Kedarnath tucked away in the lap of Garhwal Himalayas, some 221 km from Rishikesh, is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva. Lying against the backdrop of the magnificent Kedarnath Range, at an altitude of 3580 m, the splendid Kedarnath Temple is where the devotees come seeking the blessings of Lord Shiva. The temple is said to have been constructed by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century A.D. The nearby flowing Mandakini River, mesmerizing vistas and splendid sceneries in the form of the snow-clad mountains, rhododendron forests, and salubrious environment make Kedarnath a tranquil and picturesque place to be at.
The devotees experience immense peace of mind while undertaking a spiritual tour. The temple and nature’s milieu is so divine that it always rekindle human beings’ faith in the Almighty. Not to forget, the temple has survived one of the worst flash floods of all time in the state, hence, the reverence for this sacred destination amplifies inevitably. Devotees flock to this holy pilgrimage site every year, mostly as a part of their Chardham Yatra circuit. Kedarnath in Uttarakhand is one of the most prominent pilgrimages, particularly for the Hindus.
Kedarnath Temple History
The sacred shrine of Kedarnath is said to have been built in the 8th century AD by Adi Shankaracharya at the place adjacent to a spot where the Pandavas of the Mahabharata fame are believed to have constructed a temple. The most popular legend of Kedarnath takes us to the time of Pandavas who after killing their half-brothers, Kauravas in the infamous war were seeking forgiveness from Lord Shiva on the advice of Lord Krishna. It was in Guptkashi that they could spot Lord Shiva who was hiding from them disguised in the form of Nandi, the bull. But one of the Pandavas, Bheema could identify Lord Shiva and chased to only catch him through his tail, while the rest of the body vanished, through a secret cave underneath the ground.
Lord Shiva, who disappeared from Guptkashi reappeared in five different forms namely, hump at Kedarnath, face at Rudranath, arms at Tungnath, navel, and stomach at Madhyamaheshwar and the locks at Kalpeshwar. Another tale about Kedarnath is related to Nar Narayan who went to Badrika Village to worship Parthiva and as a result Lord Shiva appeared before them. Nara-Narayan asked Shiva to remain there in his original form for the welfare of the humanity. Granting their wish, Lord Shiva stayed in that place which is now known as Kedar, thus he is known as Kedareshwara.