Kedarnath Jyotirlinga, also known as the Kēdāranātha Temple, is a sacred Hindu temple and one of the twelve revered Jyotirlingas of Lord Śiva. The temple is located on the Garhwal Himalayan range near the Mandākinī river, in the state of Uttarakhand, India. Kedarnath Jyotirlinga is the highest among the 12 Jyotirlingas, making it a spiritually significant destination for devotees.
Due to extreme weather conditions, the temple remains open to the general public only between the months of April (Akṣaya Tritiya) and November (Kārtika Pūrṇimā, the autumn full moon). During the winters, the vigraha (deity) of the temple is ceremoniously carried down to Ukhimath, where Kedarnath Jyotirlinga continues to be worshiped for the next six months.
Kedarnath Jyotirlinga is also one of the four major sites in India’s Chota Char Dham pilgrimage of the Northern Himalayas and the first of the Pañca Kēdāra pilgrimage sites. This guide delves into the rich history, profound legends, unique features, and the remarkable resilience of this sacred abode, offering a comprehensive insight into one of Hinduism’s most revered pilgrimage destinations.
Kedarnath: Location, Deity, and Access
- Location Details: Kedarnath is a town and Nagar Panchayat in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, India, known primarily for the Kedarnath Temple. It is located in the Garhwal Himalayas, about 3,583 m (11,755 ft) above sea level near the Chorabari Glacier, which is the source of the Mandakini River. The historical name of this region is “Kedar Khand”. The temple is located at the head of the Mandakini and mythical Saraswati River.
- Deity and Name Meaning: The name “Kedarnath” means “the lord of the field,” derived from the Sanskrit words kedara (“field”) and natha (“lord”). The text Kashi Kedara Mahatmya states that it is so called because “the crop of liberation” grows here. Kēdāranātha is seen as a homogeneous form of Śiva, the ‘Lord of Kēdārakhaṇḍa’, the historical name of the region.
- Operating Months and Winter Relocation: Due to severe winters, the temple is open to the public only between April (Akṣaya Tritiya) and November (Kārtika Pūrṇimā). It closes on the first day of Kartik (October-November) and opens in Vaisakh (April-May) every year. During the winters, the murtis (idols) from Kedarnath temple are brought to the Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath, where they are worshiped for six months. During this time, Lord Bhairavnath protects the Kedarnath shrine.
- Accessibility: Trek from Gaurikund: The temple is not directly accessible by road and has to be reached by a 17 kilometres (11 mi) uphill trek from Gaurikuṇḍa. The traditional trekking route starts from Gaurikund and is about 16 km long. After the 2013 floods, a new route was created, which made the trek longer, extending it to 16 kilometers. The trek generally takes between 6 to 8 hours, depending on individual pace and weather conditions.
- Status as Highest Jyotirlinga: Kedarnath Temple is the highest among the 12 Jyotirlingas, situated at an altitude of 3,583 meters (11,755 feet) above sea level.
Legends of Origin: The Pandavas and Panch Kedar
Many folk legends directly link the creation of the Panch Kedar temples to the Pandavas, the heroes of the Indian epic Mahabharata.
- Pandavas’ Penance: Atoning for Kurukshetra War Sins: After winning the Mahabharata war against the Kauravas, the Pandavas felt guilty of having killed their own kin and sought blessings of Lord Shiva for redemption. On the advice of Krishna or Sage Vyas, they handed over the reins of their kingdom to their kin and left in search of Shiva to seek his blessings.
- Shiva’s Disguise as a Bull (Nandi): Lord Shiva wanted to avoid them and assumed the form of a bull (Nandi) near Guptakashi (“hidden Kashi”), attempting to hide from the Pandavas.
- Bhima’s Encounter and Shiva’s Reappearance in Five Parts: Bhima, the second of the five Pandava brothers, recognized the bull as Shiva. Bhima caught hold of the bull by its tail and hind legs, or by its kolu (hump) to stop it from disappearing. During the scuffle, the bull-formed Shiva disappeared into the ground. He later reappeared in parts at five different locations.
- Panch Kedar Temples: These five places are collectively known as Panch Kedar.
- The hump of the bull appeared at Kedarnath, which is housed in a conical shaped Shiva lingam and is worshipped as Lord Shiva manifested in his Sadashiva form.
