¤ The Holy
Pilgrimage Centre of Hindus
Altitude
:
3,581m
Temperature :
Max: 17.9°C, Min: 5.6<°C
Distance :
77km from Rudraprayag
42km from Badrinath, 228km from
Rishikesh
Situated on the banks of the
Mandakini River, Kedarnath is
one of the four main Hindu
pilgrim centres in Uttarakhand
(Himalayan Uttara Pradesh).
Though mainly famous as a
religious centre, this place,
surrounded by mountain ranges,
also attracts tourists because
of its beautiful landscape.
¤ Main
Attractioins
The most famous monument of
Kedarnath is the Kedarnath
Temple. It is dedicated to
Shiva(Destroyer in the Hindu
Holy Trinity of
Creator-Preserver-Destroyer) who
is worshipped mainly in the form
of a linga(symbolic phallus of
Shiva). The jyotirlinga(the
phallus of light) in this temple
is one of the twelve
jyotirlingasthroughout India,
which makes Kedarnath one of the
most sacred Hindu cities. The
difference between a
jyotirlingaand an ordinary
lingais that while the former
derives power from within
itself, the latter is invested
with mantra-shakti(power of a
verse or phrase that has magical
efficiency) by priests. Legend
has it that the Temple was built
by the Pandavas(the heroes of
the epic, Mahabharata) to redeem
themselves for the sins they had
committed during the Bharata War
(for more detail about the
Bharata War see Ancient
Scriptures). Going by this
reckoning, the temple must be
very ancient, probably dating
back to the pre-Christian era.
But evidence shows that it was
built in the 8th century a.d. As
a matter of fact, in the 8th
centurya.d., the temple was
reconstructed and renovated by
Shankaracharaya (for more detail
see History of Kerala) who also
established a matha(Hindu
monastic establishment) at
Badrinath.
As the temple is located on the
snowy heights of the Himalayas,
the entrance into the temple is
restricted throughout winter.
Therefore, it is open six months
a year, from May to October.
¤
Around Kedarnath
Vasuki Tal
Situated at an altitude of 4135m
and surrounded by the Chaukhamba
Mountain Ranges, Vasuki Tal is a
lovely lake. You can get an
excellent view of the Chaukhamba
Peak (7,138m) from here.
Ukhimath
62km from Kedarnath
Well connected by road with
Rudraprayag, Ukhimath is a
peaceful place. The deities of
the Kedarnath Temple are
installed at this matha (Hindu
monastic establishment) when the
Kedarnath Temple closes during
winter.
Devaria
Tal
68km from Kedarnath
Located at a height of 2,430m,
it is a very beautiful lake.You
can get an excellent view of the
Chaukhamba Peak from here.
