Kedarnath Temple, Uttarakhand - Information about Kedarnath Dham

Char Dham the four holy abodes that are considered as the holiest place of pilgrimage where millions of devotees come to visit. Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri are the four pilgrimage site that is associated with the Chardham Yatra. In the middle of the lovely scenic Himalayan range their lies Kedarnath at an altitude of 3584m. Kedarnath Yatra is assumed to be the best as it is considered holiest of all four holy abodes. Every year, more than 1 lakh devotees come to the Himalayas, to pay homage to this most impressive temple that is large and magnificent at the same time. This place is thought of as a place where Lord Shiva resided. Here you will find the highest of 12 Jyotirlingas or Shrines of Lord Shiva in India. Here devotees come wash away their sins and find the route of Moksha.

For Hindus the Kedarnath Yatra/Tour is supremely holy place to visit. The magnificence of the temple is worth watching or noticing. The wall of the entire Kedarnath temple is inscribed with images of numerous Hindu deities and scenes that depicts the epics. The big huge statue of Nandi Bull is placed outside of the main door. It is believed that Nandi bull guard this holy shrine from all evils. This temple is situated on the bank of River Mandakini. When you come here you can experience the beautiful atmosphere and breath-taking snow-capped peaks. Here the tourist can visit the Kedarnath Temple, Gandhi Sarovar/Chorabari Tal, Samadhi of Adi Guru Shankaracharya, Vasuki Tal, Kedarnath Musk Deer Sanctuary, Bhairavnath Temple and do trekking as well.

Not only for religious belief tourists also come here for seeing the scenic beauty of the Kedarnath town from around the globe. During May and June this place is crowded. Thousands of devotees of Lord Shiva come here to visit the temple during summer season. In winter season because of heavy snowfall the idol of Shri Kedareshwar carried out of the temple after lightening the "Nanda Deepam" and is closed for the winters. The seat of Kedarnath during this time is located in Ukhimath. The nanda deep burns bright when the doors open during the month of Vaishakh. In 2013, Kedarnath flood caused many destructions. Earlier, while taking the Kedarnath route through trekking Gaurikund was the last destination, but after the flood new route for trekking is to be constructed which start from Gaurikund. Anyways, today Kedarnath Yatra by helicopter is considered the best medium.

History of Kedarnath

The Kedarnath Temple name came after the name of King Kedar, who was ruling the Satya Yuga. It is believed that it is the place where Lord Shiva freed the Pandavas from the sin they have done by killing their own cousins and relatives in the battlefield. The story behind this temple is actually very interesting. As written in Puranas that the Panch Pandav brothers severely punished themselves in Kedarnath to please Lord Shiva so that the Lord can absolve them from the sin committed by them. In that yuga the temple was built by Pandava whereas adjacent to it the present structure was built by Adi Sankaracharya in the 8th century AD, whose Samadhi can be seen at back of the temple. A little away from the temple is Mahapanth which is also called highway to heaven.

Mediums for Reaching Kedarnath

Kedarnath Yatra/Tour gives immense satisfaction and peace. The road route to reach Kedarnath temple begins from Haridwar i.e. also thought of as entry to heaven that ends at Gaurikund covering Rishikesh, Devprayag, Sonprayag, Srinagar and Rudraprayag. To reach Kedarnath you have to pass all these auspicious places through motored vehicle or by walking. Further from Gaurikund you need to trek 14 km uphill, that may take 6 hours to reach the temple of Lord Kedarnath. Some trek and some climb the steep path with the help of walking sticks or palanquins that are available there for reaching the destination. In the middle of the route there are resting places as well for the devotees to rest for a while. On reaching Gaurikund the devotees take bath in the hot spring and pray to the head-less Ganesha. It is said that Lord Shiva cut off the head of Bal Ganesha with his Trishul here and later replaced it with the head of an elephant. Shivlinga on the bank of River Mandakini is not put or made by anybody; it is self-manifest. It is believed that this is a hind side of Mahisha.

The alternative to taking up the road route is by hiring a helicopter to Kedarnath. Numerous companies nowadays are providing you Kedarnath tour by helicopter with various packages so that people can avoid long distance and reach the main shrine of Kedarnath with ease. Kedarnath Yatra by helicopter is considered the best, because it avoids the difficulties that come in their way. Timberline Helicharters provides their services for Kedarnath Yatra by helicopter with competitive packages. It only takes approximately 15 minutes to reach the destination by helicopter.

The best time to pay a visit to Kedarnath is in between May - June and September - November. During the monsoon period the visitors may have to face difficulty in reaching here because of heavy rainfall. The temple opens in the first week of May till the mid of November. Visitors must carry their warm clothes every time they come here irrespective of the season. In summers also it is not too hot here and the temperature in night falls by 7°c to 10°c, in winters the temperature may even below sub-zero.

There are many Hotels where you can stay when you visit Kedarnath. It is anyways good to book a hotel before reaching there to avoid any type of problems. People can choose from the hotels like Char Dham Camp, Hotel Priyadarshani, Hotel Agrawal House, Hotel Marwad House, Hotel Rajasthan Sadan, Hotel Himachal House, Hotel Bhopal Bhawan, Hotel Jalandhar House, Hotel Gayatri Sadan and GMVN Kedarnath as per choice, style, requirement and can take advantage of the benefits of the pilgrimage as well.