- The arms appeared at Tungnath, which is the highest Shiva temple in the world.
- The face showed up at Rudranath.
- The nabhi (navel) and stomach surfaced in Madhyamaheshwar.
- The hair appeared in Kalpeshwar, the only temple of the Panch Kedar that remains open throughout the year.
- Pandavas’ Attainment of Heaven: After building the Panch Kedar Temples, the Pandavas meditated at Kedarnath for salvation, performed yagna (fire sacrifice), and then through the heavenly path called the Mahapanth (also called Swargarohini), attained heaven or salvation. The mountain top where the Pandavas went to Swarga is known as “Swargarohini,” which is located off Badrinath.
- Architectural Similarity of Panch Kedar Temples: The Panch Kedar Temples are constructed in the North-Indian Himalayan Temple architecture, with the Kedarnath, Tungnath, and Madhyamaheshwar temples looking similar.
Historical and Scriptural References
The history of Kedarnath Temple is ancient and intertwined with various texts and philosophical traditions.
- Earliest Written Reference: One of the earliest references to Kedarnath occurs in the Skanda Purana (c. 7th-8th century), which contains a story describing the origin of the Ganges river. The text names Kedara (Kedarnath) as the place where Shiva released the holy water from his matted hair.
- Adi Shankara’s Connection: The 8th-century philosopher Adi Shankara is believed to have revived this temple, along with Badrinath and other temples of Uttarakhand. He is believed to have attained Mahasamadhi at Kedarnath, and the ruins of a monument marking his purported death place are located there. The present structure of Kedarnath temple is a restructured version, built in the 8th century by Adi Shankaracharya. Some also claim that it was built by Raja Bhoj of Malwa region in the 2nd Century.
- Mentions in 12th Century: Kedarnath was a prominent pilgrimage centre by the 12th century, when it is mentioned in Kritya-kalpataru written by the Gahadavala minister Bhatta Lakshmidhara.
- Tēvaram Texts: Kedarnath is one of the 275 paadal petra sthalams expounded in the Tēvaram. This temple is sung of by Tirugnāṇasambandar, Appar, Sundarar, and Sekkizhar in their Tēvaram texts.
The Devastating 2013 Flash Floods and the Temple’s Resilience
- Dates and Impact: The Kedarnath valley, along with other parts of the state of Uttarakhand, was hit with unprecedented flash floods on 16 and 17 June 2013. The temple complex, surrounding areas, and Kedarnath town suffered extensive damage. On 16 June, at about 7:30 p.m. a landslide and mudslides occurred near Kedarnath Temple with loud peals of thunder. On 17 June 2013 at about 6:40 a.m. waters again started cascading at a huge speed from river Swaraswati and Chorabari Tal (or Gandhi Tal), bringing along with its flow huge amount of silt, rocks, and boulders. The floods resulted in the death of hundreds of pilgrims and locals, with more than 6,000 people dead across the region.
- The “God’s Rock” (Bhim Shila): Protection from Floods: A huge rock got stuck behind Kedarnath Temple and protected it from the ravages of the flood. This massive rock, known as Bhim Shila (God’s Rock), is believed to have miraculously shielded the Kedarnath Temple during the devastating 2013 floods.
- Eyewitness Accounts of the Rock’s Role: Eyewitnesses observed that one large rock got carried to the rear side of Kedarnath Temple, thus causing obstruction to the debris, diverting the flow of the river and debris to the sides of the temple, avoiding damage. While everything around was swept away, the temple remained standing, almost untouched by the disaster.
- Scientific Examination: IIT Madras Experts’ Findings: Experts, who were asked by the Archaeological Survey of India to examine the condition of the foundation in the wake of the floods, concluded that there was no danger to the temple. IIT Madras experts visited the temple thrice and used non-destructive testing instruments to assess the health of the structure, foundation, and walls, submitting an interim report that the temple is stable.
- Redevelopment Efforts: The Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) was given the responsibility of rebuilding Kedarnath. Under the leadership of veteran mountaineer, Colonel Ajay Kothiyal, NIM rigorously worked for a year and made the pilgrimage yatra possible from the next year.
