Shri Kedarnath Dham Overview

More than 200 shrines to Lord Shiva may be found in the Chamoli region of Uttarakhand; Kedarnath is the most important. Forgiveness from Lord Shiva for killing their own family members is sought by the Pandavas following their victory over Kauravas in the Kurukshetra conflict. While fleeing, he disguised himself as a buffalo and found sanctuary at Kedarnath.

Upon being pursued, the Lord dove under ground, leaving his hump on the Kedarnath front. Lord Shiva's manifestations emerge in four different locations and are worshipped there. His limbs were seen in Tungnath, Rudranath; his face was seen at Rudranath; his tummy was seen at Madmaheshwar; and his locks (hair) with a head were seen at Kalpeshwar. Kedarnath, together with the four other shrines mentioned above, is known as Panch Kedar (Panch means Five in Sanskrit).

Located in the middle of a vast plateau, the Temple of Kedarnath commands breathtaking views of surrounding snow-capped mountains. Originally constructed in the 8th century AD by Jagad Guru Adi Shankaracharya, the temple now stands adjacent to the site of an even older temple, which the Pandavas had constructed as well. In the gathering hall's interior, the walls are painted with images of deities and religious scenes from the past. A massive Nandi buffalo monument guards the entrance to the shrine.

The Kedarnath temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is a work of art. It's made of enormous, heavy, and perfectly carved grey slabs of stone, and it makes you wonder how those massive slabs were handled and moved around in the past. There is a place of worship, as well as a place for pilgrims and guests to congregate, in the temple. The Sadashiva form of Lord Shiva is worshipped inside the temple in the shape of a contraction rock edifice.