Kedarnath Temple
Kedarnath Temple is one of the most famous and sacred Hindu temples located on the Garhwal Himalayan ranges in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, India. Kedarnath Temple is a part of ‘Chhota Char Dham Yatra’ in Uttarakhand. The temple is situated at a height of 3,583 meters which is the highest among the 12 Jyotirlingas in the country and is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Kedarnath Temple attracts lakhs of devotees due to its location amidst snow-capped and high mountains with the Mandakini river flowing in front of it. The present Kedarnath temple is built by Adi Shankaracharya and was originally built by the Pandavas thousand years ago from huge stone slabs on a large rectangular mold.
Lord Shiva’s other name is Kedar. which means protector and destroyer. Kedarnath is one of the most sacred temples dedicated to Shiva. It is believed that a visit to this temple opens the doors of salvation for the devotees. If you want other information about Kedarnath temple, then definitely read this article, in which we are giving you complete information about the history, architecture, temple opening and closing times and aarti of Kedarnath temple.
History
The history behind Kedarnath temple is very interesting as it is linked with the mythology of Mahabharata. The Pandavas felt guilty after killing their cousins, the Kauravas, in the battle of Kurukshetra. So they wanted Lord Shiva to free them from their sins, but Shiva was angry with them. To please Shiva, the Pandavas first went to Kashi, where they came to know that Shiva was in the Himalayas. After this the Pandavas also proceeded for the Himalayas but Shiva did not want to free them from their sins easily. Therefore, he disguised himself as a buffalo and went to Guptkashi. After this the Pandavas also reached Guptkashi and saw a unique looking buffalo. One of the Bhima, Pandavas, grabbed the tail of the buffalo, and the buffalo scattered in different directions. After this, the Kedarnath temple was born. It is believed that its hump fell in Kedarnath Along with this, other parts of the body of the buffalo fell at places like Tungnath, Rudranath, Kalpeshwar and Madhyamaheshwar. These four places along with Kedarnath are known as ‘Panch Kedar’. Lord Shiva then forgave the sins of the Pandavas and decided to reside in Kedarnath in the form of Jyotirlinga.
By the way, the history of Kedarnath Temple is very glorious. There are many stories associated with its history. It is said that Nar and Narayan Rishi, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, used to do penance on the Kedar Shringa of the Himalayas. Seeing his true worship, Lord Shankar appeared and accepting his prayer, granted him a boon to always reside here in the Jyotirlinga.
Kedarnath Temple Architecture
Kedarnath temple is an attractive and wonderful specimen of architecture. The workmanship of Kedarnath temple is equally worth seeing. This temple is built on a square platform six feet high. This temple is built in the Aslar style, in which the stones are interlocked with each other without slabs or cement. The mention of the temple area is also found in the Mahabharata. This temple has a sanctum sanctorum. In this sanctum sanctorum, the sharp rock is worshiped in the form of Lord Shiva in the form of Sadashiva. Nandi is seated in the form of a bull vehicle, Outside the courtyard, There are many pools behind the temple, in which Achaman and Tarpan can be done.
Kedarnath Temple Opening Date 2021
Shri Kedarnath Temple will remain closed for winter for about six months and will reopen in the last week of April 2021.
Kedarnath Trek
If you are planning to visit Kedarnath Temple, then let us tell you that after a 16 km long trek from Gaurikund, you can reach Kedarnath. Horses or ponies are available to climb these steep paths. Though Kedarnath trek was devastated by the floods of 2013, work is being done to regain its glory. Let us tell you that the way of trekking to Kedarnath trek is a little different now. The Nehru Institute of Mountaineering has built sheds every few kilometers where devotees can rest during this difficult trek.
Kedarnath Temple Darshan Timings
The gates of Kedarnath temple are opened for the visitors at 6 am. For which long lines start forming from the night itself. Special pujas are performed from three to five in the afternoon, after which the temple is closed. At five o’clock again the temple is opened for darshan. After a while, Lord Shiva’s makeup is done, during which the doors are closed for a while. Then there is aarti from 7:30 to 8:30. Please tell that this idol of Lord Shiva is five-faced.
Kedarnath Temple Pooja And Rituals
If you ever go on Kedarnath Yatra, keep in mind that this temple closes at 8:30 pm. Here the mantras for the aarti are spoken in Kannada language. The series of worship rituals include Mahabhisheka, Rudrabhisheka, Laghu Rudrabhisheka and Shodashopachara Puja, Shiva Sahashramanam Path, Shiva Mahima Strotpath and the tradition of Shiva Tandava Stotra Marg in the evening. In the evening, Mahabhishek Puja is performed between 4 pm to 7 pm. There are different types of worship in Kedarnath temple in the morning and evening, which are performed throughout the day. Devotees have to pay a specific amount to participate in a particular puja. Morning worship starts at 4:00 PM and continues till 7:00 PM.