- Closure and Reopening: The Uttarakhand Chief Minister announced that the Kedarnath shrine would remain closed for a year for clearing the debris.
Unique Features and Temple Structure
The architecture of Kedarnath Temple is a marvel of ancient Indian engineering, built to withstand the harsh Himalayan climate.
- Triangular Lingam: The presiding image of Kedarnath in the form of lingam is more triangular in shape, with a pedestal 3.6 m (12 ft) in circumference and 3.6 m (12 ft) in height. This unique pyramid-shaped Shivling is different from all others in the world. It is believed to represent the hump of Shiva, as per the legend of the Pandavas.
- Human Head Carving: An unusual feature of the temple is the head of a man carved in the triangular stone lingam. Such a head is seen carved in another temple nearby constructed on the site where the marriage of Shiva and Parvati was held.
- Main Hall Statues: The first hall inside Kedarnath Temple contains statues of the five Pandava brothers, Krishna, Nandi (the vehicle of Shiva), and Virabhadra, one of the guards of Shiva. Statues of Draupadi and other deities are also installed in the main hall. Outside the temple door, a large statue of Nandi bull stands as guard.
- Four Surrounding Panch Kedar Temples: There are four temples around Kedarnath itself, namely- Tungnath, Rudranath, Madhyamaheshwar, and Kalpeshwar, which form the Panch Kedar pilgrimage sites.
- Ghee Massage Ritual on Lingam: In memory of Bhima’s remorse after striking Shiva (in bull form), this triangular Shiva lingam is even today massaged with ghee.
Priesthood and Administration
The administration and priesthood of Kedarnath Temple follow a long-standing tradition.
- Head Priest (Raval) from Veerashaiva Community: The head priest (Raval) of the Kedarnath temple belongs to the Veerashaiva community from Karnataka. The temple’s main priest, known as Raval, always belongs to the Veerashaiva society from Karnataka.
- Raval’s Role: Unlike in Badrinath temple, the Raval of Kedarnath temple does not perform the pujas himself; the pujas are carried out by Raval’s assistants on his instructions. The Raval moves with the deity to Ukhimath during the winter season.
- Rotation of Head Priests: There are five main priests for the temple, and they become head priests for one year by rotation. The present (2013) Raval of Kedarnath temple is Shri Vageesha Lingacharya from Davanagere district, Karnataka.
- Kedarnath Teerth Purohits: Kedarnath Teerth Purohits are the ancient Brahmins of this region. Their ancestors (Rishi-Muni) have been worshipping the lingam since the time of Nara-Narayana and Daksh Prajapati. King Janmejay, grandson of the Pandavas, gave them the right of worshipping this temple and donated the whole Kedar region. They have been worshipping pilgrims ever since. Since the time of Guru Shankaracharya Ji, the Rawals (priests of the Jangam community from South India) and the local Jamloki Brahmins (Narayan’s priest) of Kedar valley worship the Shiv Linga in the temple, while the puja on behalf of the pilgrims is done by these Tirtha Purohit Brahmins.
- Historical Tradition of Combined Kedarnath-Badrinath Priest: According to a tradition recorded by the English mountaineer Eric Shipton (1926), “many hundreds of years ago” one priest used to hold services at both the Kedarnath and Badrinath temples, travelling between the two places daily.
- Governing Body: The temple was included in the Uttar Pradesh State Government Act No. 30/1948 as Act no. 16, 1939, which came to be known as Shri Badarinath and Shri Kedarnath Mandir Act. The committee nominated by the state government administers both temples. The act was modified in 2002 by the Uttarakhand State Government, which provisioned adding additional committee members including government officials and a vice-chairman. There are a total of seventeen members in the board; three selected by the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly, one member each selected by the District Councils of Chamoli, Pauri Garhwal, Tehri Garhwal and Uttarkashi districts, and ten members nominated by the Government of Uttarakhand.
Planning Your Pilgrimage to Kedarnath
- Road Access: The journey to Kedarnath typically begins from Haridwar or Rishikesh, which are accessible by road and rail. From there, travelers proceed by road for about 220 kilometers to Gaurikund, the last motorable point.