On the trip to Kedarnath Yatra you can purchase things that have religious significance like photographs of deities and Rudraksha mala that is used during chanting of Hindu prayers.

Kedarnath Opening and Closing Dates

Ideally there is not any fixed date as to when the temple will open for worship and when it will be shut, as these are calculated by the priests depending upon when the auspicious day of Akshya Tritiya falls and the date of Mahashivratri. The priests at Omkareshwar temple decide the closing and opening date of the temples. Normally the temple opens on the auspicious day of Akshya Tritiya. The divine statue of Lord Shiva is shifted from Kedarkhand to Ukhimath, and is reinstated and worshipped with all the rituals at Kedarnath, in the first week of May. It is during this time that the doors are open for worship and darshan for the devotees.

Similarly, the closing date is decided by the day on which Bhai Dooj falls, which is after Diwali. And, once all the rituals are performed, the temple is closed after Bhai Dooj that is in the month of November. During the temple closure, the divine shrine is submerged in snow and worship and other rituals are performed at Ukhimath.

Kedarnath Opening Dates for 2022: May 6

Weather in Kedarnath

Kedarnath during Summers - Summers are cool and pleasant and it is the right period for travelers to relax and visit the temple and for sightseeing. Summers in May, June and July are pleasant, with temperature hovering around 16-19 degree centigrade and slightly cold breeze blowing. As a traveler and trekker light full sweater or pullovers are more than enough to wear during the course of travel. During summers, sky is clear blue and natural beauty is worth sighting.

Kedarnath during Winters - Kedarnath is not the place to visit during winters as it has very extreme and harsh climate. During winters due to heavy snowfall and hailstorm, the main temple and other sightseeing activities are closed for entire duration, as frequent avalanche have also been reported. The roads are blanketed with heavy snow and climate is inhospitable. The temperature can go really well below the 0-degree centigrade, making it very difficult to live and survive and even breathe at that high altitude. For about six months from November to April, the palki of Lord Shiva or Lord Kedarnath is transferred to place in Guptakashi and is reinstated back at kedarnath in the month of May. And this is the time when the temple gates are opened for pilgrims and devotees for visit.

Kedarnath during Monsoons - During the month of July (second half), August and September, landslides are a usual thing and this affect the roads leading to the shrine, because most of the time they are jammed and blocked. Hence, it is not advisable for the devotees and tourists to visit this place during monsoons as heavy rainfall are common. Also, the temperature is around 10 degrees centigrade, which again makes it difficult for the devotees to visit that place.

The floods in 2013 still leaves nightmares to the people when the neighboring region was submerged in water leaving behind utter chaos and loss of life and property.

Therefore, the ideal time to visit the shrine is during summers in the month May, June and September and October. July is the warmest month of the year there but the unexpected rain lashes the ground, causing landslides and causing disruptions.

Places to Visit in Kedarnath

Kedarnath Yatra astonishes you with the lovely surroundings and places you can visit here. The holy places you can visit in Kedarnath are as follows:

Kedarnath Temple

One of the holiest temples in India as per Hindu religion is Kedarnath temple. It is located in the bank of River Mandakini situated in Kedarnath. Its origin is said to be ancient from the time of Mahabharata when the Panch Pandava made this temple to free themselves from the sin they have done by killing their kin. The architecture is superb and carved with numerous Hindu deities that is very attractive and pleasant.

Chorabari Tal

Chorabari Tal is an ancient lake that is also known as Gandhi Tal, which is formed from the glacier of Chorabari. It is believed that it is a place where he had enlightened the Saptarishis by imparting his knowledge of Yoga. It is also believed that Yudhisthira the eldest of Panch Pandava, departed to heaven from here. In 1948 the ashes of Gandhiji was immersed here as well. The fascinating sight of this lake is worth seeing. The ice floating on water looks awesome.

Vasuki Tal

Vasuki Tal is a lovely location about 4,135 meters above the sea level located in the mountains. It is a crystal like lake that appeals to everyone who visit here. Here there are attractive camping and trekking spots as well and not only this, they also offer impressive view of Chaukhamba peaks.

Gaurikund

Gauri Kund is a trekking place when doing Kedarnath Yatra. This place is named after Goddess Parvathi. Gauri temple is also located here. It is believed that Lord Shiva accepted the proposal of marrying Goddess Parvathi here. This place is an absolute beauty with greenery and Vasuki Ganga flowing below. Here there are natural thermal springs of medicinal value.

Triyuginarayan

Triyuginarayan is said to be the place where Lord Shiva married Goddess Parvati. It is said that even today, an eternal flame still burns here in front of the temple that has witnessed this marriage.

There are more places that you can add on your visiting list like Kedarnath Wildlife sanctuary, Samadhi of Adi Guru Shankaracharya, Gandhi Sarovar, Bhairavnath Temple, Sonprayag, Guptkashi and valleys for trekking.