Kedarnath

Amidst the dramatic mountainscapes of the majestic Kedarnath range stands one of the twelve ‘Jyotirlingas’ of Kedar or Lord Shiva. Lying at an altitude of 3584 mts. on the head of river Mandakini, the shrine of Kedarnath is amongst the holiest pilgrimages for the Hindus.

The origin of the revered temple can be found in the great epic - Mahabharata. According to legend, the Pandavas sought the blessings of Lord Shiva to atone their sins after the battle of Mahabharata. Lord Shiva eluded them repeatedly and while fleeing took refuge at Kedarnath in the form of a bull. On being followed, HE dived into the ground, leaving behind HIS hump on the surface. This conical protrusion is worshipped as the idol in the shrine.The remaining portions of Lord Shiva are worshipped at four other places - the arms (bahu) at Tungnath, mouth (mukh) at Rudranath, navel (nabhi) at Madmaheshwar and hair (jata) at Kalpeshwar. Together with Kedarnath, these places are known as the Panch Kedar.

The lingam at Kedarnath is pyramidal, unlike its usual form. A status of Nandi – the celestial bull stands at the entrance of the temple and exquisitely carved images adorn the interiors of the temple.

During the winters, the shrine is submerged in snow and hence is closed. The ideal time to visit is between May to October. Kedarnath is reached through a 14 km. long trek from Gaurikund.

Kedarnath Temple

The present temple, built in 8^th century A.D. by Adi Guru Shankaracharya lies adjacent to the site of an ancient temple built by Pandavas. The walls of the exquisitely architectured temple are embellished with figures of deities and scenes from mythology. The temple has a conical lingam - the main idol, a statue of Nandi - the celestial bull, a ‘garbha grah’ for assemblies of pilgrims and visitors. The temple is believed to be more than 1000 years old.

Samadhi of Sri Adi Shankaracharya

Behind the Kedarnath Temple lies the samadhi or the final resting place of Adi Shankaracharya. It is believed, after establishing the four maths  in India, he went for his samadhi at an early age of 32 years.