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Kedarnath is
a Hindu holy town located in the Indian state of Uttarakhand.
It is a nagar panchayat in Rudraprayag district. The most remote
of the four Char Dham sites, Kedarnath is located in the Himalayas,
about 3584m above sea level near the head of river Mandakini, and is
flanked by breath taking snow-capped peaks. Kedarnath hosts one of the
holiest Hindu temples, the Kedarnath Temple, and is a popular destination
for Hindu pilgrims from all over the world, being one of the four major sites
in India's Char Dham pilgrimage. Kedarnath is named after King Kedar who ruled
in the Satya Yuga. He ruled the seven continents and was a very saintly king.
He had a daughter named Vrinda who was a partial incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi.
She performed austerities for 60000 years. Because of her, the land is named Vrindavan.
The magnificent temple of Kedarnath (3581 m) one of the twelve
Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva, is dedicated to Sadashiva, a
form of Lord Shiva, is situated in Garhwal Himalayas (Rudraprayag
district). While huge statue of Nandi stands in the court
yard, the images of Pandavas and Droupadi are skillfully
carved on the wall of the temple. There are number of 'Kund'
in Kedarnath Peeth. Shiv Kund is the prominent one. Rudhir
Kund is known because of water being of red colour. 'Purandar
Parvat' divides the area around Kedamath temple which are
known as 'Narayan Kshetra' and 'Sakambhari Kshetra'. Some
other places of pilgrimage are Tungnath, Rudranath and
Kalpnath. The whole Kedamath valley (2 km x 1/2 km) is
surrounded by snow covered peaks from three sides and it
lends a unique setting to this divine place. Mandakini
glaciers and Gandhi Sarovars are only few kilometers away
from Kedarnath.
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According to legends, the shrine of Kedamath was built
by Pandavas after Mahabharat war. The present temple
was built in 8th century AD by Adi Shankaracharya. It
is believed that Sadashiv escaped from the clutches of
Pandavas and took refuge here in the from of buffalo
and finding himself hard pressed dived into the ground
and left certain parts of his body at four other
places along the Himalayan ranges i.e. the arms (Bahu)
at Tungnath, the face (Mukh) at Rudranath, the belly (Nabhi)
at Mad Maheshwar and the hair (lata) and head at
Kalpeshwar. Together with Kedamath all these temples
are called 'Panchkedar' and are worshipped by Hindu
devotees during their pilgrimage.
Panch Kedar
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Tungnath for the Arms (bahu) :
The sanctity of the region of Tungnath is considered
unsurpassed. The peak of Tungnath is the source of
three springs that form the river Akashkamini. At this
temple at 3,680 mts., Shiva's arm is worshipped. The
highest Hindu shrine in the Himalayas, 3 kms uphill
from Chopta, Thungnath is reached through a path that
wends through alpine meadows and rhododendron
thickets. An hour's climb from here leads to
Chandrashila with its panoramic views. The entire
journey and the shrine are located in some of the
finest, most picturesque pocket of the Himalayas.The
temple comes to sight only a few hundred yards before
the finish of the trekking. |
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Standing in the centre
of the stone paved platform, under 3,600 metres high
summit of Chandrashila (4,090m) the monument is a fine
piece of ancient architecture. The strong built and
powerful looks of the temple, made with stone,
symbolize the power and anger of Lord Shiva. The idols
of Vyas and Kalbhairav stand along the "Shivling"
inside the temple. The other four 'Kedar' are
beautifully engraved on silver plate. Facing the
small, low height gate of the temples, sits Nandi-the
divine bull, the vehicle of the Lord. Two small
temples, dedicated to Parvati and Kalbhairav embellish
the small courtyard, on a flat rock possible to have
an idea before starting the construction.
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Rudranath for the Face (mukh) :
Situated amidst thick woods, here the 'mukh' or the
Lord's face appeared and Shiva is worshipped as
Neelkanth Mahadev. Situated at a height of 2,286
metres all around are fragrant flower laden meadows
where herbs, grow in profusion. In the background, in
all their glory, are the glittering snow-covered peaks
of Trishul, Nanda Devi, Devastan etc. Near the temple
is a stream of sparkling water known as Vaitarini -
the 'Water of Salvation'.
Passing through the glorious mountain scenery, the
seventeen kilometres trek passes on its way through
Anusuyadevi.At a height of 2,439 metres, |
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Nandikund is a place where the people worship some
rusty old histor,c swords thrust into the rocks.The
local populace earnestly believe that the swords
belonged originally to the Pandvas.
The trek to Rudranath can be organised either from
Gangolgaon or Helang. A cross-country trek from Mandai
to Helang via Anusuyadevi, Rudranath, Bansi Narayan,
Urgam and Kalpeshwar or vice-versa can really be
rewarding.
The temple is surrounded by a number of pools - Surya
Kund, Chandra Kund, Tara Kund, Manas Kund - while the
great peaks of Nand a Devi, Trishul and Nanda Ghunti
rear overhead.
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Madhyamaheshwar for the Stomach (nabhi)
After disappearing at Kedarnath, the Navel reappeared
at Madhyamadheshwar, 30 km from Guptkashi (24 km trek
+ 6 km motorable).Here, at a height of 3490 mtrs is a
magnificent Shiva Temple, approachable through a
trekking route that passes through the famous Siddha
Peeth of Kalimath. With a back-drop of the imposing
peaks of Chaukhamba, Kedarnath and Nelkanth soaring up
to the Heavens, the unparralleled beauty of the route
starts from Guptkashi. Guptkashi is at a height of
1319 mtrs where Shiva went incognito. |
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Kalpeshwar for the
Hair (jata) :
In this small rock temple entered through a cave, 2km
from Urgam or 11 km from Helang, the manifestation is
of the hair or Jata. The 14 km distance from Joshimath
to Helang is motorable and the rest 11km bridle path
via Urgam begins with the crossing of the Alaknanda at
Helang. Most of the trek is a gradual climb. Just 2 km
before Kalpheshwar is the friendly village of Urgam
(2134 mtrs) set amidst delightful natural
surroundings. Urgma is a picturesque valley with
terraced fields, lust green forests and gentle, warm
and friendly people. |
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Hotels in
Kedarnath... |
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