Kedarnath Temple dlt

Kedarnath Temple

Kedarnath Temple is one of the holiest Hindu shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva, located in the Garhwal Himalayas of Uttarakhand, India. It is part of the Char Dham Yatra and holds immense spiritual significance among devotees. Situated at an altitude of 3,583 meters (11,755 ft).

ॐ नमः शिवाय।
ॐ केदारनाथाय नमः।
ॐ पञ्चकेदारेश्वराय नमः।
ॐ हिमालयवासिने नमः।
ॐ महादेवाय नमः।

― Kedarnath Temple

The temple is surrounded by majestic snow-clad peaks and the Mandakini River flows nearby.

Mythological Significance & History

The origins of Kedarnath Temple trace back to ancient times. According to Hindu mythology:
It was originally built by the Pandavas after the Kurukshetra war to seek forgiveness from Lord Shiva.
The present structure is believed to have been rebuilt by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century CE.
Despite natural calamities over centuries, the temple has stood resilient, including surviving the devastating 2013 flash floods.

Significance of the Temple

Kedarnath is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas – the holiest Shiva temples.
It is the most remote of the Char Dham temples and symbolizes devotion and spiritual endurance.
As per legends, the temple marks the place where Lord Shiva appeared as a bull and dived into the ground, leaving his hump behind.
It is part of the Panch Kedar pilgrimage (Kedarnath, Tungnath, Rudranath, Madhyamaheshwar, and Kalpeshwar).