Kedarnath Temple
Lord Kedarnath (Shiva)
Kedarnath, Rudraprayag district, Uttarakhand
Himalayan Jyotirlinga at about 3,583 m near the source of the Mandakini, open only about six months a year.
History
Legend says the Pandavas sought Shiva here to atone for the Kurukshetra war; Shiva hid as a bull and dived into the ground, leaving his hump here, which is worshipped as the linga. Other parts appeared at the Panch Kedar shrines. The present stone temple is believed to have been revived by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century, whose samadhi is behind the temple. The temple survived the 2013 flash floods when a large rock (now worshipped as Bheem Shila) diverted the water.
Architecture
Massive grey stone slabs on a rectangular platform, Himalayan Nagara style; Nandi faces the sanctum.
Festivals
- Opening and closing ceremonies
- Shravan month
Videos
Photos
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Plan your visit
Weather at the temple
Directions to Kedarnath Temple
How to reach
- By air
- Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun, about 240 km
- By train
- Rishikesh, about 215 km
- By road
- Road to Gaurikund, then 16 km trek; ponies, palkis and helicopter services from Phata/Guptkashi.
Near the temple
Rooms, food, bus stands, railway stations, ATMs, hospitals, parkingPlaces come from OpenStreetMap and may be incomplete. Each list has a Google Maps link for more.