10 Interesting Facts about Kedarnath Temple

This ancient temple of Lord Kedar in Rudraprayag district is one of the most prominent centres of worship for devout Hindus to visit from all over the world. The entire temple is riddled in mystery and wonderment which makes it all the more significant in Indian culture. Although India is dotted all over with innumerable temples and shrines this particular temple holds a special place in the hearts of the people here and is seen as one of the ways of attaining moksha.

There are so many aspects of this temple which makes it special. Here are some of the 10 interesting facts about Kedarnath temple:

1- Adi Shankaracharya and Kedarnath

The great philosopher Adi Shankaracharya who is to be credited with the propagation of Advaita philosophy also constructed several mutths and shrines across the nation. He did all this with the motive of uniting Indian population through spreading the values and beliefs of Hinduism which had gotten lost due to various conquests and rulers. He re established kedarnath as a pilgrimage location as one of the important Char Dham portals. Ever since then this place by the Mandakini river has been of incredible relevance to the Hindu devotees.

2- Shankaracharya Samadhi

Adi Shankaracharya travelled on foot all over India, spreading the world of Advaita and evoking the spirit of Hinduism among the people by debating with them. However, having travelled all over India, from east to west and north to south his final resting place was behind Kedarnath. Which currently is in the form of a Shankaracharya samadhi. The structure is located right behind the main temple and people go there to offer their prayer to the person who brought Char Dham Yatra to life.

3- Pandas of Kedarnath

source

The pandas of Kedarnath inhabit around the villages of Guptkashi and Ukhimath. As per tradition the pandas and the Raval here are from south India, which was done to mingle the people of different parts of India to each other by Adi Shankaracharya. Adi Shankara was accompanied by an entourage of Brahmins from south India who were a part of the Shaiva sect. after the passing away of Adi Shankara these Brahmins didn’t have any reason to go back so they decided to stay in Kedarnath and work towards the revival of Hinduism.

4- Unknown Construction Date

Did you know that the date of construction of this ancient temple is still unknown but is definitely one of the oldest Shiva temples in India. However as per Hindu mythology it is believed that after the Mahabharata war Pandava brothers are said to have visited this place in search of lord Shiva looking for forgiveness for killing their kin. The route which they took lead them to Kedarnath and they set up temples everywhere they went thus creating the Panch Kedar Yatra Circuit.

5- Real Color of the Temple

The temple may look grey and brown in color from the outside but this is owing to the long duration of time and ages it has stood there facing and braving the harshest of the climate changes. However scientific research shows that the outer color of the temple is white-ish royal pink that is believed to have been a sign of peace and tranquillity. Due to its longevity the temple has now turned into a grey brown colour from the outside. Imagine what it must look like when it was first built. But sadly we don’t have any record to tell us when or who got it actually constructed.

6- Inscriptions on the Inner Walls

The temple is constructed utilising evenly cut large grey slabs and the inner walls are adorned with Pali or Brahmin inscriptions however these won’t have been deciphered. Once deciphered this would prove to be a huge help in putting the pieces of the historical puzzles together. One scholar had attempted on deciphering it and he has reasons to believe that it dates back to before 12^th century AD. He is said to have read the word Rajdev in one of the inscriptions there but it could not be identified with the king of Malwa. A lot of research needs to go into deciphering them.

7- 400 Years Inside Snow

The studies done by Indian researchers has shown that the temple structure was entirely inside snow and was a part of a glacier during the mini ice age which had engulfed the entire district of Rudraprayag for around 400 years. The temple’s construction and make is to be credited since even after so many ages the temple itself was not harmed and in fact was preserved in its best condition. This goes on to show the artful skills Manship of the people then. It is a testament to the religious spirit of the people that this temple has always been the prime focus for devotees.

8- Winter Char Dham

When the temple shuts down for darshan to the pilgrim due to unhospitable weather conditions, the idol of the presiding deity is shifted to its winter home in Ukhimath at the Omkareshwar temple. People can continue to offer their prayer at the temple itself and pay a visit to the abode of the lord. The place remains devoid of snow during this time making it easier to go on Char Dham Yatra during winter season.

9- How Did it get Its Name?

There are a number of theories regarding how the place got its name as kedarnath and one of the most popular and widely received theories say that the town gets its name from the king Kedar who used to rule here. Another theory say that the place was named by lord Shiva himself when he had descended to earth with an aim of asking Nar Narayan what they wanted as a result of creating a Shivling and performing penance to the lord. They asked him to reside permanently in this Shivling at Kedarnath.

10- Limited Opening Time

Kedarnath temple opens for darshan during the auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiya that falls during the month of either late April or early may, depending on the date announced by the Badri kedar temple committee. The temple every year remains open throughout the summer season and shuts down as the weather turns freezing cold during the auspicious day of Bhai Dooj.