Kedarnath
is a sacred town situated in the state of Uttarakhand of India. It can even
be called as one of the remotest Char Dham sites as it is located amidst the
snow-capped mountains of Himalayas, near the river Mandakini. Nestled in the
Rudraprayag district, the main attractions here is the
Kedarnath
Temple, which is a popular Hindu shrine and pilgrimage, attracting
devotees from all over the world. The travel and tourism scope here is
strengthened by factors like natural beauty and religious zest.
The
Kedarnath Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is deemed
to have been built by Adi Sankaracharya. The glory of the temple can be
attributed to the fact that it is one of the twelve jyotirlingas (Lord Shiva
shrines), present in the country. The temple remains open only for a period
of six months, due to heavy snowfall in the winter months. Testing the
fervor and dedication of the pilgrims, the temple is not directly reachable
by road.
The only way being, a 14 km trek path from Gaurikund. The
present temple stands adjacent to the initial temple built by the Pandavas.
According to historical data, Pandavas after winning the battle of
Mahabharata, felt guilty of killing their own brothers. They came here in
search of Lord Shiva, who kept hiding himself. Finally Bhima, the strongest
Pandava brother recognized him. Lord Shiva, who was disguised as a bull,
escaped leaving behind his hind part.
This led to the construction
of the temple here. The present
Kedarnath Temple has been
built by huge slabs of gray stones, standing undeterred with all its glory
and majesty. The divine peace and tranquility of the place leaves the
devotees completely mesmerized. The haunting environment and secluded
surroundings compel all the visitors to feel the inner connection with the
Almighty. Thus, Kedarnath is considered a must visit place amongst pilgrims,
before leaving this world.