Kedarnath is one of the most popular shrines in northern India. Every year, thousands of Lord Shiva devotees visit this temple to seek the blessings of Lord Shiva. Kedarnath temple is situated at a height of 3583 meters above sea level in the lap of the Himalayas, in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand. This temple is an integral part of the famous 12 Jyotirlingas in India, the Chota Char Dham Yatra of Uttarakhand, and the Panch Kedar Circuit. You can book your Kedarnath tour package with Manchala Mushafir for your hassle-free journey to the land of salvation. Kedarnath yatra package costs you 9500 per person from Haridwar to Haridwar including transportation, meals, guide, registration, resort stay, river rafting, and many more.
Silent Features of Kedarnath Temple:
It is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is one of the most famous pilgrimage spots for Hindus in India and abroad.
The Kedarnath temple is believed to have been built around 1200 years ago, in the 8th century, by Adi Shankaracharya.
As per the holy scriptures, it is said that the first time it was built was by Pandavas when they came here in search of Lord Shiva, and it was reconstructed by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century.
Evenly-shaped gray slab stones are used in the construction of the Kedarnath temple.
No mortar was used in the construction of the Kedarnath temple. The rocks of this temple are arranged using interlocking technology.
As Kedarnath temple was built 1200 years ago and is located in a very inaccessible region of the Himalayas, it can be predicted easily that no motors or any modern technology machines are used in its construction.
This is the only Shiva temple in the world where a Shivlinga is found in a prism shape. Otherwise, generally, shillings are found in a cylindrical shape.
Kedarnath temple remains open only for six months in a year. It remains covered by snow for the next six months and is hence inaccessible for general devotees.
As per the archeologists and historians, it is believed to have been covered in snow for 400 years during the mini-ice age period.
The head priest of this temple is not from North India. They belong to the Veershiva Community of Karnataka and are known as Rawals at Kedarnath.
Generally, you have seen head priests performing the poojas at the temple, but at Kedarnath, Rawals don't perform the poojas. But poojas are being performed under his guidance.
What is Jyotirlinga?
As per the holy scriptures, it is believed that once there was a collision between Lord Brahma and Vishnu over their superiority and strength. So they approached Lord Shiva to solve the confusion. To solve this, Lord Shiva pierced the earth into 12 columns of light and asked them to find the ending point of the column. After searching for the ending point, Lord Brahma lied and said that he found it, but Lord Vishnu admitted his defeat. But Lord Shiva cut Lord Brahma's father's head as there was no ending point in the column and cursed him that he would not be worshipped anymore. These columns of lights are known as jyotirlingas. It is believed that anyone with a certain level of attainment can see light coming out of the earth at these jyotirlingas. All 12 Jyotirlingas are located in India. They are
Nageshwar Jyotirlinga, Dwarka, Gujarat
Somnath Jyotirlinga, Gir, Gujarat
Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga, Srisilam, Andra Pradesh
Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlingas, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh
Omkareshwar Jyotirlingas, Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh
Baidyanat Jyotirlingas, Deoghar, Jharkhand
Bhimashankar Jyotirlingas, Pune, Maharashtra
Girineshwar Jyotirlingas, Aurangabad, Maharashtra
Triyambakeshwar Jyotirlingas, Nasik
Ramanathaswamy Jyotirlinga, Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu
Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
Kedarnath Jyotirlinga, Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand
What is the Chota Cham Dham Yatra?
Chota Char Dham Yatra is a trip or pilgrimage covering four temples in one go. Temples in this circuit are Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath. The yatra of Char Dham is done in the same order and is believed to be done by Pandavas for the first time before going to heaven. Those who complete the Char Dham Yatra can get rid of their sin and attain salvation.
What are Panch Kedar?
Panch Kedar is a group of five temples that are believed to have been formed when the body parts of Lord Shiva in the form of a bull get divided into five parts and appear at five different places. It is believed that Pandavas had constructed temples at all these places and requested that Lord Shiva stay here in the form of Lingas to help the people of Kalyuga get rid of their sins and attain salvation. Temples in this circuit are Kedarnath, Rudranath, Tungnath, Madhyamaheshwar, and Kalpeshwar.
How to reach Kedarnath from Rishikesh, Haridwar, or Dehradun:
The only way to reach Kedarnath is by road. No other means are available. The nearest airport to Kedarnath Temple is Jolly Grant Airport, and the nearest railway station is Rishikesh Railway Station. Haridwar, Rishikesh, and Dehradun are twin cities located very close to each other. Haridwar is the central point of the Kedarnath yatra. From Haridwar, you have four main options that you can select. The first one is to travel by vehicle. This is going to be very economical and comfortable, but the problem with this is that Kedarnath temple is located in the lap of the Himalayas, and you need to drive for 250 km to reach Sonprayag, the base camp of Kedarnath temple. If you have no experience driving in hilly areas, then it's not recommended. The next option is to book your vehicle from Haridwar, and he will stay with you till the completion of the trip. This mode of transport is very convenient but the most costly one. The next option is to take a shared cab from Haridwar railway station or bus stand. This option is both economical and comfortable. The last option is to take public transport or a government bus from the Haridwar bus stand. This mode of transport is not at all comfortable, as you need to travel in a hilly area, and they are not punctual. But this option is best suited for all those who are planning an economical trip to Kedarnath temple.
Accommodation:-
Sonprayag and Gaurikund are known as the base camps of the Kedarnath Yatra. These are located around 250 km from Rishikesh, so no one can complete the journey in one day. So on the first day, you have to stay at Sonprayag or other cities around Sonprayag like Gaurikund, Guptkashi, and Rampur. You will find hotels, camps, and dormitories in all these cities.
One stay is required at Kedarnath, where you will have huge options of camps, dormitories, and hotels around or away from Kedarnath temple.
