04/03/2021
Kedarnath is a town in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and has gained importance because of Kedarnath Temple. It is a nagar panchayat in Rudraprayag district. The most remote of the four Chota Char Dham sites, Kedarnath is located in the Himalayas, about 3,583 m (11,755 ft) above sea level near Chorabari Glacier, the source of river Mandakini, and is flanked by snow-capped peaks, most prominently Kedarnath mountain. The nearest road head is at Gaurikund about 16kms away.
History of kedarnath
Kedarnath has been a pilgrimage centre since ancient times. It is not certain who constructed the original Kedarnath temple and when. A mythological account ascribes the temple's construction to the legendary Pandava brothers mentioned in the Mahabharata.[5][6] However, the Mahabharata does not mention any place called Kedarnath. One of the earliest references to Kedarnath occurs in the Skanda Purana (c. 7th-8th century), which names Kedara (Kedarnath) as the place where Shiva released the holy waters of Ganga from his matted hair, resulting in the formation of the Ganges river.[7]
According to the hagiographies based on Madhava's Sankshepa-Shankara-Vijaya, the 8th century philosopher Adi Shankara died near the Kedaranatha (Kedarnath) sanctuary; although other hagiographies, based on Anandagiri's Prachina-Shankara-Vijaya, state that he died at Kanchi. The ruins of a monument marking the purported resting place of Shankara are located at Kedarnath.[8] Kedarnath was definitely a prominent pilgrimage centre by the 12th century when it is mentioned in Kritya-kalpataru written by the Gahadavala minister Bhatta Lakshmidhara
Place of intrest.
Other than Kedarnath temple, on the eastern side of the town is Bhairava temple,[10] and the deity of this temple, the Bhairava, is believed to protect the town during winter months. About 6 km upstream from the town, lies Chorabari Tal, a lake cm glacier also called Gandhi Sarovar.[10] Near Kedarnath, there is a cliff called Bhairav Jhamp
Climate
Kedarnath Temple is closed during the winter months due to heavy snow. For six months, from November to April, the Palki with the Utsava Murti (Idol) of Lord Kedarnath is brought to a place called Ukhimath, near Guptakashi. Priests and other summertime residents also move their homes to nearby villages. Around 360 families of Tirtha Purohit of 55 villages and other nearby villages are dependent on Kedarnath for livelihood.[citation needed]
According to the Köppen-Geiger climate classification system, Kedarnath's climate is monsoon-influenced subarctic climate (Dwc), bordering a uniform rainfall subarctic climate (Dfc) with mild, rainy summers and cold, snowy winters.
Location on google map
Kedarnath Temple
01389 222 083
https://maps.app.goo.gl/uQc4EGkcSoiQfJwR6
★★★★★ · Hindu temple
