The grey stone temple of Kedarnath backed by a snow-covered peak, pilgrims in the courtyard

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”

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Photo: Photos Worldwide · CC0

Scenes

Below peaks wrapped in cloud, a tide of pilgrims at the shrineRohit Sharma · CC BY-SA 4.0
The snow peaks above the temple — the mountain itself a shrineDhwani Shree · CC BY-SA 4.0

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.

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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