chota Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand.
• The base trek of Kedarnath Temple, Gauri Kund is believed to be the same place where Lord Shiv beheaded his younger son Lord Ganesha and afterward replaced it with an elephant head.
• At a small distance away from the Kedarnath temple, devotees can pay their homage at Pandukeshwar temple which got its religious significance as King Pandu who was the father of mighty Pandavas died at this revered place.

Opening and Closing of Kedarnath Temple

Due to its insane location, Kedarnath Temple is closed during the winter season as the region receives heavy snowfall and the place becomes quite challenging to reach. The road gets blocked due to the snowfall. The temple is opened only for 6 months in a year i.e. from the last week of April to October or sometimes if there is no snowfall then in November. The temple gets opened and closed with the grand celebration every year. The closing of the temple is decided on the basis on the Dussehra and the opening of the temple is decided on the occasion of Basant Panchami which marks the presence of the spring season.

Rituals Performed at Kedarnath

There is no particular family of priests performing the temple rituals at Kedarnath. The priests focus on the veneration of the stone lingam which is installed and rested inside the main sanctum of the temple. Apart from the religious significance associated with Lord Shiva, Kedarnath is also popular for being a site of the great saint Adi Shankaracharya’s Samadhi. It is believed that the disciples of Shankaracharya saw him behind the Kedarnath Temple for the last time. The temple committee has a provision of organizing advance booking for special puja on a special request of the devotees.

Morning Pujas

Maha-Abhishek - This ritual is performed between 4:30 am to 6:30 am.

Rudrabhishek - In this puja Lord Shiva is worshipped as Rudra and it is believed that performing this puja wipes away all your sins and it also purifies the atmosphere. This puja is also believed to be the cure of all planetary-oriented ill issues.

Laghu Rudrabhishek - This ritual is done with the belief of neutralizing all the bad effects of planets in human life and also to absolve all the health and health-related issues.

Shodasopachar Puja- This puja includes 16 different traditional steps in paying homage to any of the Lords.

Evening Pujas

-    Sahasranamam Path- This unique puja of Lord Shiva includes the recitation of his 1008 names by the priests along with Abhishekam.

-    Mahimna Stotra Path - The puja includes praising Lord Shiva.

-    Tandava Stotra Path- In this puja ritual, priests praise the strength of Lord Shiva and its beauty to the general public where each stotra contains 16 syllables.

Temple Timings

Similar to Badrinath Temple, the head priest of the Kedarnath Temple (Rawals) belong to other places and to the Namboothiri (Nambudiri) community. They are Rawals and the committee of the temple who decide the timing of the puja rituals performed at the temple. During winter season when the temple gets closed and the idol of Lord Shiva gets shifted to Ukhimath then Rawals also move with the deity and stay until the temple gets re-opened next year. It is always advised to reach the shrine before 3 pm as the temple stays closed from 3 pm to 5 pm every day. Devotees can touch the idol of Lord Badri and can offer Ghee before 3 pm. If you reach there around 5 or after 5 pm then you cannot get the chance to touch the idol and can only get the Darshan from a distance.

What to See at Kedarnath Temple?

Once you enter the main temple you can see that the hall is full of the statues of Pandava brothers. You can pay your homage to Lord Krishna, Nandi (vehicle of Lord Shiva), and Virabhadra who was considered as one of the most powerful and the bravest guards of Lord Shiva. One can see an idol which is carved out and designed in the shape of a head of a man. Its triangular stoned carving is the major and a unique attraction of the temple. This similar carving can be found in the temple located nearby Kedarnath and is believed to be the same place where Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati tied the knots. There is a stone lingam installed inside the inner sanctum of the temple which acts as the major attraction of the Kedarnath Temple. The steps that lead towards the inner sanctum of the temple are beautifully adorned with the inscriptions in Pali language. There is a huge Garbhagriha and a mandapam inside the temple whose unique designs are quite appealing to the tourists. Unlike other Shiva Lingas which are installed in different parts of the world, the linga of Kedarnath Temple is irregular, rough, and conical in shape. Just behind the temple, you can see the Samadhi state of Adi Shankaracharya who was seen there only for the last time.

