Rudraprayag Kedarnath Temple – Guide
Kedarnath Temple is one of the most famous and sacred Hindu temples located on the Garhwal Himalayan ranges in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, India. Kedarnath Temple is a part of ‘Chota Char Dham Yatra’ in Uttarakhand. The temple is situated at an altitude of 3,583 meters which is the highest among the 12 Jyotirlingas in the country and is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The present Kedarnath temple is said to have been constructed by Adi Shankaracharya and was originally built thousand years ago by the Pandavas with huge stone slabs on a large rectangular mould.
History of this Temple
The history behind Rudraprayag Kedarnath Temple is very interesting as it is linked to the mythology of Mahabharata. After killing his cousin brothers Kauravas pandav want that lord Shiva free them from sins but lord Shiva was not happy with them. They visited kashi vishwanath temple there he informed that lord Shiva is in Himalaya so they moved to Himalaya.
Here they came to know that lord Shiva is also not present at this place, he move to Guptkashi. Here they found a black buffalo then Bhima one of the Pandav hold the tail of that buffalo then that buffalo spread in several parts. Then it is believed that hump of that buffalo felt at this place. After this Lord Shiva forgave the sins of Pandavas and decided to reside in Kedarnath in the form of Jyotirlinga.
Rudraprayag Kedarnath Temple is an attractive and amazing piece of architecture. This temple is built on a six feet high square platform. This temple is built in the Aslar style, in which the stones are interlocked with each other without slabs or cement. The mention of the temple area is also found in the Mahabharata. The temple has a sanctum sanctorum. The pointed rock in this sanctum sanctorum is worshiped in the Sadashiv form of Lord Shiva. Nandi sits in the form of a bull vehicle outside in the courtyard. Badri-Kedar Utsav and Shravani Annakoot Mela is the two main festival which is celebrated in this temple.
Rudraprayag Kedarnath Temple Timings
Rudraprayag Shri Kedarnath Temple will be closed for winter for about six months and will reopen in the last week of April. This temple opens at 6:00 AM in the morning and close at 9:00 PM in the evening. Morning aarti is performed at 7:30 AM in the morning and evening aarti is performed at 7:30 PM in the evening.
Saturday | 06:15 AM to 09:00 PM, Aarti: 07:30 AM & 07:30 PM |
Sunday | 06:15 AM to 09:00 PM, Aarti: 07:30 AM & 07:30 PM |
Monday | 06:15 AM to 09:00 PM, Aarti: 07:30 AM & 07:30 PM |
Tuesday | 06:15 AM to 09:00 PM, Aarti: 07:30 AM & 07:30 PM |
Wednesday | 06:15 AM to 09:00 PM, Aarti: 07:30 AM & 07:30 PM |
Thursday | 06:15 AM to 09:00 PM, Aarti: 07:30 AM & 07:30 PM |
Friday | 06:15 AM to 09:00 PM, Aarti: 07:30 AM & 07:30 PM |
Places to visit near this Temple
Vasuki Tal
Vasuki Tal is a beautiful lake which is located at a distance of 8 km away from this.
Shankaracharya Samadhi
This place is at a distance of few kms away from this temple.
Agastyamuni
This place is considered to be the home of Hindu sage Agastya Rishi. It is situated on the banks of river Mandakini at an altitude of 1000 meters.
Chandrashila
This place is located at a distance of 3979 m High altitude. This place is very good for trekking.
Sonprayag
This place is at a distance of about 19 km away from this temple.
Kedar Giripind
Kedar Giripind is made up of the mountains of Kedarnath, Kedarnath Dome and Bharatekuntha Nam. This place is at a distance of few kms away from this temple.
Gaurikund
Gaurikund is just 16 kms away from this temple. Here Maa Parvati did several penance to get married with lord Shiva.
Also Read: Bhadrakali Temple Warangal, Timings, History, Travel Guide and How to reach
How to reach Rudraprayag Kedarnath Temple
By Air- The nearest airport from Rudraprayag Kedarnath Temple is Jolly Grant Airport Dehradun which is at a distance of 35 km away from this temple. From here you can go to Gauri kund which is at a distance of 16 km away from Kedarnath Temple. From here you can easily reach this temple by doing trekking of 16 km.
By Train- The nearest railway station from Rudraprayag Kedarnath Temple is Rishikesh railway station which is at a distance of 216 km away from this temple. From here you can go to Gauri kund which is at a distance of 16 km away from Kedarnath Temple. From here you can easily reach this temple by doing trekking of 16 km.
By Road- Roads to this temple are well connected with the other cities of the country so you can easily reach this temple by using your own vehicle or by any public buses or taxi from any part of the country. From here you can go to Gauri kund which is at a distance of 16 km away from Kedarnath Temple. From here you can easily reach this temple by doing trekking of 16 km.
Subscribe our TFI Dharma YouTube channel to watch Devotional videos because we are here to serve Sanatana Dhrama: TFIDHARMA