Hindu
केदारनाथ
Kedarnath
“Where the first yogi is said to have first given yoga to the seven sages, a temple of stone beneath a snow peak”
Photo: Photos Worldwide · CC0
Scenes
Meaning
On a plateau above three thousand meters, the Kedarnath peak rises snow-crowned behind a temple of grey stone, and incense and bells hang in the cold air.
One of the twelve Jyotirlingas dedicated to Shiva, held by tradition to have been raised by the Pandava brothers, it is among the highest of the Himalayan shrines. Above the temple, the glacial lake Kanti Sarovar is held in tradition to be where the first yogi, Adiyogi, first transmitted yoga to the seven sages. In the great flood of 2013, a boulder is said to have rolled down and split the torrent, leaving the temple whole.
Roads through this light
Yoga — Up the River to the Mountain of the First Yogi
“A stone temple backed by a glacial lake — the high place where the first yogi is said to have given yoga to the seven sages”
The Char Dham — From Where the Rivers Are Born to Where the Gods Dwell on the Peaks
“Below snow peaks lost in cloud, a temple of rough stone raised to Shiva — one of the highest shrines of all”
Field notes
- Location
- Garhwal Himalaya · Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand · N30.7° · E79.1°
- Best time
- From late April to early November while the temple is open, in early summer once the snow has cleared
- Getting there
- A day's drive from Rishikesh, then a 16–18 km climb on foot or pony from Gaurikund.
- Etiquette
- As a high-altitude shrine, quiet and modest dress are kept, and one adjusts slowly to the altitude.
Sources
- · Encyclopaedia Britannica: Kedarnath
- · Wikipedia: Kedarnath Temple
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