Festivals and Occasions Celebrated at Kedarnath Temple

Enlisted below are some of the major festivals and celebrations held at Kedarnath.

1.    Badri-Kedar Utsav- This beautiful festival is generally celebrated in the month of June every year in which artists from all across the globe participate and show their talents in arts and cultures. The celebration goes on for continuous 8 days.

2.    Shravani Annakoot Mela- one day before the auspicious occasion of Raksha Bandhan, the temple organizes this fair in which the priests decorate and completely cover the Linga with rice. Post puja, rice is distributed to the devotees as a Prasad of Lord Shiva.

3.    Samadhi Puja- a grand puja performed at the Samadhi state of Adi Shankaracharya every year. Also, the temple is closed on the day of this grand celebration.

Nearby Attractions of Kedarnath Temple

Chandrashila which offers an enthralling trekking trail and skiing track is a major destination located near to the Kedarnath Temple. It also houses a beautifully adorned Shiva temple and so gives it a religious significance too. Sonprayag which is reckoned as a confluence point of Mandakini and Basuki river is the other nearby attraction which is associated with a belief that taking a dip here washes away all our sins and we can attain nirvana. Some other must-visit places in and around Kedarnath include Ukhimath, Guptkashi, Chorabari Tal, Deoria Tal, and there are many more lined up in the list.

Incident of 2013

Kedarnath area was hit by a devastating flood in 2013 which destroyed everything coming in its path. 16th of June in 2013 was a black day for Kedarnath as around 7:30 in the evening, the town was hit by a landslide accompanied by a huge amount of water gushing from the Chorabari Tal. The flow of water was so high that it was bringing the rocks, silts, and boulders and whatsoever was coming in its way. The whole area was destroyed except the holy shrine of Lord Shiva. So, there is a new trekking route constructed to reach Kedarnath as the earlier one was completely damaged.

How to Reach Kedarnath Temple?

Despite being located at a challenging position, Kedarnath is heavily visited by millions of devotees every year as the unflinching faith of devotees overlooks these challenging obstacles.

By Air- Jolly Grant is the nearest airport located around 238 km away from Kedarnath. Jolly Grant in Dehradun is well-connected with other major cities of the country like Delhi, Lucknow, Mumbai, Bangalore, and to the capital city of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram. Gaurikund which is the trekking base of Kedarnath is well-connected with the airport through motorable roads.

By Rail- Rishikesh Railway Station is the nearest railhead located at a distance of 238 km from Kedarnath. There are frequent trains coming at this railhead as Rishikesh is well connected with some other major cities like New Delhi. There are numerous taxis standing on the railway station which take you to Gaurikund. If you don’t want to spend extra money on transport then from the nearest bus stand you can take a bus to reach Gaurikund.

By Road- There are various inter-state and intrastate buses plying frequently to Gaurikund from the other motorable cities in Uttarakhand including Haridwar, Rishikesh.

Best Time to Visit Kedarnath

Summer season is the most suitable and favorable time to plan your Kedarnath trip as the temperature is quite feasible and inviting at that time. The temperature ranges around 15 degree Celsius and goes maximum up to 30 degree Celsius. You can enjoy your journey accompanied by mild warmth along with a cool breeze. The region receives heavy rainfall sometimes during monsoon season which results in landslides and eventually in the blockage of roads. It is generally recommended to avoid visiting Kedarnath during monsoon unless you are an experienced and a deep adventure enthusiast. Winter is the least preferred time to visit Kedarnath as the region experiences heavy snowfall and the weather becomes bone tearing cool with the decrease in temperature. The temperature goes zero degrees and sometimes it reaches up to sub-zero level.