Kedarnath - A Char Dham Site
Kedarnath is popular as one of the Char Dham situated in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand. It has an elevation of around 3553 meters and well accessible from Rishikesh and Badrinath. The fast flowing Mandakini River and the view of snow capped Himalayas makes Kedarnath a serene place. You can experience ultimate peace here and the trip is always rejuvenating. Pilgrims, tourists and trekkers throng this revered pilgrimage site every year. By foot, one needs to travel 14 km from Gaurikund via Rishikesh to reach Kedarnath. You can also avail of helicopter service or horse ride.
Kedarnath overview
The place is named after King Kedar who ruled here. However, legends also reveal that this place existed since the time of Mahabharata and it is where the Pandavas prayed to please Lord Shiva. The temple here remains closed during winter and the Char Dham yatra tour takes place from May to October only.
Kedarnath Temple
The temple opens in the first week of May on the eve of Akshaya Tritiya and closes in October with the onset of the snowfall months. The Kedarnath shrine features extraordinary stone work and has a beautiful landscape surrounding it. The shiva lingam is placed in the temple sanctorum. The samadhi or the burial ground of spiritual guru Adi Shankaracharya is located just behind the shrine. Pilgrims also travel to the nearby Bhairav Temple from the Kedarnath shrine. The area around Bhairav Temple is also beautiful and has small streams fed by the water from melting glaciers in the summer months.
Places around Kedarnath
Check out the various places of visit from Kedarnath:
Gandhi Sarovar - The Gandhi Sarovar is a trek of 3.5km from Kedarnath. It is around an hour walk and you pass by a number of serene locales and springs. Gandhi Sarovar or lake is the place where the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi were immersed.
Vasuki Tal - Vasuki Tal is a trek of 8 km from Kedarnath and you need to set out early morning to cover the distance in 4-5 hours.
Between Kedarnath and Rudraprayag, there are several other pilgrimage sites such as Trijugi Narayan, Kalimatha, Ukhimath and Guptakashi. Udak Khand is also a sacred place as the water here is believed to be from 5 oceans. Pilgrims purify themselves by taking a holy bath here.
