It is customary to worship Lord Shiva with waters of Ganga, which pilgrims going from Gangotri as well take some there to Kedarnath. At Yamunotri & Gangotri, the pilgrims cleanse their body & soul and achieve purity in that sense, then pilgrimage to Sri Kedarnath becomes most rewarding.

According to legend, the place came into being during the period when the five Pandava brothers were asked to seek Shiva's blessings, purging them off the sin of killing their cousin brothers. Lord Shiva unwilling to give darshan to the Pandavas fled Kashi to live incognito in Guptkashi, where eventually Pandavas detected him. While fleeing Shiva took refuge at Kedarnath in the form of a lot in and started to plunge underground when the Pandavas spotted him. He dived into the ground, leaving behind his hump on the surface. No wonder the natural rock formation that is worshipped here resembles the hump of a bull. Thus Shiva pleased with the determination of the Pandavas, exonerated them from their sin, gave them darshan & bestowed upon them the opportunity to worship his hump. The other four places where Shiva is worshipped take their appearance from different parts of his body- the navel at Madrnaheshwar, the arms at Tungnath, the face at Rudranath, and the matted hair at Kalpeshwar. The latter four, along with Kedarnath are known as the Panch Kedars.

KEDARNATH

An imposing sight, standing in the middle of a wide plateau surrounded by lofty snow covered peaks. The present temple, built in 8th century AD by Adi Guru Shankaracharya stands adjacent to the site of ancient temple built by Pandavas. It is constructed on a rectangular platform and built of extremely large & evenly cut gray slabs of stone. The exquisitely architectures temple is considered to be more than 1000 years old. The inner walls are embellished with figures of deities & scenes from mythology. Outside the temple door, a large statue of the Nandi Bull stands as guard. The temple has a Garbha Griha (inner sanctum where the idol is actually located) and a Mandap (area apt for assembly of pilgrims & visitors). In the center of Garbha Griha there is a conical rock formation, encircled by a narrow pradakshina path, which is worshipped as Lord Shiva in his Sadashiva form. There are many idols & small temples on the outer pradakshina path. Some of the large gray slabs bear inscriptions either in Pali or Brahmi but could not be deciphered to reveal any historical information. The inscriptions are of great archeological importance as deciphering them can reveal very significant historical importance and answer the question of who exactly constructed the temple.

Puja timings are in the morning & evening. Morning Puja is called Nirvana Darshan, when the Shiva Pinda (conical rock) is worshiped in the natural form. Evening Puja is called Sringar Darshan when the Shiva Pinda is adorned with flowers & ornaments. The divine blessings are also sought by performing important morning Pujas like shubhprabhat, balbhog. Shiv Puja, ashtotar, rudrabhisek, mahabhishek and evening Puja like ekanta seva, Shiv ashtotar, Shiv Mahima, Shiv namavali & sahastanam, etc.

Kedarnath is the seat of Lord Shiva. It is one of the twelve "Jyotirilingas" of Lord Shiva. Lying at an attitude of 3584 m on the head of river Mandakini, the shrine of Kedarnath is amongst the holiest pilgrimage for the Hindus. It is no wonder that Adiguru Shankaracharya – a great scholar & saint chose to enshrine Lord Shiva in this land, where the unholy becomes the holy & holy become holier. It is the place where Lord Shiva absolved Pandavas from the sin of killing their own cousins – Kauravas in the battle of Kurukshetra. The origin of the revered temple can be found in the great epic Mahabharat. At Kedarnath there are several Kunds(pools, tanks) that are known for their religious significance – Shivkund, Retkund, Hanskund, Udakkund, Rudhir Kund are the most important.

A little away from Kedarnath is a temple dedicated to Bhairavnathji who is ceremoniously worshipped at the opening & closing of Kedarnath. The belief is that Bhairavnathji protects this land from evil during the time when temple of Kedarnath is closed.

During the winters, the shrine is submerged in snow. This holiest of Shiva's shrines is likened to gold among base metals so that every pilgrim finds peace here: and it is said that devotees who die here become one with Shiva himself. Beyond the temple is the highway to heaven, called Mahapanth.

The opening date of Sri Kedarnath temple is fixed on the day of the Maha-Shiv Ratri by the priests of Ukhimath temple that normally falls during the last week of April or the first week of May. The temple of Kedarnath opens 3-4 days before that of Sri Badrinath.