- Mahabhishek
The cost of attending this puja is Rs 1700 per person - Rudrabhishek
The puja is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is performed to remove all the sins of the devotees. It costs Rs 1300 per person to attend this puja. - Laghurudrabhishek
This abhishek is done to remove the troubles related to health and wealth or to remove the bad effects of planets in the horoscope. The cost of one person in this puja is Rs. 1100. - Shodasopachar Pooja
Each devotee has to pay 1000 rupees to participate in this puja. Apart from these, morning pujas and many other rituals are also performed, in which devotees can attend at nominal rates. - Shiva Sahashramanam Paath
In this worship, all 1008 names of Lord Shiva are recited in front of Lord Shiva and proper worship and abhishek is done. Each person is charged Rs 360 for attending this puja. - Shiva Mahimastotra Lesson
The devotees have to pay Rs 360 per person to participate in this puja. - Shiva Thandavastotra Lesson
These stotras have 16 syllables per stotra, they describe the power and beauty of Lord Shiva. There is a charge of Rs 340 per person for joining. Festivals Celebration In Kedarnath Temple If you want to join the exciting and religious festivals in the temple apart from getting the blessings of Lord Shiva, then we are going to tell you about the festivals celebrated in Kedarnath temple.
- Badri-Kedar Utsav
Badri-Kedar festival in Kedarnath is held in the month of June, this festival is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva and it gives a chance to the prominent artists from all over Uttaranchal to showcase their musical talent together. This festival is celebrated for 8 days. - Shravani Annakoot Mela
Shravani Annakoot Mela is organized a day before Raksha Bandhan. During this festival the entire Jyotirlinga is covered with cooked rice which is then distributed as Prasad to the devotees. Many pujas are performed on this auspicious occasion. - Samadhi Pooja
Samadhi Puja is conducted every year at the samadhi of Sri Adi Shankaracharya. The event takes place on the day when the Kedarnath temple is closed for six months.
Best Time To Visit Kedarnath In Hindi
Kedarnath remains cool for most part of the year, however, months September to October and May to June are the best time to visit Kedarnath. This means that it can be a good decision to avoid the winter season when planning your trip. Winters reach temperatures below zero with heavy rainfall from November to April. Summertime (May-June) Ideal for Kedarnath and other nearby destinations. Monsoon lasts from July to August and brings heavy rainfall, causing landslides and hindrance in travel.
How To Reach Kedarnath Temple
You can go to Kedarnath by train. Rishikesh is the nearest railway station to Kedarnath with a distance of 216 kms. You can take taxi or bus service from Rishikesh to reach Gaurikund. The distance between Sonprayag and Gaurikund is just 5 kms. Here the road ends. After the dangerous accident of floods in 2013, the government has prepared a new trekking route after Rambara. If you go by the new trek, then the distance from Gaurikund to Kedarnath is 16 km.Two more tracks have been prepared to go to Kedarnath, In 2016, The first of which is to reach Kham via Chaumasi, then to Rambada and then to Kedarnath. The total distance of this route is 18 km. On the other hand, the other way is to go from Trijuginarayan to Kedarnath, the distance between which is 15 km.
How To Reach Kedarnath Temple By Road
National Highway 109 connects Rudraprayag and Kedarnath, Gaurikund is well connected by road to all the nearby cities like Rishikesh, Chamoli, Uttarkashi, Dehradun, Haridwar, Pauri, Srinagar, Tehri etc. You can take a bus from Delhi’s ISBT Kashmere Gate to Srinagar and Rishikesh. Taxis and buses can also be hired from major destinations in Uttarakhand.
How To Reach Kedarnath Temple By Train
The nearest railway station from Badrinath is Rishikesh which is 216 km away from Kedarnath. It is connected by several frequent trains to major destinations in India. You can reach Gaurikund from the railway station via taxi or buses.
How To Reach Kedarnath Temple By Flight
The nearest airport to Gaurikund is Jolly Grant Airport, from where you can take a taxi to Gaurikund. To reach Kedarnath trek from Gaurikund, you will have to trek for 16 kilometers in which you can also ride a horse/palki. If you do not want to go trekking then you can use the helicopter services available in Dehradun.
Book Best Kedarnath yatra package with budget and customized tour packages of Kedarnath, Check best budget Kedarnath tour package with customize itinerary with the help of our travel experts as per tour package rates for Kedarnath Trek
Kedarnath yatra package – Kedarnath package from delhi – Kedarnath package from surat – Kedarnath yatra tour package – Kedarnath yatra tour – kedarnath tour packages – kedarnath and badrinath package – kedarnath cheapest package – kedarnath trip package
1tropical
2watchword
1candlestick