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).

Kedarnath is accessible after a steep 13 km trek over a paved path from Gaurikund. Untrained persons are likely to take all day for the walk. There are places en route like Janglechatti, Rambara and Garurchatti where you can rest a while or spend the night. Just one kilometer before Rambara is a high and beautiful cascading waterfall.

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. 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.

According to Hindu mythology, the Pandavas wanted to wash off their sins of killing their own brothers in the battle of Kurukshetra by seeking the blessings of the Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva continuously eluded them and took refuge in the form of a bull at Kedarnath. When Pandavas followed him to that place, he dived into the ground leaving behind his hump on the surface. The remaining parts of bull like the arms showed at Tungnath, mouth at Rudranath, navel at Madmaheshwar and hair at Kalpeshwar. All these places together with Kedarnath are known as the Panch Kedar. All 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.

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.

Besides its affiliation with Shiva, Kedarnath is also believed to be the site of Shankaracharya's samadhi.

PLACES OF INTEREST

Tungnath (90 kms.): Shiva's arms came out at Tungnath. The Tungnath temple is at an altitude of 3,680 m and is the highest Shiva shrine among the Panch Kedars. However it is the easiest to reach from Chopta, the nearest road head.

Rudranath (142 kms.): Shiva's face is worshipped at the Rudranath temple. It is about 2,286 m above sea level and is 23 km from Gopeshwar. 5 km of the distance is motor able and 18 km is on foot. The trek passes through wild orchards and picturesque bugyals (meadows) and involves trekking over high ridges (sometimes 4,000 m). The temple site provides magnificent views of Hathi Parvat, Nanda Devi, Nanda Ghungti, Trishuli and many other peaks. There are a number of holy kunds or ponds near the Rudranath temple like Suryakund, Chandrakund, Tarakund. The entire area is utterly enchanting and unmatched in scenic beauty. Anusuya Devi temple is located on the trek to Rudranath involving an additional trek of 3km.

Kalpeshwar: (160 kms.): Located in the Urgam valley at an altitude of 2,134 mts. above sea level, the temple is a 10 kms. trek from Helong - the motorhead on Rishikesh-Badrinath route. Here the locks (hair) with head of Lord Shiva are worshipped.

Shankaracharya Samadhi: Behind the Kedarnath Temple lies the samadhi or the final resting place of Adi Guru Shankaracharya. It is believed, after establishing the four dhams in India, he went for his samadhi at an early age of 32 years.

Chorabari (Gandhi Sarovar) (2 kms.): A small lake from where Yudhishthir, the eldest of the Pandavas, is believed to have departed to heaven. The floating ice on the sparkling waters of the lake is a fascinating sight. Vasuki Tal (6 kms.) A picturesque lake, 4,135 mts. above sea level is encircled by lofty mountains and offers a commanding view of the

Chaukhamba peaks. Gaurikund (14 kms.): The trekking base to Kedarnath. A temple dedicated to Gauri and thermal springs of medicinal value are noteworthy.

Sonprayag (20 kms.): The confluence of Son Ganga and Mandakini rivers. The road to Triyuginarayan diverts from here.

Triyuginarayan (25 kms.): A 5 kms. trek from Sonprayag, it is the mythological venue of the marriage of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.An eternal flame, which is said to have been a witness to the marriage, burns in front of the temple even today.

Guptkashi (49 kms.): The temples of Ardhnarishwar and Vishwanath are noteworthy.

Ukshimath (60 kms): Winter home of the deity of the Kedarnath Temple and the seat of the Rawal of Kedarnath.

Agastyamuni (73 kms): Famous for the temple dedicated to sage Agastya.

Chandrashila (93 kms.): The Chandrashila peak provides a rare view of snow-clad peaks. The rhododendron Forests and alpine meadows dominate the trek fromTungnath to Chandrashila.