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Kedarnath
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Lord Shiva |
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Temple Of Kedarnath |
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The Celestial Jyotirlingam
Amidst the dramatic muntainscapes 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.
Kedarnath is a majestic sight, standing in the middle of a wide plateau srrounded by lofty snow covered peaks. The present temple, built in the 8th
century by Adi Shankaracharya, stands adjacent to the site of an earlier temple built by the Pandavas. The inner walls of the assembly hall are decorated with
figures of various deities and scenes from mythology. Outside the temple door a arge statue of the Nandi Bull stands as guard.
Dedicated to Lord Shiva,
the exquisitely architectured Kedarnath temple is said to be more than a 1000 years old. Built of extremely large, heavy and evenly cut gray slabs of stones,
it evokes wonder as to how these heavy slabs were handled in the earlier days.The temple has a "" Garbha Griha"" for worship and a Mandap apt for assemblies of pilgrims and visitors. A conical rock formation inside the temple is worshipped
as Lord Shiva in his Sadashiva form.
Location BR>Kedarnath is situated in the Uttar Kashi district of the northern state of
Uttaranchal. Very close to the Indo-Chinese border, it is the source of the
Mandakini River. It is couched in the scenic locales of the Garhwal Himalayas at
3583 meters above sea level. It is very cold in the winters with the ground
being covered with snow. In the summers, the mercury barely crosses the 20°C
mark. The place experiences about 150 cm of rainfall during the monsoons and so
the best time to visit is between May and October. Kedarnath is near to
Rishikesh (234 km) and Dehradun (250 km).
History
According to legend, Lord Shiva wished to elude the Pandavas, who had come
to seek penitence for having killed their kin in the battle of Kurukshetra. He
took refuge in Kedarnath in the form of a bull. Bhima, one of the Pandava
brothers, found Shiva amongst a herd of cattle. Having identified the meanest
and most arrogant of the herd as Shiva, Bhima is said to have grabbed him by the
hindquarters. What remains at the shrine in Kedarnath is the rear end of the
bull, with the rest of its body scattered throughout the Garhwal. Shiva dived
into the ground leaving behind him a hump on the surface. This conical
protrusion is worshipped as the idol. It is the main site of the Panch Kedar
temples.
There are Four Other Kedars
- Madhyamaheshwar
- Tunganath
- Kalpeshwar
- Rudranath
Three of these (barring Kalpeshwar) are in mountain
meadows at higher altitudes than Kedarnath. The climb to Rudranath is the most
strenuous though worth the trouble, as this meadow is one of the finest in
Garhwal.
Mythological Myth
Legend has it that
when the Pandavas sought penance following the great war of the Mahabharata they
came in search of Lord Shiva. Arriving at this site they found that Shiva had
elusively taken the form of a bull. Bhim the strongest of the Pandavas went
after Shiva who dived deep into the ground. Only Shiva's tail was left in Bhim's
hand. This spot is known as the Kedarnath and is also considered the main Kedar.
The rest of Shiva's body emerged at four other places in Garhwal - Tunganath,
Madhyamaheshwar, Kalpeshwar and Rudranath.
These five Kedars are
worshipped as Panch Kedars
Tungnath
Shiva's arms came out at Tungnath. The Tungnath temple is at an
altitude of 3,680 m and is the highest Shiva shrine among the Panch Kedars.
However it is the easiest to reach from Chopta, the nearest road head.
Rudranath
Shiva's face is worshipped at the Rudranath temple. It
is about 2,286 m above sea level and is 23 km from Gopeshwar. 5 km of the
distance is motor able and 18 km is on foot. The trek passes through wild
orchards and picturesque bugyals (meadows) and involves trekking over high
ridges (sometimes 4,000 m). The temple site provides magnificent views of Hathi
Parvat, Nanda Devi, Nanda Ghungti, Trishuli and many other peaks. There are a
number of holy kunds or ponds near the Rudranath temple like Suryakund,
Chandrakund, Tarakund. The entire area is utterly enchanting and unmatched in
scenic beauty. Anusuya Devi temple is located on the trek to Rudranath involving
an additional trek of 3km.
An Important Note
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."
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Kedarnath Pilgrimage Attractions |
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Kedarnath Temple
The present temple, built in 8th 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 grab' for
worship and a 'mandap' for assemblies of piligrims and visitors. The temple is
believed to be more than 1000 years old.
Shankaracharya Samadhi
Behind the Kedarnath Temple lies the
samadhi or the final resting place of Adi Guru Shankaracharya. It is believed,
after establishing the four dhams in India, he went for his samadhi at an early
age of 32 years.
Excursions
Chorabari (Gandhi Sarovar) (2 kms.)
A small lake
from where Yudhishthir, the eldest of the Pandavas, is believed to have departed
to heaven. The floating ice on the sparkling waters of the lake is a fascinating
sight.
Vasuki Tal (6 kms.)
A picturesque lake, 4,135 mts. above sea level
is encircled by lofty mountains and offers a commanding view of the Chaukhamba
peaks.
Gaurikund (14 kms.)
The trekking base to Kedarnath. A temple
dedicated to Gauri and thermal springs of medicinal value are noteworthy.
Sonprayag (20 kms.)
The confluence of Son Ganga and Mandakini
rivers. The road to Triyuginarayan diverts from here.
Triyuginarayan (25 kms.)
A 5 kms. trek from Sonprayag, it is the
mythological venue of the marriage of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.An eternal
flame, which is said to have been a witness to the marriage, burns in front of
the temple even today.
Guptkashi (49 kms.)
The temples of Ardhnarishwar and Vishwanath
are noteworthy.
Ukshimath (60 kms)
Winter home of the deity of the Kedarnath
Temple and the seat of the Rawal of Kedarnath.
Agastyamuni (73 kms.)
Famous for the temple dedicated to sage
Agastya.
Chandrashila (93 kms.)
The Chandrashila peak provides a rare view
of snow-clad peaks. The rhododendron Forests and alpine meadows dominate the
trek fromTungnath to Chandrashila.
Deoria Tal (68 kms.)
Sari village is the last bus terminus on
Chopta-Ukhimath road from where a 2 kms. trek leads to Deoria Tal. This
beautiful lake at an altitude of 2,438 mts. gives the spectacular reflection of
snow capped peaks in the lake water. Ideal spot for angling and bird watching.
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