Kedarnath Yatra is one of the most spiritual tourist spots in India. Kedarnath is the home of Lord Shiva is a magnet for thousands of worshippers throughout the six months that the temple remains open. Kedarnath forms part of the sacred Char Dhams (4 trips) and is a part of the Panch Kedars. This blog will share our knowledge about Kedarnath Yatra, which is the Kedarnath Trek conducted in October. Find out more information about Kedarnath Yatra, the best way to reach it and continue along with other details.
Where is Kedarnath be located?
Kedarnath Dham is part of Char Dhams Yatra (4 religious sites) which include Gangotri, Yamunotri and Badrinath. The temple is situated in the Rudraprayag district of the Garhwal district, Uttarakhand It is the Kedarnath temple is situated within the Kedar valley that lies below the frozen lake of Chorabari which is where the source of Mandakini River. Mandakini River.
Kedarnath – History, Myth and Stories
It’s always fascinating to me to find out about the history of a location we visit, especially in the case of one of historical significance and also of religion. The temples of India with a myriad of stories within these temples.
As with other places, Kedarnath also has its own fair part of legends and myths. There are many versions of the story of the birth and the story of this Kedarnath Temple. There are also claims to the contrary, it is believed that the Kedarnath Temple was rebuilt and constructed by the legendary Hindu seer Adi Shankaracharya during the eighteenth century. As I said earlier, there are a variety of versions.
Kedarnath has a connection to the epic Hindu story in the Mahabharata and this is where the legend of Panch kedar plays out. Did I mention previously the fact that Kedarnath was one of five Kedar (Panches) that are the five holy sites for Lord Shiva.
In the fight of Kurukshetra in which the brothers fought between themselves in the battle of Kurukshetra, they Pandavas were defeated by and killed cousins, the Kauravas. The Pandavas were the ones to kill their own people in battle and caused guilt and remorse. They decided to make amends to Lord Shiva the God of the Universe. the Universe. In this regard they Pandava group decided to travel to Kashi to beg God for mercy. King Shiva however, on contrary was not willing to accept the Pandava’s apology of their murder. He fled the house he was living in Kashi and fled as a bull in Gupkashi. Bhima the most powerful Pandavas however, was able to locate the King Shiva by way of an animal. The bull was able to escape from the scene and then moved to five areas. These five regions were called The Panch (five) Kedars.
The bull’s parts were different in different locations The hump at Kedarnath as well as the arms of Tungnath the belly and navel at Madmaheshwar and the face of Rudranath and the hair of Kalpeshwar. The belief is that Pandavas constructed temples at all five sites and were able to be free of their wrongs. There is also a belief that the fore of the bull set upon Pashupatinath which is located in Nepal. The Pandavas constructed temples in each of the five locations. There is a belief that Pandavas performed Yagna at Kedarnath prior to his journey into Mahaprasthana (abandoning to the Earth in search of salvation). In the end, Mahaprasthana originated in the village of Mana close to Badrinath.
There is another tale that Nara-Narayan, an Hindu goddess is worshipped by King Shiva as well as the goddess Parvati. He offered prayers to Jehovah and asked him to stay in Kedar-nath to ensure that the inhabitants could remain there. Lord Shiva accepted his request, and Kedarnath was declared the home for Lord Shiva.
Kedarnath Trek – Our Feeling
As I said earlier, we chose to walk all the distance towards Kedarnath at the foot of the area of Gaurikund. The trek began in Haridwar. Local buses that ran from Haridwar towards Gupkashi were not in operation because of the post-epidemic crisis. Therefore, we rented a vehicle for five days to go through Kedarnath as well as Badrinath.
In the early morning, we left from Kedarath and travelled through the mountains. We’d visited these locations several times before however, the area around was not a disappointment to me. Its meeting point of Mandakini along with the Alaknanda Rivers at Rudraprayag still delights us with its unbeatable beauty of the mountain streams.
It was the Mandakini River was our constant guide on the entire journey towards Kedarnath. We reached Gupkashi around three in the afternoon. We then made the decision to head to Sonprayag. There are a lot of accommodation options in Gupkashi and it’s one of the most ideal hotels to stay in after dusk.
When we got to Sonprayag quickly and immediately discovered a hotel that we could stay in over the night. There were a lot of lodging options within Sonprayag however the majority are closed. It appears that this year there are fewer pilgrims lower than previous years. The reason is clear.
In the past, Sonprayag was the first location for Sonprayag was the first location of Kedarnath Yatra. However, now the road that leads to Gaurikund is being constructed and 5 kilometers away from Sonprayag to Gaurikund is possible to travel in a shared jeep.
We got up early in the early morning. After arriving we arrived in Sonprayag We headed to the Yatra Registration Counter. To ensure that we can run the Chardham Yatra in controlled fashion following the floods of 2013 The amount of Yatris (pilgrims) going to Kedarnath is controlled. Kedarnath shrine is restricted. There is also an Yatra ticket counter in Sonprayag. The person was sitting there using a laptop, and was making the Yatra pass at Rs.50 /-.
We received our Yatra E-pass and went straight towards the Registration Counter. They logged the e-pass’s number, conducted thermal screening and gave us permission to begin our Yatra. Every year, pilgrims get physical passes. The pass we received was not available this year, possibly because of a drop from the total number of pilgrims.
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