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Panch Kedar |
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five Kedar lies in the valleys between the rivers Bhagirathi and Alaknanda.
The term Kedar itself means a natural rock formation or a glacial moraine.
According to legend, himalayas Kedarnath, the chief seat of the Panch
Kedar, come into being during the period when the five Pandava brothers
were asked to seek Shiva's blessings, purging them off sin of fratricide,
or killing their cousin brothers in the terrifying bettle of Kurukshetra.
Shiva disguised himself as a bull and started to plunge underground when
he was spotted by Pandavas. No wonder the natural rock formation that is
worshipped here resembles the rump of bull. The other four places where
Shiva is worshipped take their appearance from different part of his body
- the navel at Madmaheshwar, the arm at Tungnath, the face at Rudranath,
and the matted hair at Kalpeshwar. |
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holiest of Shiva's shrines is
likened to gold among base
metals so that every pilgrim
finds peace here, and it is said
that devotees who die here
become one with Shiva himself.
The temple of Kedarnath, located
at a height of 3,581 mts, stand
at the head of the Mandakini
river, with Kedarnath peak
keeping vigil above it. The
temple is dedicated to the
Sadasiva or invisible form of
Shiva, and is represented by a
natural rock formation. Beyond
the temple is the highway to
heaven, called Mahapanth |
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General
Information
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| Nearest
Airport : |
Jolly
Grant 251 Km. |
| Nearest
Rail : |
Rishikesh
237 Km. |
| Accommodation
: |
Tourist
Rest House, Temple
Committee Guest, Private
Hotels, lodges and
DharamShalas are
available. |
| Nearby
Places : |
Sankaracharya
Samadhi, |
Basuki
Tal, |
| Kund, |
Bhukund
Bhairav, |
| Chorabari
Tal( Gandhi Sarovar ) |
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| Shiva
is worshipped at
Madmaheshwar in the form
of navel - shaped lingum.
Located at base of
Chaukhamba peak, at an
altitude of 3,289 mts,
the classic temple
architecture belongs to
the north - Indian
style. So sanctified is
the water here that even
a few drops are
considered
sufficient for
absolution. The natural
scenery is dramatically
wild, with deep gorges
and himalayas valleys,
mountainsides flung
upwards towards the
skies, and forests where
the snow lies thick in
winter, only to be
replaced by a carpet of
greenery in the summer. Kedarnath
and Neelkanth peaks are
also visible from here,
the entire ring of
mountains associated
with the life and times
of shiva. The
confluences of two
streams at Gaundar just
short of the temple, is
one of the prettiest
spots in the region. |
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General
Information
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| Nearest
Airport : |
Jolly
Grant 244 Km. |
| Nearest
Rail : |
Rishikesh
227 Km. |
| Accommodation
: |
Dharamshalas
are available. |
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| The
sanctity of the region
of Tungath is considered
unsurpassed. The peak of
Tungnath is the source
of three springs that
from the river
Akashkamini. At this
temple at 3,680 mts,
Shiva's arm is
worshipped. The highest
hindu shrine in the
Himalayas, 3kms uphill
from Chopta, Tungath is
reached through a path
that wends through
alpine meadows and
rhododendron thickets.
An hour's climb from
here leads to
Chandrashila with its
panoromic views. The
entire journey and the
shrine are located in
some of the finest, most
picturesque pocket of
the Himalaya. |
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| General
Information |
| Nearest
Airport : |
Jolly
Grant 232 Km. |
| Nearest
Rail : |
Rishikesh
215 Km. |
| Accommodation
: |
Dharamshalas
are available
and hotels at
Chopta. |
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| Devotees
come to Rudranath to
offer ritual obeisance
ti their ancestors, for
it is here, at Vaitarani
river that the soal of
dead cross when entering
another world. The
temple of Rudranath at
2,286 mts, entails
trekking through ridges
at almost twice that
height before reaching
the meadow where it is
located. Within the
sanctum, Shiva's image
is worshipped in the
form of his face. The
temple is surround by
several pools - Surya
Kund, Chandra Kund, Tara
Kund, Manas Kund - while
the great peaks of Nanda
Devi, Trishul and Nanda
Ghunti rear overhead. |
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General
Information
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| Nearest
Airport : |
Jolly
Grant 258 Km. |
| Nearest
Rail : |
Rishikesh
241 Km. |
| Accommodation
: |
Dharamshalas
are available. |
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| A
favorite spots for sages
who come here to
meditate, following the
precedent of Arghya who
performed austerities
and created the
celebrated nymph,
Urvashi, here, and the
irascible Durvasha who
meditated under the wish
fulfilling tree,
Kalpavriksha, Pilgrims
pray at the small rock
temple at a height of
2,134 mts. before the
matted tresses of Shiva
enshrined in rock in the
sanctum sanctorum. The
sanctum is preceded by a
natural cave passage.
Surrounded by thick
forests and terraced
fields in the Urgam
valley, the temple is
reached following a 10
km. long trek. |
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General
Information
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| Nearest
Airport : |
Jolly
Grant 272 Km. |
| Nearest
Rail : |
Rishikesh
155 Km. |
| Accommodation
: |
Dharamshalas
are available. |
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