About Kedarnath Temple in Uttarakhand
- Kedarnath Temple in Uttarakhand is a famous Hindu Temple. From all 12 Jyotirlinga of India, Kedarnath Jyotirlinga is one of the famous jyotirlingas.
- It is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas and 275 Paadal Petra Sthalam (revered by Tamil saints) sites for Hindus. All four temple sanctuaries are located in the Garhwal mountain range in the Himalayas in Uttarakhand. Haridwar is the traditional starting point for the Char Dham Yatra of Uttarakhand.
- The temple is situated in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand at the height of 12,000 ft. from sea level.
- Mandakini river flows peacefully alongside this temple, whose source is Chorabari Glacier.
- The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva who is known by different names like Mahadev, Neelkanth, Shankar, Bholenath, and many more.
- The hall at the entrance to the Kedarnath temple is decorated with statues of Lord Krishna, Pandava, Draupadi, Nandi, Shiva’s chariot, Virbhadra (one of Shiva’s guards)
and other deities from Hindu mythology. - The cone-shaped Shiva Lingam at Kedarnath Temple is the temple’s unique feature among all Shiva shrines. It is an irregularly shaped tongue with a cylindrical pedestal 3.6 meters in circumference and 3.6 meters in height.
- The weather condition of Kedarnath Temple in Uttarakhand is extremely hard in winter. and it remains covered with snow. So the perfect time to visit Kedarnath Temple is between May – Nov.
- Among other places in Kedarnath Dham are Gaurikund, Chorabari Valley, Bhairav Temple, and Vasuki Valley the main tourist attractions. During your visit to the city, you can also visit these temples.
Kedarnath Temple in Uttarakhand timing and facts:-
Deity | Shiva |
Location | Rudraprayag |
Entry Fee | Free |
Timing | 4am - 9pm |
Nearest Railway Station | Rishikesh, Haridwar and Dehradun |
Nearest Airport | Dehradun |
Nearest Hill Station | Rudraprayag |
History/Mythology of Kedarnath Temple
- It is said that Pandavas built the Kedarnath Temple after they won the Mahabharata war against their cousins Kauravas. After winning the battle against Kauravas, Pandavas felt guilty about having killed their own cousin brothers. They want to be free from their sins of committing Gotrahatya and Brahmanhatya during the war. So they decided to meet Lord Shiva and seek his blessings. But Shiva was deeply unhappy with the Pandavas because of the war. So he avoids them and refuges at Kedar in the form of a bull. But Bhim recognizes them so he caught the bull by its tail and legs. So Shiva disappeared into the ground, leaving his hump on the surface at Kedarnath. The remaining portion of Shiva appeared in another four places. So Pandavas built the temple in every five places including Kedar. Then they became free from their sins
- In 8th-century Jagatguru Adi Shankaracharya rebuilt this temple, whey he visited the place with his four disciples.
- According to myth, In Satyug Lord Vishnu’s two avatars Nar and Narayan did penance of Lord Shiva in this place. From their penance, Shiva became happy and visitation them and asked what they want. Then both of them said Hey Shiva your visitation is enough for us. But we want that for the welfare of the world please stay here in the form of Jyotirlinga. From then Shiva stays here in the form of Kedar Jyotirlinga.
- Kedarnath Temple in Uttarakhand was built by King Janmejay who was the last king of Pandavas. He built this temple in memory of their ancestors.
Why Kedarnath Temple is famous
- Kedarnath Temple in Uttarakhand is one of those 4 Dham who is in Uttarakhand. The other three are Badrinath Dham, Gangotri Dham, and Yamunotri Dham. It is a sacred pilgrimage in Northern India. Thousands of Hindu pilgrims from all over the world make their way to the temple every year. During the pilgrimage season of Char Dham Yatra, thousands of pilgrims visit the Kedarnath Temple in Uttarakhand every year, which is an important source of income for the tourism industry in Uttarakhand.
Location of Kedarnath Dham/Yatra
- The location of Kedar is Uttarakhand and yatra for this beautiful Dham starts from Gaurikund. From Gaurikund, it is 16 km. far. It usually takes 8-10 hours to reach the temple.
- Helicopter facility is also available for Kedarnath Temple. For people who are old and not able to trek, helicopter services are best for them. There are three places from where helicopter services are being provided.
- Sirsi Helipad to Kedarnath
- Phat Helipad to Kedarnath
- Guptkashi Helipad to Kedarnath
Kedarnath Dham Weather
- Weather of the Temple during –
| Summers | Mar to June | 10°c – 2O°c |
| Monsoon | July to Sep | 14°c – 17°c |
| Winter | Oct to Feb. | 0°c – 5°c |
Places to Visit near Kedarnath Dham
- There are five temples around Kedarnath itself: Tungnath, Rudranath, Madhyamaheshwar and Kalpeshwar, which form the pilgrimage sites of Panch Kedar. In the first hall inside the Kedarnath temple are statues of the five Pandava brothers, Krishna, Nandi, Shiva’s chariot and Virabhadra, one of Shiva’s guards.
- Other major tourist attractions in Kedarnath Dham are Gaurikund, Chorbari Tal, Bhairav Temple and Vasuki Tal. Besides, Kedarnath is not only home to pilgrims, but also many adventurers and nature lovers.
How to reach Kedarnath Temple?
- If you are going Kedarnath Temple in Uttarakhand by:-
By Air
- If you are going by air, then you have to fly to Dehradun Airport. After reaching the airport you can take the bus to Sonprayag which is 250 km. far.
By Train
- If you are going by train, then you could ticket for Rishikesh, Haridwar or Dehradun railway station. From Rishikesh, Sonprayag is 210 km. far, from Haridwar, it is 230 km. far and from Dehradun it is 250 km. far. From Sonprayag you can take a taxi to Gaurikund which is 5 km. far.
By Road
- If you are going by road, then you have to arrive at Sonprayag. From Sonprayag you can hire cab or taxi for Kedarnath Temple.