Have you ever been to a place where unblinking celestials dwell, where air feeds on the calmness since the time immortal? Kedarnath Temple, the sacred Dham of Lord Shiva is one of the most integral parts of Uttarakhand Char Dham Yatra.
Standing magnificently at an altitude of 3,580mts and enveloped in the mighty Garhwal Himalayas. The Kedarnath Temple is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. However, Kedarnath forms one of the four sites of the Chota Char Dham Pilgrimage.
Dedicated to Lord Shiva, Kedarnath Temple is among the 275 temples of Paadal Petra Sthalams (the most powerful Shiva temples in the world).
Legend of Temple
The legend behind Kedarnath It is said that the Pandavas sought Lord Shiva to relieve themselves from the guilt of killing their blood relatives. However, Shiva didn’t want to release them from their sins. So he disguised himself as a bull to roam the Garhwal Himalayas. On being found by the Pandavas, Shiva dove underground. Bhim could only manage to get hold of his hump.
Other body parts of Shiva in the form of a bull showed up at different places. The hump of the bull was found in Kedarnath, and the navel emerged in Madhya-Maheshwar. Two forelegs appeared in Tunganath, the face in Rudranath, and the hair in Kalpeshwar. However, these are collectively called the Panch Kedar – the five sacred places.
Legend has it that the original Pandavas built the temple of Kedarnath and the present temple was established by Adi Shankaracharya. Who restored the glory of the shrine in the 8th century A.D. As per Hindu beliefs, a pilgrimage to Kedarnath can help one attain moksha.
Unbelievable Facts About Kedarnath
- The Kedarnath temple is protected by Lord Shiva. In 2013 intense rains of monsoon caused floods and landslides, resulting in the destruction of the entire surroundings of Kedarnath. Many locals and devotees died that year due to the devastation of nature. But the temple of Kedarnath remained intact as if some divine power was protecting it from destruction.
People who witnessed this said that a massive boulder was blocking the rear portion of the mandir. Because of which the water and debris changed their course and the Kedarnath Mandir was saved.
2. Scientists and researchers have found proof that Kedarnath Dham temple was covered entirely in snow for almost 400 years and most people do not know this fact. As per the research conducted by the Wadia institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun, the temple shows signs of having survived being completely engulfed in glacial snow without any harm being caused to the temple structure whatsoever.
3. Kedarnath Dham remains closed off for Darshan for 6 months during winter. When the entire region gets engulfed in snow and experiences extremely freezing temperatures, shutting down Yatra and the expedition of the region. During this time the presiding deity of the Dham is shifted to its winter abode in Ukhimath. Where the pilgrims visit to offer their prayers. During this time the Kedarnath temple remains lighted up from the inside with the help of an eternal flame or Akhand Jyoti. Which miraculously does not extinguish. From the time the temple gates are closed for Darshan to the time of opening of the temple gates. This flame is considered to be extremely holy and pious. Since it does not extinguish throughout the 6 months of the temple being closed.
Best time to visit the Kedarnath Temple
April to September is the best time to visit Kedarnath. However, it is better to check for the weather conditions before planning the trip. You can reach here via road, train or plane.
