Kedarnath
Kedarnath is a town in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and has gained importance because of Kedarnath Temple. It is in Rudraprayag district. The most remote of the four Chota Char Dham sites, Kedarnath is located in theHimalayas, about 3,583 m (11,755 ft) above sea level near Chorabari glacier, the head of river Mandakini, and is flanked by snow-capped peaks. The nearest road head is at Gaurikund.
History of Kedarnath
The history behind Kedarnath Temple is very interesting as it is associated with mythical tales of Mahabharat. Pandavas, after the battle of Kurukshetra, felt guilty for killing their Kaurava cousins. So, they wanted Lord Shiva to absolve their sins but, Lord Shiva was annoyed with them. The Pandavas first went to Kashi to meet Shiva where they learnt that he was in the Himalayas.
They proceeded for the Himalayas too but miffed Shiva did not want to
absolve their sins easily. Therefore,
he disguised himself as a buffalo and
went to Guptakashi. The Pandavas
reached Guptakashi too and spotted
a unique looking buffalo. Bheema,
one of the Pandavas, grabbed its tail
and the buffalo was disintegrated in
different directions.
It is believed that its hump fell in Kedarnath and hence, the Kedarnath Temple was born. The other parts of the buffalo's body fell places such as Tungnath , Rudranath, Kalpeshwar and Madhyamaheshwar. These four places along with Kedarnath came to be known as the holy 'Panch Kedars'. Later, Lord Shiva forgave Pandavas' sins and decided to reside in Kedarnath as a Jyotirlingam.
They proceeded for the Himalayas too but miffed Shiva did not want to absolve their sins easily. Therefore,
he disguised himself as a buffalo and
went to Guptakashi. The Pandavas
reached Guptakashi too and spotted
a unique looking buffalo. Bheema,
one of the Pandavas, grabbed its tail
and the buffalo was disintegrated in
different directions.
It is believed that its hump fell in Kedarnath and hence, the Kedarnath Temple was born. The other parts of the buffalo's body fell places such as Tungnath , Rudranath, Kalpeshwar and Madhyamaheshwar. These four places along with Kedarnath came to be known as the holy 'Panch Kedars'. Later, Lord Shiva forgave Pandavas' sins and decided to reside in Kedarnath as a Jyotirlingam.
Best Time to visit
The ideal time or peak season to go for a Char Dham Yatra is from May to October, except monsoons. During the winters, the idols from Kedarnath temple, and Madhyamaheshwar are brought to Ukhimath and worshipped here for six months.
Monthly Weather in Kedarnath
| Month | Avg. Minimum (°C) | Avg. Maximum (°C) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 7 | 15 |
| February | 10 | 19 |
| March | 12 | 22 |
| April | 18 | 28 |
| May | 21 | 29 |
| June | 22 | 29 |
| July | 22 | 27 |
| August | 22 | 27 |
| September | 21 | 26 |
| October | 17 | 25 |
| November | 12 | 21 |
| December | 9 | 19 |
How to reach ?
The nearest airport is Jolly Grant, Dehradun, at a distance of 251 km from Kedarnath. The nearest railheads are Rishikesh (234 km) and Kotdwar (260 km), from where one can find trains to Dehradun. Kedarnath is approachable by road from all important places of the Garhwal hills-Rishikesh, Kotdwar, Dehradun, Haridwar, Badrinath and Gangotri. We would provide you all India tourist permit vehicles for the local transportations and also for the intercity drives too.
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