The Celestial
Jyotirlingam
Amidst the
dramatic
mountainscapes
of the
majestic
Kedarnath
range stands
one of the
twelve 'Jyotirlingas'
of Kedar or
Lord Shiva.
Lying at an
altitude of
3584 mts. on
the head of
river
Mandakini, the
shrine of
Kedarnath is
amongst the
holiest
pilgrimages
for the
Hindus.
Kedarnath is a
majestic
sight,
standing in
the middle of
a wide plateau
surrounded by
lofty snow
covered peaks.
The present
temple, built
in the 8th
century by Adi
Shankaracharya,
stands
adjacent to
the site of an
earlier temple
built by the
Pandavas. The
inner walls of
the assembly
hall are
decorated with
figures of
various
deities and
scenes from
mythology.
Outside the
temple door a
large statue
of the Nandi
Bull stands as
guard.
Dedicated to
Lord Shiva,
the
exquisitely
architectured
Kedarnath
temple is said
to be more
than a 1000
years old.
Built of
extremely
large, heavy
and evenly cut
gray slabs of
stones, it
evokes wonder
as to how
these heavy
slabs were
handled in the
earlier days.
The temple has
a " Garbha
Griha" for
worship and a
Mandap apt for
assemblies of
pilgrims and
visitors. A
conical rock
formation
inside the
temple is
worshipped as
Lord Shiva in
his Sadashiva
form.
Location
Kedarnath is
situated in
the Uttar
Kashi district
of the
northern state
of
Uttaranchal.
Very close to
the
Indo-Chinese
border, it is
the source of
the Mandakini
River. It is
couched in the
scenic locales
of the Garhwal
Himalayas at
3583 meters
above sea
level. It is
very cold in
the winters
with the
ground being
covered with
snow. In the
summers, the
mercury barely
crosses the
20°C mark. The
place
experiences
about 150 cm
of rainfall
during the
monsoons and
so the best
time to visit
is between May
and October.
Kedarnath is
near to
Rishikesh (234
km) and
Dehradun (250
km).
History
According to
legend, Lord
Shiva wished
to elude the
Pandavas, who
had come to
seek penitence
for having
killed their
kin in the
battle of
Kurukshetra.
He took refuge
in Kedarnath
in the form of
a bull. Bhima,
one of the
Pandava
brothers,
found Shiva
amongst a herd
of cattle.
Having
identified the
meanest and
most arrogant
of the herd as
Shiva, Bhima
is said to
have grabbed
him by the
hindquarters.
What remains
at the shrine
in Kedarnath
is the rear
end of the
bull, with the
rest of its
body scattered
throughout the
Garhwal. Shiva
dived into the
ground leaving
behind him a
hump on the
surface. This
conical
protrusion is
worshipped as
the idol. It
is the main
site of the
Panch Kedar
temples.
There are Four
Other Kedars
-
Madhyamaheshwar
-
Tunganath
-
Kalpeshwar
-
Rudranath
Three of these
(barring
Kalpeshwar)
are in
mountain
meadows at
higher
altitudes than
Kedarnath. The
climb to
Rudranath is
the most
strenuous
though worth
the trouble,
as this meadow
is one of the
finest in
Garhwal.
Mythological
Myth
Legend has it
that when the
Pandavas
sought penance
following the
great war of
the
Mahabharata
they came in
search of Lord
Shiva.
Arriving at
this site they
found that
Shiva had
elusively
taken the form
of a bull.
Bhim the
strongest of
the Pandavas
went after
Shiva who
dived deep
into the
ground. Only
Shiva's tail
was left in
Bhim's hand.
This spot is
known as the
Kedarnath and
is also
considered the
main Kedar.
The rest of
Shiva's body
emerged at
four other
places in
Garhwal -
Tunganath,
Madhyamaheshwar,
Kalpeshwar and
Rudranath.
These five
Kedars are
worshipped as
Panch Kedars