- Trek from Gaurikund: The remaining 16 kilometers to the Kedarnath Temple must be completed either on foot, by pony, palki (palanquin), or via helicopter. The on-foot trek to the temple generally takes between 6 to 8 hours, depending on individual pace and weather conditions. The trek starts from Gaurikund at 4:00 a.m. and pilgrims are not permitted to trek after 1:30 p.m. as it is located within the Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary.
- Air/Helicopter Services: Helicopter services are available from locations such as Phata and Sersi, with flight durations averaging 8 to 10 minutes. From Phata (18 km from Gaurikund), it takes just 5 to 7 minutes to reach Kedarnath.
- Proposed Kedarnath Ropeway: Adani Group is set to build a 12.9-km ropeway between Sonprayag and Kedarnath at a cost of ₹4,081 crore. This Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project, under the National Ropeways Development Programme – Parvatmala Pariyojana, will drastically reduce the journey time for pilgrims from 8–9 hours to just 36 minutes. The ropeway will have the capacity to transport 1,800 passengers per hour per direction, serving around 20 lakh pilgrims annually. The project is slated for completion in six years, after which AEL (Adani Enterprises Ltd) will operate it for 29 years. The contract for construction was awarded to Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL) in September 2025.
Kedarnath Jyotirlinga, nestled amidst the majestic Garhwal Himalayas, stands as an enduring symbol of spiritual power, unwavering faith, and remarkable resilience. As the highest of the twelve Jyotirlingas and a pivotal site in both the Chota Char Dham and Panch Kedar pilgrimages, Kedarnath Jyotirlinga draws countless devotees seeking Lord Shiva’s blessings.
Its ancient legends — from the Pandavas’ quest for atonement to Adi Shankara’s revival efforts — weave a rich tapestry of devotion and history. The temple’s miraculous survival during the 2013 floods, safeguarded by the divine ‘Bhim Shila’, further underscores the sacred status of Kedarnath Jyotirlinga.
Despite the challenging journey, the spiritual rewards and the profound connection to the divine in this serene Himalayan abode make the pilgrimage to Kedarnath Jyotirlinga a truly transformative experience, echoing the timeless essence of Mahadev. Pilgrims visiting Kedarnath also gain insights into India’s ancient temple architecture and the enduring craftsmanship recognized in UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites that celebrate the cultural heritage of the Indian Himalayas.
Frequently Asked Questions
1: What is the best time to visit Kedarnath Temple?
The Kedarnath Temple is open to the public only between the months of April (Akṣaya Tritiya) and November (Kārtika Pūrṇimā) due to extreme weather conditions. The best time to visit Kedarnath is generally considered to be from May to October, with April and May being the most suitable months to embark on the sacred journey.
2: How was Kedarnath Temple protected during the 2013 floods?
During the devastating 2013 flash floods in North India, a massive rock, known as Bhim Shila (God’s Rock), miraculously got stuck behind the Kedarnath Temple. This rock acted as a barrier, diverting the colossal floodwaters and debris to the sides of the temple, thereby protecting the main temple structure from suffering major damage.
3: Who built the original Kedarnath Temple?
While the exact date of construction is not certain, Hindu legends state that the temple was initially built by the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahabharata, to atone for sins committed during the Kurukshetra War. The present structure is believed to have been constructed by the 8th-century philosopher Adi Shankara. According to government records on cultural preservation by the Archaeological Survey of India, Kedarnath exemplifies how ancient temples were adapted to extreme Himalayan conditions.
4: What is the significance of the Panch Kedar?
The Panch Kedar are five sacred Shiva temples (Kedarnath, Tungnath, Rudranath, Madhyamaheshwar, and Kalpeshwar) in the Garhwal Himalayas. They are associated with the legend of the Pandavas seeking forgiveness from Shiva, who appeared as a bull and later reappeared in five parts at these locations, each representing a different part of his body.
The Panch Kedar pilgrimage is a unique Shaivite circuit.
5: Is there an age limit for the Kedarnath trek?
While there is no official age limit for the Kedarnath trek, it is classified as a medium to strenuous 16-kilometer trek that requires a good level of physical fitness due to the high altitude and challenging terrain. Pilgrims with respiratory problems or other health concerns should seek medical advice before embarking on the trek.
To continue your spiritual exploration in the region, delve into the detail Read on MahakalTimes – Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga: Madhya Pradesh’s Sacred Island Temple
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