Kedarnath Dham – the land of gods
Do you know why I am so fond of kedarnath Dham? It’s because of the energy and sense of positivity that we get after visiting there. Breath-taking snow-covered Himalayan mountains, a 1000-year-old temple invoking deep emotions, an enveloping divine aura, this is Kedarnath- the Land of the Gods. Kedarnath lies at a height of 3584 metres, close to the source of the holy Mandakini river. Named after king Kedar from the Satya Yuga, Kedarnath is one of the four Chota char Dham that also includes Badrinath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri. Everyone, once in their lifetime, must give this one of the most sacred places on earth a visit.
Due to extreme weather conditions, the Kedarnath temple takes a six-month winter break that begins from Diwali time festival of Bhai Dooj and is reopened to devotees after the Akshaya Tritiya festival in late April or early May.
The temple is protected and indestructible:
In the 2013 devastating cloudburst, a massive calamity struck Uttarakhand. While the state’s mountainous region suffered devastating landslides and floods, the temple was saved even despite a huge boulder coming down the mountain. Strangely, as it came down the mountain, the huge loose, rolling boulder stopped short a few metres away from the temple and in fact shielded it from any destruction even in that calamity. Footages reveal that a big rock behind the temple diverted the massive floods of water coming towards the shrine.
Apart from the 1000 years old lord shiva’s temple, there’s so much more to visit in kedarnath. Some of those miraculous places near kedarnath which are must to visit if you go to kedarnath Dham are :
Major attractions of kedarnath :
When you are at Kedarnath, the most important place to visit is the Kedarnath Temple. This temple is around 1000 years old, which means it has been standing here since the time of Mahabharat. This temple houses one of the 12 jyotirlingas and Panch Kedars.Vasuki Tal is another of the best places to see in Kedarnath. This is a beautiful lake situated at a height of 4135 m over the hills of Kedarnath. From up here, you can have a magnificent and up-close view of many peaks. The water in the lake is crystal clear through which you can easily spot the rocks beneath it. Adi Shankarcharya, the 8th century saint and great scholar, visited Kedarnath at the end of his journey through the world. He had journeyed to various parts of the world to spread his philosophy of Advaita. Kedarnath was the last place he visited before leaving his mortal body behind. The place he attained nirvana is where the Shankaracharya Samadhi was built. Chandrashila peak is one of the most popular places to visit in Kedarnath, it is situated 4000 m above sea level. This place is believed to be where Lord Rama prayed to Lord Shiva after killing Ravana. After Ram gave an end to the Rakshasa clan by killing Ravana, he sought cleaning of his sins by meditating in this holy land. There is also the legend of Moon God or Chandradev performing penance for his sins for years here.
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And now comes my personal favourite place of kedarnath, Gaurikund. According to legends, Goddess Parvati performed years of hard Tapa or meditation to get married to Lord Shiva. And Gaurikund, nestled in the Garhwal Himalayas, is the place where she performed the tapa. There is also another event that took place here. The incident of Lord Shiva cut off Ganesha’s human head and replaced it with an elephant’s. Visit this divine place and feel the energy of the Gods. Take a dip in the hot water spring nearby and feel blessed and pure.
Excited to give this divine land a visit? Reaching and exploring these places to visit in Kedarnath might be a little tiring and difficult, but once you are there it is worth the experience of a lifetime. Visit this alluring place by planning your trip to Uttarakhand and enjoy a great time amidst the beautiful views and wilderness of the place.
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