Who built Kedarnath Temple
Introduction of Kedarnath temple
Kedarnath temple is located at a height of 3583 meters in the Garhwal sector of Rudraprayag district situated in the Uttarakhand state of India. Kedarnath temple is one of the 12 jyotirlingas in India and one of the sites of Chota Char Dham and Do Dham yatra. Kedarnath is famous all over the world due to its magic and significance. Many foreigners come to India just to complete the Kedarnath Yatra with the help of the Kedarnath tour package. Kedarnath yatra package can be booked online at a very affordable price. Pilgrims can visit the temple after the Akshay Tritiya which occurs in the month of April to Bhai Dhuj which occurs in the month of November. The temple is closed from November to March due to the harsh weather in the region. The Vigraha (deity) of the temple is transferred to the Omkareshwar temple which is located in the Ukhimath.
Who built the Kedarnath temple?
Legends say that the original Kedarnath temple was built by Pandavas. Pandavas dreamt of atonement for their sins of Fratricide (Gotra Hatya) and Brahmhatya. They were inconsolable due to the pain of killing their brothers and teachers. Pandavas went to Lord Krishna for a solution. Lord Krishna advised them that go and ask for the atonement from Lord Shiva because only he can provide them with atonement and release them from their sins.
Therefore Pandavas embarked on the Journey to find Lord Shiva. But Lord Shiva was angry with them and didn’t want to meet them due to the unfair means of the Kurukshetra war. Pandavas embarked for Varanasi also known as Kashi thinking that Mahadev would be there because it is his favorite place of him. But Lord Shiva was not there. Lord Shiva took the form of Bull and hid in the Garhwal Himalayas. Pandavas went to Garhwal Himalayas in search of Lord Shiva. One day, Bheem standing on two mountains saw a unique and milky white bull grazing near Guptkashi. Bheem immediately recognized the bull as Lord Shiva and tried to catch him. Bheem holds the bull by its hind legs and tail. But Lord Shiva in the form of a bull dived inside the earth. Further, Lord Shiva reappeared at five different locations in parts. Lord Shiva’s face appeared at Rudranath, hump appeared at Kedarnath, Hands appeared at Tungnath, Matted hair or Jata appeared at Kalpeshwar, and Madhya (middle part of the body) appeared at Madhyamaheshwar.
Then Pandavas decided to build Lord Shiva’s temples on all these five sacred places. All the five temples of Lord Shiva are popularly known as Panch Kedar. In this way, the Kedarnath temple is built.
It is also believed that the temple was again reconstructed by Guru Adi Shankaracharya when he came to Kedarnath in the 8th Century. Adi Shankaracharya was one of the famous Hindu philosophers who attained enlightenment at the age of 32. It is believed that Chota Char Dham the most revered and sacred site of Uttarakhand was also founded by Guru Adi Shankaracharya.
How to reach Kedarnath
Kedarnath is a place which is a mixture of spirituality and adventure. Many people embark on Kedarnath with different means. Some opt for the Kedarnath trip package and some complete their Kedarnath yatra on their own. The Kedarnath Yatra package cost depends on the services and add-ons you choose. In this article, we will tell you how can you reach Kedarnath on your own which will be hectic but adventurous.
By Air: Kedarnath region didn’t have any own airport. The nearest airport to the Kedarnath temple is Jolly Grant Airport which is 250 km away from the Kedarnath. After reaching Jolly Grant Airport you need to hire a taxi or take a bus which will drop you to Sonprayag. After Sonparayag you can take a public vehicle to Gaurikund and then trek or directly start trekking from Sonprayag.
By Train: Kedarnath region didn’t have any own railway station. The nearest railway station to Kedarnath temple is Rishikesh railway station which is 216 km away from Kedarnath. After reaching Rishikesh you need to hire a taxi or take a bus which will drop you at Sonprayag.
By Road: Kedarnath temple is not accessible directly by road. You need to do the trekking from Sonprayag. Sonparayag is well connected to all the major cities of India via road.
Kedarnath Trekking
Kedarnath trekking starts from Sonprayag or Gaurikund it depends on you. Kedarnath trek is a medium to high-difficulty trek. Before going trekking every pilgrim needs to check whether they are fit or not for trekking. The trekking starts from 4:00 AM in the morning till 1:30 PM from the Gaurkund. Pilgrims can’t start trekking on their own time because Kedarnath is situated in the Kedarnath Wildlife Century. These are high-altitude trek therefore it is not recommended for those with respiratory problems. They need to first consult the doctor before going on the trek.