Fortunate are those who have good weather, but twice blessed are those who are at Kedarnath on a moonlit night - the snow peak gleams like hundred silver pinnacles atop the glittering mountains. The area of the temple is 3 sq. Km. & height is 3581 mts. above the sea level.

Getting there:
By Road : 223 km. from Rishikesh +14 km trek
By Air : 251 km from Jolly Grant
By Rail : 234 km from Rishikesh

OTHER FOUR KEDAR

RUDRANATH

The face of Shiva is worshipped here. The temple of Rudranath at 2,286 mts entails trekking through ridges at almost twice that height before reaching the meadow where it is located. Devotees come to Rudranath to offer ritual obeisance to their ancestors, for it is here, at Vaitarani river (the water of salvation), that the souls of the dead cross when changing world. The trek passes through wild orchards & picturesque bugyals and involves trekking over high ridges. The temple is surrounded by a number of pools - Surya Kund. Chandra Kund, Tara Kund, Manas Kund etc. - while the great peaks of Nanda Devi, Trishul & Nanda Ghunti rear overhead.

Situated in the thick green wood, one of the Panch Kedars, Shiva is worshipped at Rudranath as Neel Kanth close to the temple, a few old rusted swords were found in the crevices of some rocks, believed to be those belonging to the Pandavas.

Getting there:
By Road : 241 km. from Rishikesh +22 km trek
By Air : 258 km from Jolly Grant
By Rail : 242 km from Rishikesh

KALPESHWAR

It is the site where Shiva's hair appeared. A favourite spot for sages who come here to meditate, following the precedent of Arghya who performed austerities & created the celebrated nymph. Urvashi, here, and the irascible Durvasa who meditated under the wish-fulfilling tree, Kalpavriksha.

Located on the bank of river Kalpeshwar, is the rock temple of Kalpanath- an-other name for Shiva. An-other among the Panch Kedar, the temple of Kalpeshwar offers tourists and piligrims a fascinating view of the nature. 2134 m before the matted, tresses of Shiva enshrined in rock in the sanctum & sanctorum. The sanctum is preceded by a natural cave passage. Surrounded by thick forests and terraced fields in the Urgam valley.

Getting there:
By Road : 243 km. from Rishikesh +12 km trek
By Air : 260 km from Jolly Grant
By Rail : 242 km from Rishikesh

TUNGNATH

The arm of Shiva came out at this place as per Kedarnath myth. The Tungnath temple, at an altitude of 3680 m, is the highest Shiva Shrine among the Panch Kedar, 3 km uphill from Chopta. 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. Tungnath is reached through a path that wends through alpine meadows & 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 pockets of the Himalayas.

The Shiv temples dome spans 16 doors housing an idol of Adi Guru Shankaracharya alongside the lingam. The Nanda Devi temple is also situated at Tungnath. The awe-inspiring Akashlinga waterfall so called because the water looks as though this descending from heaven is nearby. During the month of winter, the priests move to Mukunath, 12 miles away from the Shiva temple of Tungnath.

Getting there:
By Road : 212 km. from Rishikesh +3 km trek
By Air : 232 km from Jolly Grant
By Rail : 215 km from Rishikesh

MADMAHESHWAR

It is said that, after disappearing at Kedarnath, the navel of Lord Shiva reappeared here at Madmaheshwar. Shiva is worshipped here in the form of a navel- shaped lingam. Located at the base of Chaukhamba peak, at an altitude of 3289 m the classic temple architecture belongs to the North-Indian style. So sanctified is the water here that even a few drops are considered sufficient for absolution. The natural scenery is dramatically wild, with deep gorges & valleys, mountain sides flung upwards towards the skies, the forests where the snow lies thick in winter, only to be replaced by a carpet of greenery in the summer. Kedarnath & Neelkanth peaks are visible from here, the entire ring of mountains associated with the life & times of Shiva.

The confluence of Madmaheshwar Ganga & Markanga Ganga at Gaundar just short of the temple, is one of the prettiest spot in the region. The best statue of Har Gauri in India, measuring over a metre high is found in the Kali temple.

Getting there:
By Road : 196 km. from Rishikesh +31 km trek
By Air : 244 km from Jolly Grant
By Rail : 277 km from Rishikesh