Interesting facts about Kedarnath Temple

 Kedarnath temple is one of the most famous pilgrimage spots in India. It is equally popular among people of all age groups. In addition to pilgrimage spot, Kedarnath temple is also gaining popularity as an adventure destination. Its beautiful location and breathtaking view make it a dream destination for many youngsters in India and abroad. Every year millions of pilgrims visit the Kedarnath temple to seek the blessing of lord shiva and it is a strong belief among devotees that lord shiva is still prevalent in this location and keeps proving his presence in this location from time to time. There are many incidents which had even amazed scientists in India and abroad but are unable to prove it by science. These incidents are nothing but a miracle and prove the presence of lord shiva again and again.

Here is a list of some of the interesting facts about Kedarnath Temple which will give you a goosebump.

Who built the Kedarnath temple?

The most interesting and controversial topic of Kedarnath is its origin. Who built the Kedarnath Temple? There are many interesting stories about the origin of this temple. Some of them are as follows.

1) As per the holy scriptures and many other ancient documents it is believed that Pandavas was the first who completed the char dham yatra of Uttarakhand before leaving for heaven. After the war of Mahabharata, lord Krishna asked them to meet lord Shiva and seek his blessing to get relief from their sin of killing their blood relatives in the war. But lord shiva was very angry with them and he decided not to meet them so he moved from Kashi to a place now in Uttarakhand which is most famous as Guptkashi. When Pandavas got to know about his location Pandavas reached Guptkashi also. Knowing that lord shiva again changed his location and went to a small village known as Kedar. But Pandavas were also determined so they again reached to Kedar village but lord shiva disguised them by attaining the form of a bull. But Bhima identified him and moved toward him but lord shiva started moving inside the earth. Bhima hold him by his hump and worshipped lord shiva. Lord Shiva was pleased by their gesture of respect and worship and decided to relieve them of their sin. So hump of lord shiva remain in Kedar village and lord shiva promised them to stay there till eternity to relieve people from sin and help them attain salvation. Five body parts of lord shiva in the form of a bull appeared at five different spots. Pandavas had built temples at all these five spots. The group of these five temples is collectively known as Panch Kedar.

2)  It is believed that the Kedarnath temple was reconstructed by Adi Shankaracharya during his visit to Kedarnath in 8 8th century. As per holy scriptures, it is also believed that he was the main person behind the construction of Badrinath temple. As per the historians, the Kedarnath temple was reconstructed by Raja Bhoj of Malwa, who had a deep belief in lord Shiva. Kedarnath was a favorite destination for pilgrims till the 12th century.

The Chief Priest Of Kedarnath is from Karnataka

Yes, you heard right. Chief priest of Kedarnath which is also known as Raval is not from Uttarakhand, not even from north India. It's a tradition that the Raval of Kedarnath Temple will only be from the Veerashiva Community of Karnataka. The second amazing fact is that the chief priest never performs pooja at Kedarnath temple. Poojas were performed by his assistants under his guidance.

Kedarnath temple architecture

More than the origin of Kedarnath temple, its architecture will aww you. Here are a few points that will make it clear

a) The stone used in Kedarnath temple is found nowhere around this temple. These stones are solid and have an amazing quality to maintain a moderate climate inside the temple even though the temperature outside is very adverse. It is unbelievable, how can these stones be brought to this location, and also in that period in which modern machines were not available.

b) Kedarnath temple was built by interlocking technology, which means no mortar or soil is used to join these stones. These stones are placed in such a manner that they interlock each other. It's really tough to believe that these highly complicated technologies were there and were used thousands of years ago. In fact, this technology is so perfect that helped the temple to sustain the worst-ever flood of 2013. 

Kedarnath Temple miracles

You must be aware of the 2013 flood that hit the Kedarnath area, it was the worst flood in Uttarakhand in which thousands of people lost their lives and properties of millions of dollar was washed away in just one day. In that flood, the Kedarnath temple appeared as a miracle as it was standing tall and wide, while other buildings around this temple built by modern technologies, were collapsing like a house of cards. One big rock exactly the size of Kedarnath temple came rolling and stopped a few meters before the temple. It is believed that Bhim had promised lord shiva that he would always protect this temple, so this temple is named after him as Bhim Shila. This is a recent incident and many people have witnessed this incident so most of us are aware of this but as per scientists this temple had braved an even worse hit without any effect on its structure.

Kedarnath Temple was under the snow for 400 years

As per some of the renowned geologists, it is believed that Kedarnath temple was under the snow for almost 400 years during the Little Ice Age, which was between 1300 to 1900 AD. It was under heavy glaciers, and glaciers are continuously moving and have the capacity to grind even large mountains on their way. But surprisingly Kedarnath temple came out of it unhurt. Scratches done due to the movement of glaciers can be felt on the walls of Kedarnath temple.

Miracles at Kedarnath Temple:-

It is widely believed that the Kedarnath temple is a place of miracles and the lord shive keeps giving proof of his presence in this location. The 2013 flood and survival of the Kedarnath temple are some of the biggest miracles that can't be justified in any form.  In addition to this, there are some more miracles that can be felt in this region. A few of them are as follows.

1) Kedarnath temple remains open just for 6 months a year due to heavy snowfall in this region. So Kedarnath yatra remains open mainly during the period of May to September for devotees. Every year temple is closed on Bhai Duj after Diwali. The chief priest lit a lamp of ghee in front of lord shiva after properly cleaning the temple and doors were closed and no one was allowed to enter the temple. This temple reopens after six months on Akshay Tritiya. But the temple remains exactly the same as it was during the closing of the temple. No dust no dirt, and a lamp lighting the room exactly as it was during the closing ceremony. How a small lamp can burn for six months. This is beyond science and as per holy scriptures and some Dharm gurus it is said that lord shiva is the guru of all gods. So after the closing of the temple gods visit Kedarnath to worship lord Shiva.

2) Here is one small pond near the Kedarnath temple. It is popular because if you chant "OM" near this temple, bubbles will come out of the pond. This is also amazing and beyond science's capacity to justify it with a proper theory.

Conclusion:-

Kedarnath temple is one place where lord shiva proved his presence again and again and is still a mystery place for scientists around the world. There are many more interesting facts and famous stories around the Kedarnath temple which you will get to know during your trip to Kedarnath temple. In addition to the pilgrimage and divine power of lord Shiva, this place is very beautiful and picturesque making it a perfect destination for travelers of all age groups. If you are planning to visit Kedarnath you can travel on your own or if you don't want to take pain for it then you can book your Kedarnath yatra package with any reputed company. In general Kedarnath yatra package costs around INR 8500 to 10,000 depending upon duration of tour, quality of services, facilities included in package etc. Please ensure checking the credibility of a company you are booking with. In Kedarnath many unauthentic and unprofessional groups are also active. I hope to meet you guys at Kedarnath with happy and charming mood. "Har Har Mahadev"