Kedarnath Travel Guide
Kedarnath Yatra
Kedarnath is a Hindu holy town located in the Indian state of Uttarakhand andthe nagar panchayat in Rudraprayag district.The city is named in honor of King Kedar who ruled in the Satya Yuga. The remote city, Kedarnath and its temple exists on the earth from the era of Mahabharata.The Kedarnath shrine,abode to one of the twelve major jyotirlings in the country in which Lord Shiva is manifest.Kedar is another name of Lord Shiva, the protector and the destroyer and is considered the embodiment of all passions – love, hatred, fear death and mysticism which are expressed through his various forms. It is situated in a picturesque spot,against the backdrop of the majestic Kedarnath range and can be reached by a 14 km trek uphill from Gaurikund. Kedarnath is also the origin of River Mandakini and it is among the Chardhams, or the four pilgrimages which every Hindu must take to attain salvation. Kedarnath falls in the Rudraprayag district of Uttaranchal, The main temple was built by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century which is very close to where an ancient temple built by the Pandavas used to exist in the time of Mahabharata.
Though it is one of the holiest pilgrimage destinations in India but there are also 200 shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva in Chamoli district itself. The extreme weather condition of Kedarnath prompts the temple to remain open on Akshaya Tritiya (April end or first week of May) and closed on Bhai Duj (October end or 1st week of November) due to heavy snowfall and extreme cold weather during winter.Apart from its religious significance, it is also visited by those who love to conquer the rough terrain of Garhwal. Lapped in the green hills of the Himalayas, the serene atmosphere here, with its cool and gentle breeze, the snowy peaks, alpine forests and colourful rhodendrons offers a magnificent and ideal tourist retreat along with a captivating and mesmerizing feeling. The Kedarnath shrine is believed to be more than 1000 years old.The fantastic carvings and simple stones on the walls of temple give a splendid look to the temple and a delightful experience for the pilgrims.The mythology based architecture of Kedarnath temple is large and is as wonder to the modern architects.At the entrance to the temple is a statue of Nandi, the divine the bull. The interiors of the Kedarnath temple are exquisitely carved with images.Every year hundreds of devotees visit the temple of Sri Kedarnath.
