The holy Hindu town of Kedarnath is located in the land of Uttarakhand India. Kedarnath is one of the famous Char Dhams situated just below the mighty Himalayan range at an altitude of 3584 mts above the sea level near head of the Mandakini River. The town is also one of the most popular pilgrims for all of the Hindus among the world.
The temple of Kedarnath lies amidst the majestic Himalayan ranges and snow-capped Peaks and is also visited by a large population of tourists annually. Due to extreme weather conditions, the authorities in Kedarnath prompt the temple for remaining open from April end to the starting of November month. The town is also among the famous twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva or Kedar. Travellers can find up to 200 shrines devoted to the Lord Shiva in the valley of Kedarnath alone. According to myths Adi Shankaracharya built the temple and it is said the temple is existing since the time of Mahabharata. According to the legend it is known that the Pandavas also performed a strong penance for pleasing Lord Shiva in the town of Kedarnath. After winning the war Mahabharata, the Pandavas were guilty and also wished to be blessed by Lord Shiva for reclamation who eluded them.
According to legend it is known that Lord Shiva also took refuge in the town of Kedarnath in the form of bull and also dived in the ground while leaving hump at the top of surface. The remaining other four parts were left at Rudranath, Tugnath, Kalpeshwar and Madhmaheshwar. Ancient scriptures and idols of different deities can be seen sculpted inside the temple premises. All these scenes depict different mythological tales.
How to Reach
By Road: Gaurikund has well accessibility with roads to major towns of the state from where a simple trek of 14 km begins to the pilgrimage town of Kedarnath. Travellers can get to Srinagar and Rishikesh by buses from ISBT Kashmiri Gate.
By Train: Gaurikund has well accessibility with roads to major towns of the state from where a simple trek of 14 km begins to the pilgrimage town of Kedarnath. Travellers can get to Srinagar and Rishikesh by buses from ISBT Kashmiri Gate.
By Air: The closest Airport from the holy site of Kedarnath is the Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun which is located 238kms away. The airport has daily flights to major Indian cities like Delhi and Mumbai.
